Dooley Wilson

Arthur "Dooley" Wilson (April 3, 1886 – May 30, 1953) was an American actor, singer and musician who is best remembered for his portrayal of Sam in the 1942 film Casablanca.

His role in Casablanca was by far his most prominent, but his other films included My Favorite Blonde (1942) with Bob Hope, Stormy Weather (1943) with Lena Horne and the Nicholas Brothers, and the Western Passage West (1951).

[4]: 144 Wilson was cast in the role of Sam, a singer and pianist employed by nightclub owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart).

According to Aljean Harmetz, Variety singled out Wilson for the effectiveness of the song, and The Hollywood Reporter said he created "something joyous".

In the film, Wilson as Sam performs several other songs for the cafe audience: "It Had To Be You", "Shine", "Knock on Wood", "Avalon" and "Parlez-moi d'amour".

[8] His performance of the song "The Eagle and Me" in this show was selected by Dwight Blocker Bowers for inclusion in a Smithsonian recordings compilation, American Musical Theatre.

[11][12][13][14] In January 2017, Wilson's hometown of Tyler, Texas dedicated a memorial marker to him on its Half Mile of History.

Wilson starring in the Federal Theatre Project production of The Show-Off (1937)
Wilson as Fat Joe in the Federal Theatre Project revival of Eugene O'Neill 's The Long Voyage Home , comprised in the production One-Act Plays of the Sea (1937)
Wilson as Androcles in the Federal Theatre Project production of Androcles and the Lion (1938)
Wilson as the nightclub singer Sam in Casablanca (1942)
Margaret Douglass, Wilson, and Joan McCracken in the Broadway musical Bloomer Girl (1944)