“Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin. Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as Billie) published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930.

From a humorous account of Wilder's stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood's most revered writer-directors.

​

Wilder's early writings--a heady mix of cultural essays, interviews, and reviews--contain the same sparkling wit and intelligence as his later Hollywood screenplays, while also casting light into the dark corners of Vienna and Berlin between the wars. Wilder covered everything: big-city sensations, jazz performances, film and theater openings, dance, photography, and all manner of mass entertainment. And he wrote about the most colorful figures of the day, including Charlie Chaplin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Prince of Wales, actor Adolphe Menjou, director Erich von Stroheim, and the Tiller Girls dance troupe. Film historian Noah Isenberg's introduction and commentary place Wilder's pieces--brilliantly translated by Shelley Frisch--in historical and biographical context, and rare photos capture Wilder and his circle during these formative years.

​

Filled with rich reportage and personal musings, Billy Wilder on Assignment showcases the burgeoning voice of a young journalist who would go on to become a great auteur.

“Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin. Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as Billie) published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930. From a humorous account of Wilder's stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood's most revered writer-directors.

Wilder's early writings--a heady mix of cultural essays, interviews, and reviews--contain the same sparkling wit and intelligence as his later Hollywood screenplays, while also casting light into the dark corners of Vienna and Berlin between the wars. Wilder covered everything: big-city sensations, jazz performances, film and theater openings, dance, photography, and all manner of mass entertainment. And he wrote about the most colorful figures of the day, including Charlie Chaplin, Cornelius Vanderbilt, the Prince of Wales, actor Adolphe Menjou, director Erich von Stroheim, and the Tiller Girls dance troupe. Film historian Noah Isenberg's introduction and commentary place Wilder's pieces--brilliantly translated by Shelley Frisch--in historical and biographical context, and rare photos capture Wilder and his circle during these formative years.

Filled with rich reportage and personal musings, Billy Wilder on Assignment showcases the burgeoning voice of a young journalist who would go on to become a great auteur. (Princeton University Press)

Billy Wilder (1906–2002) wrote and directed Double Indemnity, The Lost Weekend, Sunset Boulevard, Some Like It Hot, and The Apartment, among other films. Over the course of his career, he won seven Academy Awards. Noah Isenberg is the George Christian Centennial Professor and Chair of the Department of Radio-Television-Film at the University of Texas at Austin. His many books include We'll Always Have Casablanca and Weimar Cinema: An Essential Guide to Classic Films of the Era. Shelley Frisch is the award-winning translator of Dietrich & Riefenstahl and the three-volume Kafka (Princeton), among other books. Twitter @shelfrisch

Molly Haskell is an author and film critic living in New York City. Her latest book, Steven Spielberg: A Life in Films, part of Yale University Press’s Jewish Lives series, came out in January 2017. In the fall of 2016, University of Chicago Press published the third edition of her landmark From Reverence to Rape: The Treatment of Women in the Movies.

Princeton Public Library and Labyrinth Books host an evening with translator Shelley Frisch and editor Noah Isenberg discussing  the burgeoning voice of a young journalist who would go on to become a great auteur.

Before Billy Wilder became the screenwriter and director of iconic films like Sunset Boulevard and Some Like It Hot, he worked as a freelance reporter, first in Vienna and then in Weimar Berlin. Billy Wilder on Assignment brings together more than fifty articles, translated into English for the first time, that Wilder (then known as “Billie”) published in magazines and newspapers between September 1925 and November 1930. From a humorous account of Wilder’s stint as a hired dancing companion in a posh Berlin hotel and his dispatches from the international film scene, to his astute profiles of writers, performers, and political figures, the collection offers fresh insights into the creative mind of one of Hollywood’s most revered writer-directors.

A Public Lecture with Reception to Follow

Although Casablanca (1942) has been called “everyone’s favorite émigré film,” in the memorable formulation by Thomas Elsaesser, rarely is it discussed in this vein. Drawing on research undertaken for his recent book, Isenberg seeks to refocus attention on the dozens of refugees at work on both sides of the camera, on the strangely evocative if also veiled commentary on historical events, and on the furtive references to Jews and other targets of Nazi persecution. One of the most cherished love stories and wartime dramas of the studio era may also be seen as one of the earliest and most successful films to address the menace of National Socialism, the flight of European refugees, and the personal stories embodied in even the most minor characters portrayed on screen.

