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Casablanca’s
East Texan
Dooley Wilsonby
Bob Bowman
The
piano player who sang "As Time Goes By" in Casablanca |
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When you
talk to East Texas movie buffs about their favorite all-time films, the one everyone
places near the top is Casablanca, the 1942 love story starring Humphrey Bogart
and Ingrid Bergman.
But few know that an East Texan, Dooley Wilson, played
a significant role in the film -- not necessarily as a part of the plot, but as
the piano player who sang “As Time Goes By,” the classic theme which ranks among
filmdom’s top movie songs. An African-American, Wilson was born as Arthur Wilson
on April 3, 1886, in Tyler.
He reportedly played in black clubs around Tyler before moving to Chicago, where
he earned his nickname in 1908, the result of his signature Irish song, “Mr. Dooley”
while playing at the Pekin Theater. He performed the role in whiteface. Because
of his role in Casablanca, history has forever associated Wilson with the piano.
But Dooley never played one. He only sang and sometimes used the drums.
Dooley
performed on Broadway in the early forties and his breakthrough appearance came
in the role of Little Joe, a stereotypic lazy rascal in the musical, “Cabin in
the Sky.” He also played an escaped slave in “Bloomer Girl” and his performance
of the song, “The Eagle and Me,” was included in a Smithsonian compilation of
American theater songs. While Casablanca established Dooley’s reputation on the
silver screen, it wasn’t his first film. He had already played in more than twenty
motion pictures when the Casablanca film came along. For his role, he was paid
$350 a week. By comparison, Sydney Greenstreet was paid $3,750 a week.
If you remember the film, Sam was a singer and pianist employed by Rick (Humphrey
Bogart). “As Time Goes By,” written by Herman Hupfield, appears as a continuing
musical and emotional motif throughout the film.
Dooley’s rendition of
the song is remembered for itself, as well as for its cinematic associations.
About a year ago, a television show ranked the movies’ top songs -- and “As Time
Goes By” was among the top three, along with “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and
“Singing in the Rain.”
Since Dooley couldn’t play the piano, his playing
in the film was actually done by Elliott Carpenter, who was placed on the set
where Wilson could see him and imitate his hand movements. The only black people
on the Casablanca set, Wilson and Carpenter remained lifelong friends.
Dooley
almost didn’t get the Casablanca role. Ella Fitzgerald, a popular singer in the
forties, was considered for the part and Dooley’s Sam might have been Ella’s Molly.
Ironically, Humphrey Bogart’s role as saloon owner Rick was originally supposed
to be a young Ronald Reagan. George Raft, another popular actor in the forties,
was a second choice.
Dooley died on May 30, 1953, in Los Angeles. He was
buried in Rosedale Cemetery, a favorite resting place for politicians, notably
former mayors of Los Angeles. |
All
Things Historical
July 24, 2005 Column
Published with permission
(Distributed by the East
Texas Historical Association. Bob Bowman, of Lufkin, is a former president of
the Association and the author of more than 30 books about East Texas.) | | | |
