Hugh Hefner’s All-Time Favorite Movie Revealed
Hugh Hefner once revealed his favorite movie of all time, and it’s a true Hollywood classic. Speaking to the American Film Institute, Hefner said, “My favourite movie of all time is Casablanca. We run classic films at the Mansion every Friday and Saturday, and I do notes on them, etcetera.”
“But what started all that a dozen years ago was Casablanca when it celebrated its 50th anniversary. It has everything: a fantastic script, adventure, romance, unrequited love, friendship, everything.” He said.
Casablanca, released in 1942, is an American romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz. It stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid.
The story is set during World War II in the Moroccan city of Casablanca. Bogart plays an American expatriate who must decide between his love for Bergman’s character and helping her husband, a resistance leader, escape the Nazis. The screenplay was adapted from an unproduced stage play called Everybody Comes to Rick’s by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison.
The film’s production was largely based at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, with only one scene shot elsewhere.
Its creation involved several screenwriters, including the Epstein brothers and Howard Koch. Casablanca was released quickly to capitalize on the Allied invasion of North Africa, premiering in New York City on November 26, 1942, and opening nationally in January 1943. While its initial run was a moderate success, it would go on to exceed all expectations.
Casablanca won the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Curtiz earned Best Director. The screenplay team was recognized with the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay. Over the decades, the film’s reputation has only grown.
Its characters, famous lines, and theme song have become iconic, cementing Casablanca as one of the greatest films ever made. In 1989, the Library of Congress selected it for preservation in the National Film Registry as “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.” Film critic Roger Ebert famously said, “If there is ever a time when they decide that some movies should be spelled with an upper-case M, Casablanca should be voted first on the list of Movies.”
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