Thanks to the Blu-ray Elite project, I recently had a chance to re-watch Casablanca (1942), this time on Blu-ray. My first instinct was to write a review about the beloved, critically acclaimed masterpiece, but quickly realized that there’s not much I could say that hasn’t already been said. It’s a shining achievement of cinema and it has earned every last accolade it has received. Early in the film, I started picking up a lot of references. Many, many films have referenced Casablanca in some way or another. In lieu of the review, here’s an infographic that details just how many films thought highly enough of Casablanca to reference it.
I should probably establish some ground rules because what you see is NOT a complete list. I started with IMDb’s “Connections” page for Casablanca. That list was absurdly long. So my next step was to start whittling it down. There were a ridiculous amount of TV shows that I removed. Then I removed the cartoons. Looney Tunes, especially, has referenced Casablanca many times through the years. Next, I removed the Mystery Science Theater episodes, the game shows, and the adult movies. And yes, that’s a fact- there are adult movies that reference Casablanca. And then I whittled away a handful of lesser known films. What you’re about to see is what was left, which is more than enough to demonstrate how lasting Casablanca’s impact has been. If you’d like to see the full list (which is probably 10 to 15 times as long as what I have), go here. Click on the image to enlarge.
That list is phenomenal. The diversity is mind-numbing. There are mysteries, dramas, horrors, classic films, action movies, documentaries, animation, some really awful B-movies, science fiction, and anything else you can imagine. Sometimes, the references are overt, like in Raiders of the Lost Ark. Other times, it’s a simple parody of Bogart or one of the many quotable lines from the film. Still other times, producers of these films saw fit to pay tribute to Casablanca simply by placing a poster for the film in the background. That list is a fitting tribute to the tremendous quality of Casablanca.
