In Casablanca, Morocco in December 1941, a cynical American expatriate meets a former lover, with unforeseen complications.

Since its 1942 release, Casablanca has grown into such a legend that it almost transcends mere cinema. Its lines of dialogue can be quoted by people who have not seen the film: “Here’s looking at you, kid,” “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship” and the oft-misquoted “Play it, Sam” have become known phrases within the English language. Even the production design of Casablanca has come to represent the aesthetics of romantic longing. Its smoky casino, fog-shrouded runway, trench coats, potted palms and gruff-voiced pianist repeatedly surface in contemporary films, commercials, television programs and even restaurant decor as respects are paid to this quintessential Hollywood classic.

The ingredients that have made Casablanca such a timeless classic are not easy to pinpoint. Produced by Warner Bros., Casablanca embraced what is now known as “invisible style.” Rather than dazzling audiences with eye-catching visuals and histrionic acting, it seduces the viewer by creating a seamless, lush universe that gradually envelops the audience. Hardly an effortless accomplishment, “invisible style” required absolute mastery of the various cinematic elements by its collaborators, including Hungarian director Michael Curtiz (Mildred Pierce, 1945), director of photography Arthur Edeson (The Maltese Falcon, 1941), Art Director Carl Jules Weyl (The Big Sleep, 1946), composer Max Steiner (Gone With the Wind) and soon-to-be-director Don Siegel (Dirty Harry, 1972), whose dynamic opening montage invests the film with a sense of political urgency. -TURNER CLASSIC MOVIES

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