A Night in Casablanca storyline for the film was intended to be a direct parody of "Casablanca," with the characters having similar-sounding names to the characters and actors in the 1942 film. Groucho Marx has said that an early draft named his character "Humphrey Bogus", a reference to the leading actor in "Casablanca," Humphrey Bogart. Warner Bros. did not actually litigate, or even threaten to litigate, but it did issue a formal inquiry to the Marx Brothers concerning the plot and script of the film. The Marx Brothers exploited the situation for publicity, making it appear to the public that a frivolous lawsuit was
Casablanca (film) that the film achieved a "near-perfect entertainment balance" of comedy, romance, and suspense. According to Roger Ebert, "Casablanca" is "probably on more lists of the greatest films of all time than any other single title, including "Citizen Kane"" because of its wider appeal. Ebert opined that "Citizen Kane" is generally considered to be a "greater" film, but "Casablanca" "is more loved." In his opinion, the film is popular because "the people in it are all so good", and it is "a wonderful gem". Ebert said that he has never heard of a negative review of the film, even though individual