Editing Casablanca (film) (section)

=== 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>