Moroccan decorative wooden screen from Casablanca, seen in "Rick's" office in Rick's Café Américain....

Description

Moroccan decorative wooden screen from Casablanca, seen in "Rick's" office in Rick's Café Américain. (Warner Bros., 1942) Vintage original screen used wooden carved and beaded Moroccan 3-panel folding screen prominently featured in the office of "Rick" - Humphrey Bogart's iconic character in Casablanca - at Rick's Café Américain, the central setting of one of the greatest American movies of all time. Each of the three panels, measuring approx. 76 x 24 in., is decorated with hand carved edges, wooden beads on lathed rods, inset carved wooden panels and mother of pearl and shell inlaid detail. The two outer panels each feature a 12 x 12 in. bell-shaped opening framed by inset shell detail with the centermost panel portal spanned by lathed wooden bars and beads. Each panel is joined to the next with hinges, creating a triptych, footed, freestanding decorative screen that measures approx. 76 x 72 in. when completely extended. This screen is clearly visible in Rick's office, as "Captain Renault" (Claude Rains) informs "Rick" (Bogart) that "Victor Laszlo" (Paul Henreid) is coming to Casablanca and must be detained. This particular screen, with its distinctive bell-shaped opening, was also used to cast shadows adding visual interest to the background in the Café when Laszlo and Carl return from their meeting with the Underground (inexpensive set decorating in wartime Hollywood). This historic set piece is beautiful in and of itself and is not only immeasurably important as décor in the landmark film, but as art pieces that contribute boldly to the geometric Moroccan themes and motifs at play throughout the design of the entire project. Two sections of beading have been replaced, possibly done before the production. In vintage very fine condition. Provenance: Cinema Mercantile Co. liquidation sale, Los Angeles, October 2, 1982. Cinema Mercantile Co., one of the oldest and largest suppliers of film and TV set decorations, supplied items to Warner Bros. Studios during the production of Casablanca.

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