"When it comes to describing the great American novel, experts and the common folk disagree; but in the greatest American film category, Casablanca wins hands down. Citizen Kane, Gone With The Wind, The Godfather, and Star Wars all have their fans, but no film rivals Casablanca as an accepted icon of popular culture. It is unique in the fact that it appeals to both the 'filmaratti' and the 'masses,' something that the other contenders do not do."
It was a rare treat to discover the definitive trivia guide to the definitive cult movie but Casablanca Film Trivia: Here's Looking at You, Kid! delivers and then some. Author Tom Barnes, who has also created a "Casablanca Trivia Board Game," embarked on this project in 1993 and his dedication has paid off. I literally spent hours voraciously reading through some of the fascinating tidbits that can be found in this guide such as "Ingrid Bergman was disappointed by Humphrey Bogart's standoffishness and said of their working relationship, 'I kissed him but I never knew him.'" In addition, to the abundant factoids sprinkled throughout the guide like the one quoted above, Casablanca Film Trivia boasts 1,130 trivia questions divided into 33 chapters with titles such as "Script & Lines," "Geography," "Flaws, Mistakes & Goofs" and "Behind the Scenes."
Trivia questions range from easy ("What toast does Rick say to Ilsa, both with and without a drink, four different times in the film?") to extremely difficult ("Who is the only cast member who had actually been to Casablanca?"). Every single aspect of the making of Casablanca, the movie itself and its many influences are included in Casablanca Film Trivia, making it a treat for both casual fans of the movie and total Casablanca fanatics alike.
Bottom line: This fascinating and comprehensive guide to Casablanca belongs on any cult movie buff's bookshelf. For more information about Casablanca Film Trivia: Here's Looking at You, Kid!, visit www.casablancagame.com.
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