THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

651-Dooley Wilson-As Time Goes By.

1942-It didn’t chart in the UK until 1977, when reaching Number 15.

Best Bit-At 1.30. Don’t forget, in the film nobody ever said,’Play it again Sam.’

‘As Time Goes By’ was written by Herman Hupfeld (1894-1951) for the 1931 Broadway Musical ‘Everybody’s Welcome,’ in the original show it was sung by Frances Williams, and first recorded by Rudy Vallee (1901-1986,) becoming a minor hit. After the success of the 1942 film ‘Casablanca,’ Brunswick records re-released the song, and it went to Number 1 on Billboard, in the same year. Hupfeld wrote well over 100 songs in his career, with this one being by far his most successful, in 2004 the American Film Institute unveiled it’s list of the top 100 songs from the cinema, from the 20th Century, and this was at Number 2, behind ‘Over the Rainbow,’ sung by Judy Garland (see also best songs 68.)

Arthur ‘Dooley’ Wilson was born on April 3rd, 1886, in Tyler, Texas, United States, he earned his nickname ‘Dooley’ for his ‘whiteface’ impersonation of an Irishman singing a song called ‘Mr Dooley’, he died on May 30th, 1953. Wilson was a drummer, and singer who took up acting in the 1930’s, eventually signing a contract with Paramount Pictures, which led to him being cast in the role of ‘Sam’ for the 1942 film Casablanca. In the film Wilson is seen sat at a piano performing the song at the request of Ingrid Bergman. Wilson couldn’t play the piano to the standard required, so in the film it was overdubbed by the studio pianist Jean Vincent Plummer. Such has been the impact of the film, and Wilson’s rendition of the song, that in 2014 the piano he played was put up for auction at Bonhams in New York, and sold for $3.4 million.

Because of contractual stipulations, meaning Wilson couldn’t release ‘As Time Goes By’ in the aftermath of the films success, two other versions, both recorded in 1931, from Rudy Vallee, and Jacques Renard, were both re-released, reaching Number 1, and Number 3 on Billboard. Wilson’s version finally charted in the UK, reaching Number 15, in 1977.

‘You must remember this, a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, the fundamental things apply, as time goes by.’