The timeless masterpiece CASABLANCA may be Hollywood’s most prized gem. Legendary performances from Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman and an endlessly quotable script, (“Here’s looking at you, kid”), exemplify just what made the golden age of Hollywood special.

With a mix of suspense and romance, CASABLANCA tells the story of a nightclub owner in Morocco who reunites with a former lover as she attempts to find safe passage to America during World War 2. And now, you can experience Rick’s Place anew as The Avalon Theatre brings the film back to the big screen for one-night only.

The Avalon’s spring benefit on May 6th will celebrate CASABLANCA with a night of food, film, and conversation. The evening begins with a catered reception at 5 pm and is followed by a screening of the movie in the historic Avalon 1 theatre at 7 pm. Then, you’ll want to stay with us for a conversation between host Susan Stamberg and author Noah Isenberg. Isenberg’s recent book, We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie, explains why nearly eight decades later, the film’s legend only continues to grow.

Join us for this special opportunity to support great cinema in DC’s only non-profit film-center, the Avalon Theatre.

Signed copies of Isenberg’s book are also available for purchase.

Proceeds from this year’s event will support the Avalon Theatre’s film education programs and general operating purposes.

Special Features: Book event and panel discussion with authors Alan K. Rode, Meredith Hindley and Noah Isenberg, moderated by Margaret Talbot

Why is he in Casablanca? "I was misinformed," explains nightclub owner/war refugee Humphrey Bogart, who won't "stick his neck out for nobody" — until Ingrid Bergman walks in. Often cited as evidence of the Hollywood studios' "genius of the system," in André Bazin's famous phrasing, the lore surrounding Warner Bros.' production of this American classic is itself legendary. The creative stars aligned to make what might have been just another wartime flag-waver one of Hollywood's greatest romances. Premiering soon after the Allied invasion of North Africa, it took on added luster as a kind of prelude to history. Three Oscar® wins including Best Picture, Best Director for Michael Curtiz and Best Screenplay. DIR Michael Curtiz; SCR Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch from the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison; PROD Hal B. Wallis. U.S., 1942, b&w, 102 min. NOT RATED

No passes accepted.

Copies of the books "Michael Curtiz: A Life in Film," "Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II" and "We'll Always Have Casablanca" will be available for sale and signing.

Directors: Michael Curtiz

Run Time: 102 Minutes

Genre: Romance drama

Opening Date: Saturday, March 17, 2018

View Series Page

People of the Book, meet your match: a day filled with Jewish storytelling and storytellers—more than 50 in all—some you already know and love, others you’ll be thrilled to discover.

Listen to and meet authors whose work reflects the dazzling diversity of the Jewish book world, from crime to Yiddish culture, Jewish cooking to historical fiction and serious biographies.

To make sure that the next generation learns to embrace our reading tradition, we’ve arranged a special kids’ corner with Jewish storytellers, live music and special activities. And you won’t want to go home without visiting our pop-up bookstore, where you may choose from an exciting array of hundreds of titles to add to your Jewish home library.

THE NEXT 5,000 YEARS OF CONVERSATION BEGINS HERE!

In partnership with the Jewish Book Council, Moment magazine, PJ Library and Jewish Women’s Archive

1942. USA. Dir: Michael Curtiz. With Ingrid Bergman. 102 min. 35mm print.

An old-fashioned "night at the movies," complete with vintage trailers, newsreel, and cartoon.

Of all the bars in all the towns in all the world, Bergman had to walk into Bogart’s, with a French resistance leader on her arm and the Nazis on their tail. Beyond the gorgeous cinematography and the quotable screenplay, this film tells an intimate story about the struggle of moving on from lost love that remains stirring 75 years after release. Panel to follow, featuring Jeanine Basinger, Founder of the Wesleyan Cinema Archives, and Noah Isenberg, Professor of Culture and Media at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts.

Don't forget to visit the exhibit "As Time Goes By... 75 Years of Casablanca" in the Rick Nicita Gallery.

Few films have inspired as much devotion in their viewers as Casablanca.

With more revival screenings than any other film in the history of cinema and countless fans of all ages who have returned to it dozens — or even hundreds — of times, it is clear that as time goes by, Casablanca remains as relevant as ever. Coinciding with the film’s 75th anniversary, Noah Isenberg’s discussion will offer an exploration of the film’s enduring resonance through popular — and political — culture over the decades.

