George Raft Rejected the Role, and Humphrey Bogart Wasn’t Even Asked
When the cast Casablanca’s was being organized, studio head Jack Warner pictured actor George Raft in the lead role of Rick Blaine. Raft was a mob-connected semi-talented actor who was already in a contract with Warner Brothers Studios, busy making movies in the years prior. There was a certain suave coolness (or swagger as the young people like to say) about Raft.
Photo by Paramount/Kobal/Shutterstock / Granger/Shutterstock
Warner offered Raft the role of Rick Blaine, but after considering it, he turned it down. Producer Hal B. Wallis told Warner Humphrey Bogart was better for the part. The thing is, Bogart was under contract to Warner Brothers, and so his opinion apparently wasn’t even asked. He was simply told that he was being assigned the role of Rick and to show up when production started. In the end, Raft had a change of mind and wanted the starring role after all. But it was too late.