276 pages,
The "Cross of Lorraine," the symbol of the Free French
The newspaper telling of the German advance towards Paris and that Paris was an Open City. President Roosevelt's statement, "The hand that held the dagger has struck it into the back of its neighbor" became one of the most famous statements of the war.
Tsar Boris III - the devil in Bulgaria mentioned by the Bulgarian woman
German soldiers, members of the German Armistice Commission, are captured by American troops at Casablanca on the first day of the invasion.
Bogey's Buick. This 1940 Buick Limited four-door convertible phaeton was used in the airport scene in the movie Casablanca. It is now a collector car. |
THE CASABLANCA COMPANION: The Movie and its Place in WW II History By Richard E. Osborne The classic movie "Casablanca" is a WW II story, made during WW II for WW II audiences and is loaded with very accurate WW II history which is fully explained in this book. You will learn the actual calendar days of the events in Casablanca and Paris - why Rick couldn't return to America - why there were Germans in Casablanca - and whether or not there was an actual document known as a "letter of transit." You will learn such things as how Rick ran guns to Ethiopia - what he did while he was fighting for the loyalist in Spain - and what mysterious activities he was up to in Paris. The reader is also informed as to why it was difficult for refugees to get out of Casablanca - why they wanted to go to Lisbon - who the "devil" was in Bulgaria that the Bulgarian woman spoke of - what were the Bulgarian couple's chances of reaching America - the significance of Ilsa and Berger being Norwegians - and the differences between the Vichy French and the Free French... and more. This book fully explains words and phrases used in the movie such as "Vichy" - "Clipper to America" - "the Angriff" - "Brazzaville" - "second front" - "French 75." Explained, too, are several historical errors in the movie, acting and photography "glitches" and bits of the Warner Brothers' political philosophy worked into the movie. The final chapters of the book detail the experiences of the various participants in wartime Hollywood and wartime problems in making the movie. Read this book and the next time you see "Casablanca" you will see more than you have ever seen before.
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The
audience of 1943 knew this man and there was no need to identify
him by name. He was Marshal Henri Petain, the pro-German dictator
of France, and Capt. Renauld's ultimate boss.