We’ll Always Have Casablanca – A Conversation with Author Noah Isenberg, and a film screening of Casablanca, followed by a Moroccan dinner ala Rick’s Café.

Sunday, February 11 4:00 p.m. Irmas Campus

Through extensive interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members of the cast and crew, celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg reveals many backstory secrets about one of the most beloved films of time, including the central role that Jewish refugees from Hitler’s Europe played in its creation.

4:00 – Screening of Casablanca

5:30 – Conversation with Noah Isenberg

6: 00 – Moroccan dinner using recipes from the original Rick’s Café, plus book sales and signing. Cost for dinner: $18.00

More info and register here

CASABLANCA Screening & Book Signing

AddThis Sharing Buttons

Share to FacebookShare to TwitterShare to TumblrShare to Google BookmarkShare to More

Thursday, January 11

Event Films

• Thu Jan 11

  Casablanca

  Buy Tickets

Thu Jan 11 at 7:00pm
DCP projection – 75th Anniversary digital restoration!

“You know the movie. The history is even more dramatic.”

Join us for a special screening of Michael Curtiz’s American wartime classic CASABLANCA, followed by a conversation with Meredith Hindley, author of the new history Destination Casablanca: Exile, Espionage, and the Battle for North Africa in World War II (Hachette, 2017), and film historian and New School professor Noah Isenberg, author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie (W.W. Norton, 2017).

“In November 1942, as a part of Operation Torch, 33,000 American soldiers sailed undetected across the Atlantic and stormed the beaches of French Morocco. Seventy-four hours later, the Americans controlled the country and one of the most valuable wartime ports: Casablanca.

In the years preceding, Casablanca had evolved from an exotic travel destination to a key military target after France’s surrender to Germany. Jewish refugees from Europe poured in, hoping to obtain visas and passage to the United States and beyond. Nazi agents and collaborators infiltrated the city in search of power and loyalty. The resistance was not far behind, as shopkeepers, celebrities, former French Foreign Legionnaires, and disgruntled bureaucrats formed a network of Allied spies. But once in American hands, Casablanca became a crucial logistical hub in the fight against Germany—and the site of Roosevelt and Churchill’s demand for “unconditional surrender.”

Rife with rogue soldiers, power grabs, and diplomatic intrigue, Destination Casablanca is the riveting and untold story of this glamorous city—memorialized in the classic film—at the heart of World War II.”

Celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg provides an account of this beloved movie's origins. Through extensive research and interviews with filmmakers, film critics, family members, cast and crew, and diehard fans, he reveals the myths and realities behind Casablanca's production.

The Library for the Performing Arts is proud to offer free admission to this program on a first come, first served basis. Admission lines form one hour prior to each program.  At that time one ticket is provided per person. Tickets are not available for advance reservation and saving seats is not permitted. General admission seating. Call 212.642.0142 for more detailed information. All programs are subject to last minute change or cancellation.

Few films have inspired as much devotion in their viewers as Casablanca. With more revival screenings than any other film in the history of cinema and countless fans of all ages who have returned to it dozens – or even hundreds – of times, it is clear that, as time goes by, Casablanca remains as relevant as ever. Just in time for its 75th anniversary, join us for an unparalleled celebration of the film with an interactive talk by PJFF alumnus Noah Isenberg, author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie. This fascinating exploration of the Academy Award-winning film’s resonance through popular—and political—culture over the decades will be available for purchase at the National Museum of American Jewish History after the talk or may be purchased in advance at PJFF.org.

The name Casablanca conjures up images of Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, romance, adventure, and old-school glamour. Just as deserving of our attention is the charged political current that courses through the film, giving us “La Marseillaise” and that iconic parting on the tarmac. Viewers may be shocked to find that the inspiration for Everybody Comes to Rick’s, the play that would soon become Casablanca, was playwright Murray Burnett’s urgent desire to warn his contemporaries that good people would need to take a stand to stop the encroaching threat of fascism.

Professor Noah Isenberg, Director of Screen Studies at The New School in New York City, will thrill devotees of the film with anecdotes about the on-set hijinks, grudges, rewrites, and censorship that threatened to compromise the film’s iconic story and most memorable lines. Meanwhile, Isenberg’s electrifying overview of the political context of the film and its reverberations throughout modern history will appeal to believers in the power of art to transform hearts and minds.

