Michael Willian Books

Classic Films Examined Scene-by-Scene

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Scene-by-Scene Casablanca at Warner Bros Store

Excited and honored to share that the Warner Bros. Studio Store is selling Scene-by-Scene Casablanca! Here are some fun photos of my book on display at a recent Casablanca exhibit at Warner Bros. in celebration of the film’s 80th anniversary. Look for the Moroccan-themed room divider in one of the photos, a prop visible in several scenes in Rick’s Cafe. And love the Looney Toons prints, with Bugs Bunny doing his thing as Rick. My favorite pic is the bar caddy — super classy and perfectly captures the cafe’s refined yet boozy vibe.

A HUGE thank you to the Warner Bros. team for including me in their anniversary celebration and beyond!

Zuzu’s Drummer Boy Toy

Here’s the Bailey children’s drummer boy toy I discovered, which you can find in the film perched on Zuzu’s nightstand. It’s not the actual prop (virtually none have surfaced over the years) but it’s the same type/model. I showed him off today on WGN-TV’s weekend morning news with Sean Lewis and Gaynor Hall. Here’s a link to that interview, posted on YouTube.

Last week I shared the drummer boy with Zuzu (Karolyn Grimes), Tommy (Jimmy Hawkins) and Janie Bailey (Carol Coombs) at the It’s a Wonderful Life Festival in Seneca Falls, er, Bedford Falls, NY, at “Zuzu’s Breakfast,” and all the actors and guests were thrilled.

He’s a wind up toy. The drum is a separate piece that clips onto his waist. Just a few turns of the winder and he will play his heart out for a full minute while his head sways back and forth.

Jimmy Hawkins likes to think this toy and other toys visible in the film as Bailey children hand-me-downs, and that the oldest child, Pete, had him first before he ended up in Zuzu’s room. I like that thought. And I have always thought of this little guy as keeping watch over Zuzu, making sure she’s safe and snug as a bug in her bed.

And here’s the best shot of the drummer boy in the film, and it happens to be a wonderful shot of Zuzu and George!

Hello From Bedford Falls!

Greetings from Bedford Falls and the It’s a Wonderful Life Festival, 2021

The It’s a Wonderful Run 5K is one of the favorite events at the festival, and here’s a pic of me and Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) at the starting line on the bridge in Seneca Falls, er, Bedford Falls! The bridge looks just like the one in the film. Karolyn had just started the race with her famous line, “Every time a bell rings and angel gets its wings!” This pic is taken just past the start, so I lost a little time on the clock LOL! What fun to see her standing on the sidewalk as I crossed the bridge! Thank you Karolyn! The temps were in the 50s this year, but usually there’s a blanket of snow on the ground and a full-on igloo along the way made by an industrious owner along the route. Even better, you can pop into the igloo for some Christmas cheer. Lots of merriment along the way, and the run is my favorite way to get into the Christmas spirit.

And here are a few more snaps with the stars of the festival!

Carol Coombs (Janie Bailey) with her husband Chet
Dancing with Carol to “Tea for Two“, from a Doris Day film she appeared in as a teenager. When I asked her about the film, she and Chet broke into duet and sang the whole song. A very sweet moment!
Donald and Ronald Collins and their wonderful wives. The men are identical twins and were both cast as “Little” Pete Bailey, who appears in a Bailey family montage peering over the side of a crib in the living room of 320 Sycamore. They still haven’t figured
out which one of them is actually in the film, and both stake claim, naturally! So fun to hear their banter on the matter!
Here is Michael Chapin, who played one of young George’s friends and appears in two of my favorite scenes: the sledding scene and our very first glimpse of downtown Bedford Falls. He’s the last boy in the chain that George forms to save Harry after he falls through the ice. AND he’s the boy with the “B.B.C.” baseball sweatshirt in the very next scene. Wow! Loved hearing his amazing stories from his career in film and what a treat to have him join the festival!

From 2019 but want to share because Jeanine Ann Roose (Young Violet) is in it, lower left, and she was not able to join us at the festival this year. One of the most heartwarming moments of the week was when she called into the “final scene” dinner to wish the entire gathering a “Merry Christmas.” Karolyn Grimes (Zuzu) and Jimmy Hawkins (Tommy) are up top, and Carol Coombs (Janie) is lower right. It is so fun to hear Karolyn and Jimmy go back-and-forth about their memories of the film and their careers — they are so funny!