Todo Concostrina – “26 de noviembre de 1942: El estreno de 'Casablanca' en Nueva York, más que una película”
Host: SER Podcast, Nieves Concostrina
Date: November 27, 2024

Episode Overview

In this episode, Nieves Concostrina explores the historical and cultural significance of the film “Casablanca,” which premiered in New York on November 26, 1942. Far beyond being a legendary movie, Casablanca is dissected as a product of its time, tightly woven with World War II events, propaganda efforts, and a truly accidental creative process. The episode traverses historical trivia, the film’s rocky path to icon status, and the various myths and anecdotes that surround it.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Myth and Memory of Casablanca

• Opening Reflection: The hosts open with some light banter acknowledging the film’s reputation—and the famous misquote “Tócala otra vez, Sam” (“Play it again, Sam”), which never appears in the movie. They credit the perpetuation of the phrase to Woody Allen’s film Sueños de un seductor (00:32).

  "Esa la lió Woody Allen... pues ahí es donde Woody Allen dice tócala otra vez y eso ha quedado como que lo dijo."
  —Nieves Concostrina [01:19]

• Casablanca as More Than a Film: Nieves insists Casablanca transcends the medium; its historical context and the legends that grew up around its production are as fascinating as the film itself (01:28).

2. Reception and Critical Reaction

• Initial Success and Later Fame:

  • The film received early critical acclaim and Oscars (Best Picture among three awards [03:36]), yet widespread popular success was a much slower burn.
  • Casablanca’s rediscovery and transformation into a cultural phenomenon began about 15 years later, in the late 1950s, and truly blossomed during the 1960s (05:24).

  "Casablanca no empezó a recoger el éxito... hasta 1957. Y el reventón ya total llegó en los 60."
  —Nieves Concostrina [02:37]

• Comparisons and Rankings:

  • In 2006, the Writers Guild of America voted the Casablanca script the best in history, above The Godfather, Chinatown, and Citizen Kane (04:25).

  "En el año 2006, el gremio de Escritores de América... nombró el guión de Casablanca como el mejor..."
  —Nieves Concostrina [04:25]

• Oscars Anecdote:

  • Famous story: at the Oscars, both producer Hal B. Wallis and studio boss Jack Warner stood up to claim the Best Picture statuette, but Wallis reached it first, leading to Warner firing Wallis in a fit of pique (04:26).

3. The Historical Context and Strategic Premiere

• Why Premiere Only in NY?

  • The film’s production and release are inseparable from WWII.
  • The November 1942 New York release was planned to capitalize on current events: the Allied capture of Casablanca in North Africa (06:49).

  "Es que el rodaje, el argumento y el estreno están íntimamente unidos a la Segunda Guerra Mundial."
  —Nieves Concostrina [06:49]

• Propaganda Tool:

  • Designed in part to boost U.S. morale and confidence in victory.
  • The rest of the U.S. saw the film only after the Allies held Casablanca and during a crucial Allied summit there in January 1943 (07:46).

  "Se pensó para que tuviera una parte propagandística..."
  —Nieves Concostrina [07:24]

• The Casablanca Conference (14–24 January 1943):

  • Details of the pivotal summit at the Hotel Anfa: Roosevelt, Churchill, De Gaulle, Giraud (Stalin absent due to Stalingrad).
  • Key results: no conditions for Axis surrender, support for the USSR, invasion plans for Sicily/Italy, aided by misdirection operations involving Spain (the “man who never was”) (08:47).

4. Anecdotes and Production Oddities

• The Most Accidental Masterpiece:

  • The script was written on the fly, even adding the famous final line for Bogart at the last minute (11:41).
  • Ingrid Bergman’s confusion over which character she was supposed to end up with, heightened by the infamous Motion Picture Production Code (“Código Hays”) which banned a married woman from leaving her husband (12:22).

  "No me aclaro. ¿Me tengo que liar con Rick o se supone que sigo con mi marido?"
  —Nieves Concostrina [12:14]
  "El código Hayes... prohíben que en una película una mujer abandone a su marido para irse con otro hombre."
  —Nieves Concostrina [12:22]

• Casting Choices and On-Set Solutions:

  • Ingrid Bergman was not the first or even second choice for the lead; Bogart wasn’t the intended Rick, with names like Clark Gable and Ronald Reagan floated (13:19).
  • Height differences led to Bogart standing on boxes for his scenes with Bergman (13:22).

  "La estatura de Bogar. A ver, es que medía 20 centímetros menos que Ingrid Bergman. En cada escena que aparecen juntos, Bogar estaba subido en un cajón."
  —Nieves Concostrina [13:29]

5. Francoist Censorship & the Spanish Dubbing

• Alteration of Rick’s Backstory:

  • In Francoist Spain, Rick’s role as a veteran of the International Brigades defending the Spanish Republic was censored in the dubbing, changed to a relatively meaningless complaint about Austria’s annexation (13:58).

  "Cambiaron y pusieron en boca de Bogar una chorrada... que se había opuesto a la anexión de Austria."
  —Nieves Concostrina [13:58]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On film reception and subjectivity:

  “Las opiniones son como los culos. Todo el mundo tiene uno.”
  —Citing Harry el Sucio (02:34)

• Regarding Hollywood backstories:

  "Es que Casablanca es mucho más que una película… tiene mucha historia."
  —Nieves Concostrina [01:28]

• On the accidental magic of Casablanca:

  "Casablanca es probablemente la obra maestra más accidental de la historia del cine. Quedó redonda, pero el guión se escribió sobre la marcha."
  —Nieves Concostrina [11:41]

Key Timestamps

• 00:32 – Debunking “Tócala otra vez, Sam” and Woody Allen’s role
• 02:37 – Casablanca’s delayed popular success
• 04:25 – Ranking of the greatest film scripts
• 04:26 – Oscars anecdote: Hal Wallis vs. Jack Warner
• 05:24 – How Harvard students made Casablanca a cult classic
• 06:49 – The film premiering in New York only, linked to WWII developments
• 08:47 – Casablanca Conference details and WWII implications
• 11:41 – Anecdotes on how the script was written during filming
• 12:22 – The impact of the Hays Code on the storyline
• 13:29 – Bogart’s box to appear taller than Bergman
• 13:58 – Francoist censorship in Spanish dubbing

Tone and Language

The episode maintains Nieves Concostrina’s characteristic blend of wit, irreverence, and historical insight, peppering the commentary with memorable quips, cultural references, and personal asides, making the episode both informative and highly entertaining for history and film buffs alike.

For listeners and fans, this episode is a lively, in-depth tribute to a film that is as much a part of world history as it is a cinema classic, illuminating both its making and its myth.