The iconic piano from the Hollywood romance Casablanca will be auctioned in New York in November, the highlight of more than two dozen collectors' items from the fabled war-time classic.
"Play it, Sam," says Ingrid Berman, cajoling Dooley Wilson into singing As Time Goes By before a moody Humphrey Bogart storms over to find his ex-lover sitting in his nightclub.
Wilson’s character Sam first played the song on the piano for Bogart’s character Rick and Bergman’s Ilsa when they fell in love in Paris as Nazi troops advanced on the French capital.
The salmon-coloured instrument is the star of more than 30 items from the 1942 black-and-white movie offered for sale on November 24 by Bonhams auction house and Turner Classic Movies.
Also on sale are the doors of Rick’s Cafe Americain, Bogart’s nightclub where Bergman asks Bogart to help her fugitive Czech resistance leader husband escape to America.
Other lots include passports and transit papers created for the film, a final draft screenplay, signed photographs of the cast and production memos.
All of the lots come from a private collector.
"Bonhams is thrilled to represent this remarkable Casablanca collection, certainly one of the most significant film memorabilia collections still in private hands," said Catherine Williamson, the director of entertainment memorabilia at Bonhams.
The auction house expects the piano to sell for seven figures. It last sold for US$602,500 (Dh2.2m) at auction in 2012, below Sotheby’s then estimate of $800,000 to $1.2 million.
The sale also features a host of other collector pieces from other films, including a test dress and pinafore designed for Judy Garland for the 1939 production of The Wizard of Oz.
The items will go on display in preview exhibitions held in Los Angeles from November 6-9 and in New York from November 20-24.
Casablanca is ranked one of the greatest American films of all time by the American Film Institute.
The Warner Bros movie won three Oscars in 1943 for Best Picture, Best Writing (Screenplay) and Best Director.
It is perhaps best known for Bogart’s catchphrase to Bergman: “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid.”
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Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Total funding: Self funded
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Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille
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The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
The specs: 2018 Nissan 370Z Nismo
Price, base / as tested: Dh182,178
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Power: 350hp @ 7,400rpm
Torque: 374Nm @ 5,200rpm
Transmission: Seven-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 10.5L / 100km
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At a glance
Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.
Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year
Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month
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Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse
Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth
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THE SPECS
Engine: 6.75-litre twin-turbocharged V12 petrol engine
Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh1,350,000
On sale: Available for preorder now
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
