Dooley Wilson

"'Play it, Sam. Play 'As Time Goes By '" With those words from Ingrid Bergman, Dooley Wilson launched into the song that moviegoers everywhere remembered from the Warner Bros. classic "Casablanca" (1942). While Wilson's loyal piano player only appeared in a few scenes, the actor brought considerable personality to his role and in a film filled with rich characters and vivid actors, he managed to leave a lasting impression. The African-American drummer and singer began his career in minstrel shows and toured overseas with his own band before returning to American and launching into an acting career. Various forays on the stage and in a movie designed for the African-American theater circuit did not result in any significant notoriety coming his way until he was added to the cast of the Broadway success "Cabin in the Sky" (1940-41), where his performance as "Little Joe" led to a movie contract. However, most of his parts were of the small and stereotypical variety endured by most black performers until "Casablanca" (1942) earned him a place in film history. Wilson had more successes here and there, notably the lavish musical fantasy extravaganza "Stormy Weather" (1943) and the Broadway hit "Bloomer Girl" (1944-46), but his performance as Sam and his rendition of "As Time Goes By" became as indelibly linked to that beloved feature as "Here's looking at you, kid" and "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."