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Clifford D. May

Clifford D. May

Clifford D. May is president of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and a columnist for The Washington Times. He can be reached at cliff@fdd.org.

Columns by Clifford D. May

#5 Casablanca (1942) Director: Michael Curtiz Stars: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, Paul Henreid. Casablanca is a 1942 American romantic drama film directed by Michael Curtiz and based on Murray Burnett and Joan Alison's unproduced stage play Everybody Comes to Rick's. The film stars Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and Paul Henreid; it also features Claude Rains, Conrad Veidt, Sydney Greenstreet, Peter Lorre, and Dooley Wilson. Set during World War II, it focuses on an American expatriate who must choose between his love for a woman and helping her Czech Resistance leader husband escape the Vichy-controlled Moroccan city of Casablanca to continue his fight against the Nazis. Story editor Irene Diamond convinced producer Hal B. Wallis to purchase the film rights to the play in January 1942. Brothers Julius and Philip G. Epstein were initially assigned to write the script. However, despite studio resistance, they left to work on Frank Capra's Why We Fight series early in 1942. Howard E. Koch was assigned to the screenplay until the Epsteins returned a month later. Casey Robinson assisted with three weeks of rewrites, but his work would later go uncredited. Wallis chose Curtiz to direct the film after his first choice, William Wyler, became unavailable. Principal photography began on May 25, 1942, ending on August 3; the film was shot entirely at Warner Bros. Studios in Burbank, with the exception of one sequence at Van Nuys Airport in Van Nuys, Los Angeles. Although Casablanca was an A-list film with established stars and first-rate writers, no one involved with its production expected it to be anything out of the ordinary. It was just one of hundreds of pictures produced by Hollywood every year. Casablanca had its world premiere on November 26, 1942, in New York City and was released nationally on January 23, 1943, in the United States. The film was a solid if unspectacular success in its initial run, rushed into release to take advantage of the publicity from the

The lessons of ‘Casablanca’

One of my favorite films is "Casablanca" starring Humphrey Bogart as Rick Blaine, an American nightclub owner -- and isolationist -- in Morocco as the Nazis are goose-stepping across Europe and beyond. Published December 12, 2023

Middle Eastern history and Hamas supporters' ignorance illustration by Alexander Hunter/The Washington Times

Hamas supporters’ ignorance is appalling

Veteran newsman Brit Hume noted over the weekend that he's been watching interviews with students participating in pro-Palestinian demonstrations and has found them "truly discouraging." Published November 14, 2023

Hamas war against Israel and Western civilization illustration by Linas Garsys / The Washington Times

Hamas vs. Western civilization

"Hey hey, ho ho, Western Civ has got to go." That chant, frequently heard on American college campuses in the 1980s, protested courses on Greece, Rome, the Renaissance and the Enlightenment. Published November 7, 2023

Illustration on the war on the Jews by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Iran is globalizing second war against the Jews

World War II was also "The War Against the Jews." But the Nazis took pains to conceal the fact that their goal was the extermination of Europe's Jewish communities. Published October 31, 2023

Israeli soldiers are seen in a staging ground near the Israeli Gaza border, southern Israel, Monday, Oct. 9, 2023. The militant Hamas rulers of the Gaza Strip carried out an unprecedented, multi-front attack on Israel at daybreak Saturday, firing thousands of rockets as dozens of Hamas fighters infiltrated the heavily fortified border in several locations, killing hundreds and taking captives. Palestinian health officials reported scores of deaths from Israeli airstrikes in Gaza. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

Hamas terrorists’ 21st-century pogrom

More than a thousand Hamas terrorists invaded Israel from Gaza over the weekend. They slaughtered farmers on their kibbutzim, massacred teenagers attending an outdoor concert, desecrated the bodies of raped and murdered women, and stole children from their homes. Published October 9, 2023

Illustration on Chinese, Russian and Islamist imperialism in Africa by Linas Garsys/The Washington Times

Imperialism returns to Africa

It was called the "scramble for Africa." In the 19th century, European empires carved the continent into colonies they could exploit. Published September 5, 2023