This fall, History and the Arts will present a film history on three of the movies the American Film Institute ranks in t he top five romance movies of all time. Casablanca, Roman Holiday and An Affair to Remember hold spots #1, #4 and #5 respectively on that list. West Side Story will be briefly discussed as well, and it sits at position number 3.

The first session will be online to accommodate all interested and all mobility levels and will focus on Casablanca Highlights, Casablanca as WWII History, and Casablanca - Film History & Legacy. Why does this film rank often as near the greatest of all time, and as noted, the greatest love story on film, ever? How has it remained surprisingly relevant and referenced to this day? Participants’ opinions on these questions and this film - that many may know - are welcomed. Your knowledge can be shared as we ask a series of trivia, world history and film history questions throughout the presentation.

Sessions two and three for likely smaller audiences will be in person so that there is a better chance for discussion and trivia games for ‘big-time’ prizes like the laminated film history bookmarks we - or more accurately, Chat GPT - have created. Session two will focus on Roman Holiday - Highlights & Settings and Making of the Film, and Roman Holiday - Royal Family Analogies, Careers, and Cinecitta to Cleopatra. How and why is Audrey Hepburn cast and what career follows, what stories in the news at the time resonated with audiences, and how does it mark a boost for what will become ‘Hollywood on the Tiber’? Session three will wrap up the program by turning toward New York with New York Ahead: Love Stories - Kong, West Side and Tiffany’s, and Cruising to New York: An Affair to Remember - A Film History of Prequels, Sequels and being Sleepless in Seattle. How are these films and their settings noteworthy and which ones work or not work for you, and why?