Movies

Here’s Looking at the Making of ‘Casablanca’: Rare Photos From the Classic Wartime Romance

See how Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman and more made one of the most beloved films of all time

By Abbey Bender July 10, 2025

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1. An unforgettable ending

Everett Collection

There's something thrilling about seeing how one of cinema’s most famous moments came to be. Here, Casablanca’s director, Michael Curtiz, films Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman in the legendary goodbye scene wherein Bogie tells her that if she doesn’t get on the plane with her husband, she’ll regret it, “Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.”
2. The director and his leading lady

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In this candid, Curtiz gives a spiffily-dressed Bergman direction on set. While Casablanca became the Swedish actress’ signature film, she had mixed feelings about it, saying, “Although people seemed to like me in Casablanca, I cared for myself less in that part than in the serious roles I have played.”
3. Stunning stars

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

Bogart and Bergman look absolutely luminous in this promotional portrait. The pair’s onscreen chemistry was undeniable, but when asked about her Casablanca love interest, Bergman quipped, “I kissed him, but I never knew him.”
4. Arm in arm

Silver Screen Collection/Getty

In this promotional shot, the film’s stars link arms with Claude Rains (at left), who played the local police captain. From their jaunty pose, you might think they’re channeling The Wizard of Oz!
5. ‘Casablanca’ in color?

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The black-and-white cinematography of Casablanca is gorgeous, but this portrait from the set captures Bogart in color. A colorized version of the movie actually aired on TV in the ’80s, but it was widely criticized, and most viewers agreed that the film was meant to be seen in classic monochrome.
6. Bogie swaggers

John Kobal Foundation/Getty

No one wore a trench coat and fedora quite like Humphrey Bogart, and his inimitable style is on full display in this moody studio portrait. In a Woman’s World interview, the actor’s son, Stephen Humphrey Bogart, reflected on his dad’s eternal tough-guy cool, saying, “He died young, he was a great actor, he made great movies. He was own man, he was an activist, he was kind of a brooding loner, but as far as what has kept his legacy going, even now, all these years after his death, I really have no idea. It’s like a flash in the pan.”
7. Showing off her steps

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French actress Madeleine Lebeau, who played Bogart’s former girlfriend, doesn’t have much screen time in Casablanca, but she’s the subject of a haunting closeup in which tears stream down her face as she shouts “Vive la France!” while “La Marseillaise,” the French national anthem, plays. In this quirky photo from the set, the actress, who until her passing at 92 in 2016 was the final surviving member of the cast, shows off her pedometer.
8. A trusty character actor

Everett Collection

S.Z. Sakall had a small role as a waiter at Bogart’s club, and here, he winks at his character actor status as he places his name above those of his more famous stars while on set. The Hungarian actor was nicknamed “Cuddles” due to his jowly, rotund presence and affable personality.
9. Best Director

Everett Collection

Casablanca was nominated for eight Academy Awards, and won for Best Screenplay, Best Director and Best Picture. Here, Curtiz (at right) steps onstage to accept his well-deserved Best Director award. The Golden Age director was extremely prolific, as he directed 178 films (including eight starring Bogart) before his death at 75 in 1962.
10. A precious piano

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Casablanca’s theme song, “As Time Goes By,” is instantly recognizable and conjures up all the romance and drama of bygone Hollywood. In 2014, the piano on which actor and singer Dooley Wilson performed the song sold at auction for $3.4 million. While the embellished piano is a key part of the film, Wilson didn’t actually play it. He was a drummer rather than a pianist, so the piano-playing was dubbed. Clearly, this didn’t make a difference in the instrument’s powerful legacy!

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