In the 1930s and 1940s, Hollywood studios were manufacturing and releasing motion pictures like Apple releases iPhones. With as many as 50 movies released in a year, Warner Bros. Studios did not expect "Casablanca" to be a success, nor did any of the people who worked on it.

The story was an adaptation of a play that was nothing short of mediocre. The writers were slapping together bits of dialogue and delivering it to the actors on very short notice. The director could not have been less passionate about the film.

However, the crew’s lack of passion did not dissuade them from working their absolute hardest to put out the best film they could.

Due to their hard work, the outstanding chemistry between the film’s leads (Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman) and a whole lot of luck, the film became a huge success. It is now revered as one of the greatest films of all time.

Set in the middle of World War II, the American expatriate Rick Blaine (played by Bogart) owns a nightclub and gambling den in Casablanca. There he is tending to French, Italian and German officials, as well as countless refugees who are waiting to obtain passage to the states. He plays himself off as a hard neutral and apathetic party. Rick soon encounters his ex-lover and her new fiancé who is a Czech Resistance leader. This causes a lot of romantic drama, political drama in the nightclub and catalysis within Rick’s heroism.

The film also stars great actors like Paul Henreid, Peter Lorre and the fabulous Claude Rains. The cast is so phenomenal that the supporting roles could tell the story on their own, yet don’t take away from the two romantic leads.

Original music was composed by the father of the film score, Max Steiner. It has memorable songs played by the bars band leader including the famous “As Time Goes By.” This song became the films theme and is woven throughout the incredible score.

The movie was nominated for eight Academy Awards and won three, including Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture.

The film shot Ingrid Bergman into real stardom. She went on to become one of the most beloved actresses of all time. I am personally not the biggest fan of Bogart, but this is my favorite of his performances. It is so perfect for him, and he does it so well.

There are so many famous quotes from this film: “Round up the usual suspects,” “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine” and “Here’s looking at you, kid.”

The film is so iconic in every way - so perfect.

It doesn’t do anything extraordinary or special. But everything it did was done with absolute Hollywood perfection.

It is a testament to perfect storytelling in cinema. It’s not a complex story, it’s quite simple. But that is why it is so loved.

It is one of those few perfect films.

So, if you have yet to see it, do it. Because the problems of three little people have shown to amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.