Introduction -- Everybody comes to Rick's -- Usual suspects -- I stick my neck out for nobody -- Such much -- We'll always have Paris -- Play it again -- A beautiful friendship

The movie Casablanca was first released in 1942, just two weeks after the city itself surrendered to American troops led by General Patton. The film won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best screenplay, and would go on to enjoy more revival screenings than any other movie in history, and become firmly ensconced in the American cultural imagination. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca's production, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic movie. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler's Europe played on the production--nearly all of the actors and acresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants. Filled with fresh insights, Isenberg's book is a magnificent account of what made this movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release. --