Casablank Slate Trivia Quiz

Answer: Dooley

"Tom Dooley" is a folk song based on the murder of Laura Foster in North Carolina in 1866. You can hear it featured in the 1959 movie "The Legend of Tom Dooley" starring Michael Landon. The most popular version of the song...
"Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Hang down your head and cry
Hang down your head, Tom Dooley
Poor boy, you're bound to die"
...is the hit version recorded by The Kingston Trio in 1958.

Dooley Wilson is the actor who played the piano-playing Sam in "Casablanca". The line of dialogue "Play it again, Sam", spoken by Rick Blaine is mistakenly believed to be a direct quote from the film, but the truth is the line was actually, "Play it, once, Sam," spoken by Ilsa Lund.

Answer: Humphrey

Hubert Humphrey was the 38th vice president of the United States from 1965 to 1969 under President Lyndon B. Johnson. He was also United States Senator, representing Minnesota from 1949 to 1964 and 1971 to 1978. He played himself in the 1972 movie "The Candidate" in which Robert Redford portrayed a similarly liberal senatorial candidate.

Humphrey Bogart was the lead in "Casablanca" playing nightclub owner Rick Blaine. Bogart was nominated for a Best Actor Oscar for this role, but lost to Paul Lukas from "Watch on the Rhine".

Answer: Conrad

Robert Conrad was perhaps most famous for playing the daring Secret Service agent James T. West in the television series "The Wild Wild West" that aired from 1965 to 1969. Conrad pursued a career as a singer in local nightclub just like "Rick's" before moving to Los Angeles in 1958 to become an actor. In the 1980s producer David Wolper wanted Robert Conrad to do a TV show adaptation of "Casablanca" but Conrad balked, recalling that he said "David, I can't be Bogie, come on!" Conrad expanded, "Don't misunderstand me, I could have held my own in a scene with Bogie. That much I believe -- but don't ask me to take Bogie's part."

Conrad Veidt played the villainous Nazi Major Strasser in 1942's "Casablanca." The German film industry had made actors and actresses fill out a "racial questionnaire" in which they had to declare their "race." When Veidt filled out the questionnaire, he declared that he was Jewish even though he wasn't. He answered that way as a symbol of his solidarity with the Jewish community, and especially since his wife was Jewish. The government told Veidt that if he renounced his marriage to his wife then he would be allowed to continue acting. Many other performers were also put in that position. The Veidts then left Germany for England in 1933 and restarted his acting career there.

Answer: Michael

George Michael was a founding member of the pop duo Wham! in 1981 along with Andrew Ridgeley. George Michael songs have been a staple of the movie industry's soundtracks even into the 21st century ("Father Figure" in 2017's "Atomic Blonde" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go" from "The Lego Batman Movie" also in 2017). The first movie to feature a George Michael song goes back to 1984's "Sixteen Candles" which has "Young Guns" on the soundtrack.

Michael Curtiz was the director of "Casablanca" for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director. It was his fifth Best Director nomination.

Answer: Julius

The Orange Julius fruit drink franchise began in the 1920s in Los Angeles, California by Julius Freed. His real estate broker Bil Hamlin concocted a recipe for his orange drink that was a frothier, smoother texture. The mixture of ice, orange juice, sweetener, milk, powdered egg whites and vanilla flavoring was easier on the stomach and delicious.

Julius Epstein was the screenwriter of "Casablanca" and also won an Academy Award for that film along with his brother Philip, and co-writer Howard E. Koch. They based their screenplay on an unpublished play called, "Everybody Comes to Rick's", written by Murray Bennett and Joan Alison.

