What happened that night when Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) ended up on the couch with Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), after trying to get the Letters of Transit from Rick, and where did their paths take them after the iconic CASABLANCA ending?
While taking a screenwriting class and interviewing Howard Koch for my book on my family in the 1980s, we became like family. I made a promise to Howard that I’d like to share with you now with this New York Post article that recently came out.
Many heartfelt thanks to Lou Lumenick, the chief film critic of The New York Post, for supporting me in making known my continuing determination and belief in Howard’s “Return to Casablanca” treatment, and my wish to find a Warner Bros. approved writer and director.
Meanwhile, I’m very proud to announce that the fabulous David Campbell is aboard to do the music for my HOPPER: IN HIS OWN WORDS documentary. So you know, for a tax-deductible donation one can earn a “Producer” credit on HOPPER thanks to “From the Heart Productions” being Warner Sisters’ fiscal sponsor. (Please contact me with any questions about this.)
May Life and all it’s adventures be going in the direction you imagined.
Much love! Cass
Introduction to the Howard Koch Library on www.WarnerSisters.com
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I am now a PROUD part-time Warner Bros. employee working with the magnificent VIP Studio Tour department. I get to tell stories over lunch in the fine dining room on the lot about the history of the brothers & the creation of the studio to the people who take the Deluxe Tour. http://vipstudiotour.warnerbros.com/cass-warner/ (Would love to see you for lunch!)
More exciting news regarding the job to come! Meanwhile, I'm celebrating with a carrot juice cocktail in honor of Cousin Bugs!
Much love & encouragement on you doing what you believe is valuable and what you're passionate about!
Cass
These pictures are of the sign on my door and my parking space!
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Her father contacted me via e-mail saying, "I write to you because my daughter is a big fan of classic cinema. It doesn’t surprise me because I’m a great classic cinema fan since childhood. What I do consider amazing is the fact that she’s only 8 years old and has always been attracted to anything Warner Bros. She saw the ad for “The Brother’s Warner” DVD and made me purchase it immediately. Since then we have viewed the documentary close to 40 times and she pretty much has many of the comments memorized, she also has an incredible attraction to Jack Warner as a character of old Hollywood and is fascinated by your family’s history. It would be a blessing to have you contact her (or send her a pic) being that she is enthralled by your family and this fantastic documentary, which I consider so important to American history."
George NenadichEnjoy what 8 year old Valentina had to say:
Harry Warner- A symbol of a leader and a great man for his willingness and passion to do what was right! Albert Warner- Was giving and in great shape and never made a sound. What a life! Sam Warner- Good ol' number 3, was giving and traditional and also had an awesome brain! Talk about an Einstein!
Jack Warner- He was my favorite! A colorful character that gave a very young Hollywood its personality. The youngest of the four, very smart, ambitious and in reality a good man!”
Sincerely,
Valentina Sol Nenadich (Age 8)
The greatest reward I receive is inspiring others with this film, and I absolutely LOVE that Valentina feels like she “can show the way as well!” I can’t wait to see what you bring to the future, Valentina! Thank you for reaching out to me!
I’m happy to announce that Valentina is now an honorary “Warner Sister!”
All the best to you and what you’re creating!
Cass]]>
"Harry Warner comes first because he’s the oldest and the presiding genius over all their plans. It was he who visualized the great possibilities in Vitaphone when it was offered to him as an obscure invention—which most of the filmdom’s other great magnates had the same chance and turned it down. Now he foresees a future for the principle that his device represents, so great that it staggers any but a great imagination.
'The next step', he says, 'will be the actual introduction of speaking into the motion picture…the very thing many people have been waiting for. At first it was a question as to whether the public wanted talking movies. Now it has been proved that they want to hear certain parts of the Vitaphone program, at least, devoted to that.'"
Devoted they were, as they were developing THE JAZZ SINGER--the film that would launch them into another league.
As for the educational possibilities of the instrument, he believed that not even the surface had yet been scratched, and that it would only be a question of time until most of the schools and colleges in the country will make use of it. Lectures by the greatest of all professors could now go the rounds instead of being merely presented in one classroom. Students would not have to travel far and wide to hear certain famous learned men. (Remember this is 1926, folks.)
The article continued with "Warner is a humanitarian and an idealist. His next startling statement proves it: ‘Vitaphone may even serve to eliminate war among the nations. We think of the film as the greatest of all the media for propaganda. We know that American movies are bearing a silent message of our progress to the people inhabiting the globe. These same films may now go a step farther—they may even carry an actual message through a speech spoken by some character, perhaps, of America’s doctrines for world peace.’”
What honorable intentions and insight for the future of such a powerful medium!
]]>My excited grandfather, Harry Warner, had a lot to say about Warner Bros. passion for future developments, and what was to come with Vitaphone.* He wrote this about six months before DON JUAN would rock the film world in 1926.
“The reason new developments are so hard to put over, no matter how good they are, is because of the inborn cowardice of average human beings. They are afraid to change their accustomed ways...
Visualization of the final result helps us over the discouraging moments.
Do not forget that we are doing this single-handed today. We are doing it with our own money because we believe in it. We honestly believe the Vitaphone is going to do more good for humanity that anything else ever invented...
If we have a message of friendship or enlightenment that can be broadcast throughout the world, maybe the nations will be led to understand one another better…
The Vitaphone can do all that. There are a limited number of people who can go to the opera and pay seven or eight dollars to hear the great operatic artists of the world, but there are millions who cannot. Some of them want to hear good music, and the Vitaphone makes that possible. These are the benefits and potentialities of this invention that honestly and sincerely make us fight on for it.
If the issue was just money alone, I give you my word as a man that the money I have put into the Vitaphone already all four Warner brothers could live the rest of their lives without worrying.” --Harry Warner, "Future Developments" March 30, 1927
*Footnote: Vitaphone was a sound film process used from 1926 to 1930. It was the most successful of the sound-on-disc processes. The soundtrack was not printed on the actual film, but originally was created separately on a 16-inch record disc. The discs would be played on a turntable indirectly coupled to the projector motor while the film was being projected. The name "Vitaphone" was created from the Latin and Greek words, respectively, for "living" and "sound".
