Movies - TV
Humphrey Bogart & Ingrid Bergman’s Casablanca Chemistry Was All Acting
By ERIC VESPE
“Casablanca” has cemented its place as one the greatest romance movies ever put to film, with Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund being the epitome of what it means to be madly in love.
While Rick and Ilsa were head over heels for each other, the same couldn’t be said about their actors — Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman — after the cameras stopped rolling.
Stefan Kanfer’s 2010 book “Tough Without a Gun: Humphrey Bogart, Men In Movies, and Why It Matters,” detailed Bogart’s real-life drama while filming “Casablanca.”
Bogart’s then-wife, Mayo Methot, had accused the actor of having an affair with his “Casablanca” co-star, making working with Bergman problematic for his marriage.
However, Bergman may have been the reason for their strictly professional relationship, as the actress didn’t find Bogart attractive, saying, “I kissed him, but I never knew him.”
What’s more, Bergman was married to Petter Lindstrom while making “Casablanca,” making the chances of her engaging in an illicit affair with Bogart unlikely.