Conjur’ Man Dies (1936) – Dooley Wilson (with Peggy Howard) as Aubrey Piper
Working in the U.S. again during the Great Depression, Wilson starred in Conjur’ Man Dies (1936) and other plays for the Federal Theatre Project’s Negro Theatre Unit, then under the direction of John Houseman. His breakthrough role came in 1940, with his portrayal of Little Joe in the Broadway musical Cabin in the Sky. This won him a contract with Paramount Pictures in Hollywood. He found himself playing Pullman porters while his stage role in the MGM film adaptation of Cabin in the Sky was played by Eddie “Rochester” Anderson.
Cabin in the Sky
Ethel Waters and Dooley Wilson performing in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Ethel Waters (L), Katherine Dunham (R), and Dooley Wilson performing in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Katherine Dunham and actor Dooley Wilson performing in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Katherine Dunham and actor Dooley Wilson performing in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Dooley Wilson performing in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Ethel Waters (3L) and actor Dooley Wilson (4L) performing with others in the play Cabin in the Sky. (Photo by George Karger/Getty Images)
Higher and Higher
Mel Torme accompanies Marcie McGuire in a song from atop a piano being played by Dooley Wilson in a scene from Higher and Higher.
HIGHER and HIGHER – Dooley Wilson, Mel Torme, Marcy McGuire, Jack Haley, Grace Hartman, Ivy Scott, Mary Wickes, Leon Errol, Paul Hartman (1943) – Copyright © Fandango. All rights reserved.
Casablanca
In May 1942, Warner Bros. was casting its production of Casablanca and borrowed Wilson from Paramount Pictures for seven weeks at $500 a week. Per the studio custom of the day, Wilson received his contract salary, $350 per week, and Paramount kept the balance.
Dooley Wilson sits at the piano while Humphrey Bogart pours Ingrid Bergman a drink in a scene from the film ‘Casablanca’, 1942. (Photo by Warner Brothers/Getty Images)
Wilson was cast in the role of Sam, a singer, and pianist employed by nightclub owner Rick (Humphrey Bogart). Wilson performs the Herman Hupfeld song “As Time Goes By“, a continuing musical and emotional motif throughout the film. According to Aljean Harmetz, Variety singled out Wilson for the effectiveness of the song, and The Hollywood Reporter said he created “something joyous”. The phrase “Play it again, Sam“, commonly believed to be a quote from the film, is never heard in Casablanca. The line was, “Play it, once, Sam.” 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“.
