'Casablanca' Trivia-- Part 4: A Nod and a Cameo?

A SILENT NOD

During filming, Bogart was called to the studio to stand in Rick's Cafe and nod silently.

He had no idea why, but that shot would be added to the "La Marseillaise" scene, showing his character, Rick, giving the band the OK to play the French anthem.

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COMIC CAMEO

A Chicago newspaper reported in 1943 that funnyman Jack Benny visited the set when Bogart and Bergman were shooting a cafe scene.

"There were about 50 extras seated at tables, with a number of waiters scurrying around," the paper reported.  "There's where you will see Benny, among the waiters.  He borrowed a white coat and appears in the background."

This story has been much debated but Benny's daughter, Joan, said that she believed it was true.

--CootBlanca

Waukegan Movie Theaters and Actors and Movies

During Waukegan's history, there have been a total of 43 movie theaters at 23 locations in the city.  Sadly, today there is not a single Waukegan theater showing first-run films, the nearest place to see one of those is nearby Gurnee.

Three famous ones were the Elite Theater, originally a vaudeville stage, the Academy and the Genessee which was built in 1927 and still stands.

One famous Waukegan person in the movie business was Jack Benny who appeared in the movie "Man About Town" which had its world premier in Waukegan in 1939 at the Genessee Theater.

Dorothy LaMour, George Chandler and Ray Bradbury also were from Waukegan.

"The Navy Way" movie was filmed a lot at Great Lakes Naval base near Waukegan in North Chicago, and had its world premier at the Genessee.

--Cooter

Waukegan and the Motion Picture Industry-- Part 1: Edison, Dickson and the Beginning of the Motion Picture Industry

The Fox Lake / Grant Township Historical Society then had our presentation, which today was on Waukegan and its role in the early motion picture industry.    Our presenter was Ty Rohrer of the Waukegan History Museum.

Had things worked out differently, who knows, maybe Lake County and Waukegan might have become "Hollywood" instead of out in California.

When people think of Waukegan and movies, they think of Jack Benny and the Famous Genesee Theater.  But, there is a whole lot more to the story.

Thomas Edison is given credit for the invention of the movie camera, but it was actually William Kennedy Dickson, in Edison's employ, who was the major force in its development.  He invented the kinetoscope.  Part of the reason for this was to see if all four of a horses' hooves came off the ground at the same time while in a gallop.

The kinetoscope was essentially a peep machine in which one person at a time could view it. But, that made it hard to make money with just at a time viewing it. It had to become larger.

--Cooter