Before Sam played it again, there was Rudy

Casablanca is a wonderful, classic movie. I love it. One of the best parts, of course, is when Rick prods Sam into playing a song that meant something to Rick’s past, “As Times Goes By.”

When, according to DownEast.com’s trivia question today, a Mainer recorded it 15 years before Casablanca. Here’s the question and answer.

What crooner popularized the song “As Times Goes By”?

Answer:

Westbrook native Rudy Vallee (1901-1986) recorded “As Time Goes By” fifteen years before it was featured in the film Casablanca. Vallee sang in English, Spanish, French, and Italian, using a megaphone and the backup of a big band.