April 1943
Step back in time to see what area movie theaters
were presenting in April 1943. Film titles are linked to the Internet
Movie Database.
For more information about these theaters,
see Cinema
Treasures or Water
Winter Wonderland.
The
World War II romantic drama Casablanca
opened in Detroit on Friday, April 9, 1943, at the Michigan (Bagley at
Grand River). It had earlier premiered in New York City on November 26,
1942 (Thanksgiving Day).
"The
human triangle without which dramatists would be hard put comes to the
fore in 'Casablanca' to provide taut drama," wrote Len G. Shaw in
The Detroit Free Press on April 10, 1943. "It also affords
Humphrey Bogart opportunity to do some of his best acting, with lovely
Ingrid Bergman as the object of his genuine love that comes to naught
but [for] a display of heroics quite foreign to his usual attitude. It
is all available at the Michigan, and, on the whole, provides engrossing
diversion, with a Nazi touch that is not overemphasized."
"Much
of the season still remains, and many more entries are on the way, but
you can jot it down that 'Casablanca' is ticketed for a certain place
among the 10 best of the year," wrote Al Weitschat in The Detroit
News on April 10, 1943. "History-making events of the war have
plastered the name of Casablanca all over the world's newspapers. The
picture must have something too, and 'Casablanca' has it, and how! Romance,
adventure and intrigue move against a tropical background with breath-taking
reality."
Also
at the Michigan with Casablanca was the second feature My
Heart Belongs to Daddy (Richard Carlson, Martha O'Driscoll, Cecil
Kellaway). Casablanca played at the Michigan until April 22, then
moved to the Broadway-Capitol on April 23, where it stayed until May 13.
Other
downtown Detroit movies on April 9, 1943 included Andy
Hardy's Double Life (Mickey Rooney, Lewis Stone, Esther Williams)
at the Broadway-Capitol; The
Amazing Mrs. Holliday (Deanna Durbin) at the Fox; Margin
for Error (Joan Bennett, Milton Berle) at the Adams; Gentleman
Jim (Errol Flynn, Alexis Smith) at the Madison; Forever
and a Day (Ray Milland, Ida Lupino, Brian Aherne, Robert Cummings)
at the Palms-State; and Keeper
of the Flame (Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn) at the United
Artists.
Also
that day, the Redford opened at 6:15 p.m. for a double bill of You
Were Never Lovelier (Rita Hayworth, Fred Astaire) and Flying
Tigers (John Wayne, John Carroll). A newspaper ad for the Roxy
(Woodward at Temple) read, "DEFENSE WORKERS! OPEN 24 HOURS EVERY
DAY! COME ANY TIME AND SEE A COMPLETE SHOW!" The Roxy was screening
You
Were Never Lovelier and Silver
Queen (Priscilla Lane, George Brent).
Casablanca
later played at the Redford June 25-28, 1943, along with The
Meanest Man in the World (Jack Benny, Priscilla Lane), followed
on June 29 by Tarzan
Triumphs (Johnny Weissmuller, Frances Gifford) and Lady
Bodyguard (Anne Shirley, Eddie Albert). Casablanca
also screened at the Redford on July 9-10, 1977, as part of the opening
weekend of the Classic Film Series that has continued for 35 years.
Ann
Arbor audiences were treated to the opening of Casablanca at their
Michigan theater on Sunday, March 28, 1943. It played for one week, until
April 3, along with the Merrie Melodie cartoon Fifth
Column Mouse. It followed a run of Random
Harvest (Greer Garson, Ronald Colman) and was succeeded by Keeper
of the Flame (Spencer Tracy, Katharine Hepburn).
Also
playing in Ann Arbor at this time were the Walt Disney animated feature
Bambi
at the State ("Ann Arbor's Newest Theatre"); Strictly
in the Groove (Leon Errol, Ozzie Nelson and his orchestra) at
the Whitney; Panama
Hattie (Red Skelton, Ann Sothern) at the Wuerth; and Billy Wilder's
The
Major and the Minor (Ginger Rogers, Ray Milland) at the Orpheum.
Click
here to see a PDF of newspaper images
relating to the opening of Casablanca.
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