1943 – Humphrey Bogart
Casablanca
Can you imagine anyone except Humphrey Bogart playing Rick Blaine in Casablanca? Of course not. That look, that attitude, that swagger, that delivery was all Bogart. And Bogart was no stranger in front of the camera, but this was the leading role that launched him into super-stardom. True, he’d just starred in the Maltese Falcon two years before, but Casablanca seemed to be on another level.
Rick was the owner of Rick’s Café Américain, a nightclub and casino in Casablanca, the largest city in Morocco. A wide variety of people frequented the place, from wealthy war refugees to criminals, from the French Police to high-ranking Nazi officials. And in Rick’s book, only money mattered, not status. In that way he remained true to his current convictions of complete political and social nutrality. And I think this is where Bogart shined. He totally understood the character and his motivations. He treated everyone the same, no matter what side of the war they were on. That was Rick, at least, until Ilsa showed up again.
Bogart’s on-screen chemistry with Ingrid Bergman was magical. Even though Bergman had later stated in interviews that she and Bogart were more co-workers than friends, when they were together on the screen, there was an intimacy between them that felt like they had to be more than mere aquaintences. Bogart was great as he said, “If that plane leaves the ground and you’re not with him, you’ll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” Such a great line, and so perfectly delivered!
And who can forget that iconic scene in the dark as Rick gets drunk, where he utters that famous line, “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.” Bogart was so real, so perfect. There was depression, anger, self pity, and a dozen other emotions just pouring out of him, and he nailed the scene. I absolutely think he deserved his Best Actor nomination. But he lost the top honor to Paul Lukas in Watch on the Rhine. I’ve see that film, and looking at it through my modern eyes, with how memorable and beloved as Casablanca is, I think Bogart should have taken home the Oscar. He was robbed, plane and simple.