Answer: Captain

Claude Rains was marvelous as Rick Blaine's friendly foil police chief Captain Renault in "Casablanca." He had so many memorable moments in the film like when he closes down the casino exclaiming, "I'm shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here!" And as he says this a croupier inconspicuously hands him a wad of cash from his gambling winnings. And of course the heroic stance he takes at the climax: Major Strasser threatens to call the radio tower to stop the plane after Rick has gifted an escape flight to Ilsa and Victor. Strasser pulls a gun on Rick who pulls his own gun and shoots the Major dead. Captain Renault stands by as Nazi soldiers come running gathering at the scene and declares, "Major Strasser has been shot!" After a perfectly timed dramatic pause, as Renault and Rick trade looks, Captain Renault gets Rick out of trouble by issuing the instruction, "Round up the usual suspects!" It's an iconic moment in the history of American motion pictures.

Grand Funk Railroad recorded the 1970 classic rock song "I'm Your Captain" appearing on their album "Closer to Home." It's a wonderful record about a ship's captain facing a mutiny from his crew during a troubled voyage. It has been used in various movie soundtracks including "Straight Outta Compton" (2015), "Halloween II" (the 2009 version), and "Love & Mercy" (2014).

Answer: Max

Peter Max was a visual arts and culture star of the 1960s, known specifically for his psychedelic art and pop art. His work and style was an immense influence on the Beatles' 1968 animated film "Yellow Submarine."

Max Steiner was the musical composer of "Casablanca". Two years before "Casablanca" at the 14th Academy Awards, he won the Academy Award for Best Music (Score of a Dramatic Picture) for the film "Sergeant York" starring Gary Cooper, another war-themed picture for Mr. Steiner

Answer: Paul

Aaron Paul starred alongside Bryan Cranston in the hit Emmy-winning cable television show "Breaking Bad". Aaron Paul portrayed Jesse Pinkman, and in 2014 won a Critics' Choice Television Award for Best Supporting Actor in a Drama Series. Making a reputation as an actor with a dark side, Paul played the main villain in the remake of "The Last House on the Left" (2009).

Paul Henreid played Victor Laszlo in "Casablanca"--he was an anti-German resistance leader fleeing capture with Ingrid Bergman as Ilsa Lund by his side. Again, he was crucial in one of my favorite scenes of all time in a movie. In the casino, a group of Nazi soldiers boldly stand and sing a nationalistic song of theirs as the patrons in the casino are cowed into quiet subservience. Laszlo comes quickly downstairs though and firmly tells the casino music director "Play the "Marseillaise,"... Play it!" The conductor is afraid to, but as he glances over at Rick, Rick gives him the nod. He begins to play it and the entire casino of expatriates and customers gradually join in until with tears in their eyes their proud rendition of the French national Anthem squashes the Nazi bullies back down into their seats. Again, an iconic moment in American cinema.

Answer: Peter

Saint Peter it is proposed in the Christian religion holds the "keys to the kingdom", represented by The Pearly Gates as the entrance to Heaven. Saint Peter grants arrivals access to Heaven and is sometimes depicted looking up people in a big book. And if they are not allowed into Heaven they must descend down to Hell. You can see various stagings of The Pearly Gates in films such as the Chris Rock vehicle "Down to Earth" (2001), or the opening of the Rodgers and Hammerstein musical "Carousel" (1956).

Actor Peter Lorre portrayed Signor Ugarte a petty thief who has come into possession of the valuable "letters of transit" a prop that plays such an important part in the film. Ugarte asks Rick Blaine to hide the letters for him in his safe until Ugarte can safely meet his contact to whom he intends to sell the letters.

Answer: Parrot

Sydney Greenstreet played Signor Ferrari, the owner of The Blue Parrot a rival nightclub to Rick's. It is Ferrari who divulges his suspicion to Laszlo that Rick is the holder of the letters of transit.

Parrotheads are the nickname that fans of pop vocalist Jimmy Buffet have bestowed upon themselves. The term was coined by bassist Timothy Schmidt in 1985 at a Jimmy Buffett concert at the Timberwolf Amphitheater in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mr. Buffet had fun poking fun of himself in the 2019 movie "Beach Bum" playing who else but...Jimmy Buffett.