23/02/2023

Return to Rick’s Café, or how Casablanca was made

“Play it again, Sam.” Anyone vaguely familiar with the world of cinema recognises this phrase from the great cinema classic Casablanca. In reality, this phrase is never actually used in what was considered the best film of 1943. What was really said was ‘Play it once, Sam’ and ‘Play it, Sam’.  This is what happens with mythical stories; they cross borders beyond reality. Alfonso Méndiz, rector of UIC Barcelona and lecturer of Audiovisual Communication and Advertising, spoke about similar anecdotes at the Troa-Garbí Bookstore on 15 February.

“How was Casablanca made?” was the title of the conference, taken from one of the chapters of the book Cómo se hicieron las grandes películas (How the Great Films were Made). The author Alfonso Méndiz Noguero gave a talk at the Troa-Garbí Library in Barcelona in front of about thirty people. He broke down the entire creative process of the legendary film (which won the main Oscar in 1943) from its beginnings as Everybody comes to Rick’s, to finally arriving on the big screen as Casablanca, in a very pleasant lecture. 

Méndiz was introduced by Àlex Gorina, film critic and presenter of Televisió de Catalunya and Catalunya Radio, who referred to him as “one of those rare people; a teacher and thinker”. In addition, he spoke of the two volume book as “two cabinets of curiosities” that “made him feel like a character from the 18th century”. 

Once the introductions were made, the professor brought the audience closer to the creative film process by following the steps from the purchase of the idea to the premiere of Casablanca.  He discussed the shooting locations, dissected the psychology of the characters and actors and told some of the anecdotes that took place during the shooting, which was chaotic: “The main set was still under construction when they started filming and there were problems with the sound. It was real chaos and yet an incredible film was produced.” 

The relationships between the characters are, according to Méndiz, “one of the most beautiful jewels of the film” and there are almost always relationship triangles. “It’s a story that is still fresh and young, eighty years later. Even though the years pass by, we will always have Casablanca,” he concluded. 

At the end of the talk there was time for audience questions with the speaker. Alfonso Méndiz took the opportunity to thank Gorina for the introduction and the space. “For me,” said the rector of UIC Barcelona, “it is an honour to have the best film critic in Catalonia introduce me. I would also like to thank the Garbí Bookstore: they are turning 65, we are 25. Thank you, because this is not an assembly hall, but it has that magic of books, it is a place where we are surrounded by wisdom and where we can browse so many stories.”