Editing Casablanca (film) (section)

== Production ==
[[File:Humphrey Bogart in Casablanca trailer.jpg|thumb|Bogart in the airport scene]]

Although an initial filming date was selected for April 10, 1942, delays led to production starting on May 25.<ref>{{Harvnb|Francisco|1980|p=136}}</ref> Filming was completed on August 3. It went $75,000 over budget for a total cost of $1,039,000 ({{Inflation|US-GDP|1039000|1942|r=-3|fmt=eq|cursign=$}}),<ref name="robertson">{{Cite book |last=Robertson |first=James C. |url=https://archive.org/details/casablancamancin0000robe |title=The Casablanca Man: The Cinema of Michael Curtiz |publisher=Routledge |year=1993 |isbn=978-0-415-06804-8 |location=London |page=[https://archive.org/details/casablancamancin0000robe/page/79 79] |url-access=registration}}</ref> above average for the time.<ref>{{harvnb|Behlmer|1985|p=208}}</ref> Unusually, the film was shot in sequence, mainly because only the first half of the script was ready when filming began.<ref>{{Harvnb|Francisco|1980|pp=141–142}}</ref>

The entire picture was shot in the studio except for the sequence showing Strasser's arrival and close-ups of the Lockheed Electra (filmed at [[Van Nuys Airport]]) and a few short clips of stock footage views of Paris.<ref>{{Harvnb|Francisco|1980|p=139}}</ref> The street used for the exterior shots had recently been built for another film, ''[[The Desert Song (1943 film)|The Desert Song]]'',<ref>{{harvnb|Behlmer|1985|pp=214–215}}</ref> and [[Set dresser|redressed]] for the Paris [[flashback (literary technique)|flashbacks]].

The film critic Roger Ebert called Wallis the "key creative force" for his attention to the details of production (down to insisting on a real parrot in the Blue Parrot bar).<ref name="Ebertcommentary">Ebert, Roger. Commentary to ''Casablanca'' (Two-Disc Special Edition DVD).</ref>

The difference between Bergman's and Bogart's height caused some problems. She was two&nbsp;inches (5&nbsp;cm) taller than Bogart, and claimed Curtiz had Bogart stand on blocks or sit on cushions in their scenes together.<ref>{{Harvnb|Harmetz|1992|p=170}}</ref>

Later, there were plans for a further scene, showing Rick, Renault and a detachment of Free French soldiers on a ship, to incorporate the Allies' [[Operation Torch|1942 invasion of North Africa]]. It proved too difficult to get Claude Rains for the shoot, and the scene was finally abandoned after [[David O. Selznick]] judged "it would be a terrible mistake to change the ending".<ref name="IndieWire" /><ref>{{Harvnb|Harmetz|1992|pp=280–281}}</ref>

The background of the final scene, which shows a [[Lockheed Model 12 Electra Junior]] airplane with personnel walking around it, was staged using [[Dwarfism|little person]] [[extra (actor)|extras]] and a proportionate cardboard plane.<ref name="BluYouMust1">{{Cite AV media |title=Casablanca – You Must Remember This&nbsp;... A Tribute to Casablanca |date=February 2, 2010 |type=Blu-ray Disc |publisher=[[Warner Home Video]] |time=21:09}}</ref> Fog was used to mask the model's unconvincing appearance.<ref>{{Harvnb|Harmetz|1992|p=237}}</ref>

=== Direction ===
Wallis's first choice for director was [[William Wyler]], but he was unavailable, so Wallis turned to his close friend [[Michael Curtiz]].<ref name="harmetz75">{{Harvnb|Harmetz|1992|p=75}}</ref><ref name="IndieWire" /> Roger Ebert has commented that in ''Casablanca'' "very few shots&nbsp;...are memorable as shots", as Curtiz wanted images to express the story rather than to stand alone.<ref name="Ebertcommentary" /> He contributed relatively little to development of the plot. Casey Robinson said Curtiz "knew nothing whatever about story&nbsp;...he saw it in pictures, and you supplied the stories".<ref name="Ebertcommentaryquote">Quoted in Ebert commentary.</ref>

Critic [[Andrew Sarris]] called the film "the most decisive exception to the [[auteur theory]]",<ref>Sarris, Andrew (1968). ''The American Cinema: Directors and Directions 1929–1968'' (New York: Dutton), p. 176.</ref> of which Sarris was the most prominent proponent in the United States. [[Aljean Harmetz]] has responded, "...nearly every Warner Bros. picture was an exception to the auteur theory".<ref name="harmetz75" /> Other critics give more credit to Curtiz. Sidney Rosenzweig, in his study of the director's work, sees the film as a typical example of Curtiz's highlighting of moral dilemmas.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rosenzweig|1982|pages=158–159}}</ref>

Some of the second unit [[Film editing|montages]], such as the opening sequence of the refugee trail and the invasion of France, were directed by [[Don Siegel]].<ref>{{Harvnb|Harmetz|1992|p=264}}</ref>

=== Cinematography ===
The [[cinematographer]] was [[Arthur Edeson]], a veteran who had previously shot ''[[The Maltese Falcon (1941 film)|The Maltese Falcon]]'' and ''[[Frankenstein (1931 film)|Frankenstein]]''. Particular attention was paid to photographing Bergman. She was shot mainly from her preferred left side, often with a softening gauze filter and with [[catch light]]s to make her eyes sparkle; the whole effect was designed to make her face seem "ineffably sad and tender and nostalgic".<ref name="Ebertcommentary" /> Bars of shadow across the characters and in the background variously imply imprisonment, the [[Cross of Lorraine]]—the symbol of the [[Free French Forces]]—and emotional turmoil.<ref name="Ebertcommentary" /> Dark [[film noir]] and [[expressionist]] lighting was used in several scenes, particularly towards the end of the picture. Rosenzweig argues these shadow and lighting effects are classic elements of the Curtiz style, along with the fluid camera work and the use of the environment as a framing device.<ref>{{Harvnb|Rosenzweig|1982|pages=6–7}}</ref>