Casablanca Got A Surprisingly Decent Sequel In An Unexpected Format

This post contains spoilers for "Casablanca" and its sequel novel.

The reputation of Michael Curtiz's "Casablanca" precedes itself. The 1942 romantic drama opened to a decent run at the box office, with no lofty expectations of critical or commercial success attached to it. But "Casablanca" went on to etch an unforgettable reputation by winning several Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and making its way into every "greatest movies of all time" list over the decades.

Humphrey Bogart's Rick Blaine is an essential part of this legacy, whose world-weary ways compel us to discover his past as "Casablanca" progresses. Part of the reason why Rick is so jaded is his thwarted romantic relationship with Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), whose presence at the Casablanca gambling den reopens old wounds. In fact, her entrance is accompanied by a rendition of Herman Hupfeld's "As Time Goes By" on the piano, which triggers Rick's ire.

At the end of "Casablanca," Rick doesn't board the plane to Lisbon with Ilsa, staying back to strike a deal with Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains). Michael Walsh's 1988 novel, aptly titled "As Time Goes By," picks up the story at this exact moment. The novel isn't a non-canon expansion of "Casablanca," but an officially commissioned sequel by Warner Books. "As Time Goes By" chronicles Rick's younger years in America (before he becomes an expatriate) and the events that take place after the plane leaves in the 1942 film.

As the novel delves into Rick's past, it can also be considered a prequel story. Walsh makes good use of "Casablanca" as the narrative anchor, as it serves as a reference point for past and future timelines. Walsh's prose is competent enough to feel like an extension of the film's script, but is the novel any good?

Walsh opens Rick's 1931 timeline by introducing him as Yitzik Baline, who works for gangster Solly Horowitz during the Prohibition Era. Yitzik falls for Horowitz's daughter, Lois, and the boss man makes him the owner of a speakeasy soon after. While Horowitz favors Yitzik for his loyalty, he wants his daughter to settle for someone rich and influential, and she's soon married off to a would-be politician. A gang war erupts right after, in which both Solly and his supposed successor die, along with Lois and her husband, who get caught in the crossfire. This devastates Yitzik to no end, and he decides to set sail for North Africa with Sam (the piano player in the film) and change his name to Richard Blaine.

While Ilsa's chunk of the story is crucial to our understanding of Rick in "Casablanca," Walsh fleshes out his past some more, further explaining his extreme cynicism attached to the concept of love. Fast-forward, and we see Rick join the underground resistance in London during World War II, with Renault, Ilsa, and her husband working together. By reuniting Ilsa and Rick and shifting the focus to rebellion, Walsh adds considerable depth to "As Time Goes By."

The novel benefits from our foreknowledge of "Casablanca," as Walsh writes these familiar characters as an extension of what we see onscreen. All in all, "As Time Goes By" is a fun read. It will satisfy anyone curious about Rick's future and whether he is successfully able to shed his cynicism to embrace a more spirited outlook on life.