January 23, 1943
The movie “Casablanca” was copyrighted, the same day it was released in the United States. Producer Hal Wallis had purchased film rights to the play the previous January.
“Casablanca” was shot at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, California, with the exception of one sequence at Van Nuys Airport. Despite its inclusion of frontline stars Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Berman, the movie was not expected to be anything special.
Its world premiere was on Nov. 26, 1942, in New York City. The film was an unspectacular success in its initial run but won the Academy Award for best picture.
