Hugh Hefner Once Revealed His All-Time Favorite Movie
Hugh Hefner once shared his all-time favorite movie, and it might surprise some people. In an interview with the American Film Institute, he 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 is a 1942 romantic drama directed by Michael Curtiz, starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid.
The film is set during World War II and follows an American expatriate, played by Bogart, who must decide between his love for Bergman’s character and helping her husband, a resistance leader, escape from Casablanca to continue fighting the Nazis.
The screenplay was based on an unproduced stage play called Everybody Comes to Rick’s by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison. The film also featured a strong supporting cast including Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson.
Even with its top-tier cast and crew, Casablanca was not expected to stand out among Hollywood’s yearly productions. Its release was rushed to capitalize on publicity from the Allied invasion of North Africa. The film premiered on November 26, 1942, in New York City, and opened nationally in the U.S. on January 23, 1943. It was a solid success but not an immediate blockbuster.
Over time, Casablanca became a cultural icon. It won the Academy Award for Best Picture, while Curtiz took home Best Director, and the screenplay team was honored for Best Adapted Screenplay.
The film is now widely regarded as one of the greatest movies in history, with famous lines, unforgettable characters, and its classic theme song all remaining deeply influential. In 1989, it was among the first films selected by the United States Library of Congress for preservation in the National Film Registry for being “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.”
Renowned critic Roger Ebert once 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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