Professor Noah Isenberg’s presentation will include film clips from Casablanca.

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.” The film won Oscars for best picture, best director, and best screenplay, and would go on to enjoy more revival screenings than any other movie in history. It became so firmly ensconced in the cultural imagination that, as Umberto Eco once said, Casablanca is “not one movie; it is ‘movies.’ ”

We’ll Always Have Casablanca is celebrated film historian Noah Isenberg’s rich account of this most 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, exploring the transformation of the unproduced stage play into the classic screenplay, the controversial casting decisions, the battles with Production Code censors, and the effect of the war’s progress on the movie’s reception. Isenberg particularly focuses on the central role refugees from Hitler’s Europe played in the production (nearly all of the actors and actresses cast in Casablanca were immigrants).

Finally, Isenberg turns to Casablanca’s long afterlife and the reasons it remains so revered. From the Marx Brothers’ 1946 spoof hit, A Night in Casablanca, to loving parodies in New Yorker cartoons, Saturday Night Live skits, and Simpsons episodes, Isenberg delves into the ways the movie has lodged itself in the American psyche.

Filled with fresh insights into Casablanca’s creation, production, and legacy, We’ll Always Have Casablanca is a magnificent account of what made the movie so popular and why it continues to dazzle audiences seventy-five years after its release.

Join us for this informative and entertaining evening in commemoration of the 75th anniversaries of the release of the film Casablanca and the founding of the Bronxville Adult School. Few films have inspired as much devotion in their viewers as Casablanca. With more revival screenings than any other film in the history of cinema and countless fans of all ages, who have returned to it dozens—even hundreds—of times, Casablanca remains as relevant as ever. Just in time for the film’s 75th anniversary, Noah Isenberg’s book We’ll Always Have Casablanca offers a fascinating exploration of the film’s resonance through popular and political culture over the decades. 

Author Noah Isenberg, director of screen studies at The New School, will thrill devotees of the film with anecdotes about the hilarious on-set hi-jinks, grudges, rewrites, and censorship that threatened to compromise the film’s iconic story.

Registration Required. Register here or call 914.793.4435.

Join us for this beautiful classic on our big screen to celebrate our spring membership campaign!

Morocco, 1941. Rick's Cafe in Casablanca is owned by American ex-pat Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) and is a haven for refugees desiring to flee to the U.S.A. The arrival of a former lover (Ingrid Bergman) and her anti-facist husband (Paul Henreid) provide the cynical, hard-nosed Rick with some inner turmoil. Colorful characters (played by Claude Rains, Peter Lorre, Sidney Greenstreet and Conrad Veidt) abound in this legendary 75-year-old classic which contains dialogue that has become an integral part of our vocabulary.

Our special 75th Anniversary Screening will include an intro by Noah Isenberg, author of We'll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood's Most Beloved Movie, who will sign copies of his book after the screening.

Books for sale at the screening from Gibson's Bookstore.

For more information and to buy tickets, please click the photo.

Reading and signing at the Penn Bookstore. This event is free and open to the public. Please click the photo for more information

Casablanca at 75: A Refugee Story

Casablanca is one of classical Hollywood's greatest romances, but its underlying story concerns the plight of European refugees, an unusually timely, urgent theme for today.

This event, which focuses on the refugee theme of the film, includes a screening of Casablanca and a conversation with Noah Isenberg, Lang professor of Culture and Media and author of We’ll Always Have Casablanca: The Life, Legend, and Afterlife of Hollywood’s Most Beloved Movie (Norton, 2017), and Alexander Aleinikoff, director of the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility at The New School. Moderated by A.O. Scott of The New York Times.

Click the photo for a link to the event page.

Please RSVP here. 

Livestream the event here.

Presented by the Department of Culture and Media at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, the Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, and the Department of Liberal Studies at The New School for Social Research.

"We'll Always Have Casablanca" at the Leo Baeck Institute at The Center for Jewish History

A screening of Casablanca followed by a conversation between Noah Isenberg and film critic J. Hoberman. The evening is co-sponsored by the Deutsches Haus at NYU and the New York Institute for the Humanities at NYU.

This event is free. Click the photo for more information.