We’ll Always Have Casablance: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie

The Leo Baeck Institute, Deutsches Haus at NYU, and the New York Institute for the Humanities co-present “We’ll Always Have Casablanca,” a screening ofCasablanca, followed by a conversation between Noah Isenberg, Professor of Culture and Media at the New School’s Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, and film critic, journalist and author James L. Hoberman.
Copies of Noah Isenberg’s new book We’ll Always Have Casablanca will be available for sale and signature.

Casablanca was first released in 1942, just two weeks after the city of Casablanca itself surrendered to American troops led by General Patton. Featuring a pitch-perfect screenplay, a classic soundtrack, and unforgettable performances by Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and a deep supporting cast, Casablanca was hailed in The New York Times as “a picture that makes the spine tingle and the heart take a leap.” In his new book, We’ll Always Have Casablanca, film historian Noah Isenberg gives a rich account of this beloved movie’s origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, and diehard fans, Isenberg reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca’s production, focusing in particular on the central role of refugees—nearly all the actors were immigrants from Hitler’s Europe.