HOMETOWN PIONEERS

Dooley Wilson, played a significant role in the film Casablanca - not necessarily as part of the plot - but as the piano player who sang “As Time Goes By”. The movie is a love story made in 1942 starring Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman.

An African-American, Wilson was born Arthur Wilson on April 3, 1886 in Tyler, Texas.

He reportedly played in black clubs around Tyler before moving to Chicago, where he earned his nickname in 1908, the result of his signature Irish song, “Mr. Dooley”.

Because of his role in Casablanca, history forever associated Wilson with the piano. But Dooley never played one. Since Dooley couldn’t play the piano, his playing in the film was actually done by Elliott Carpenter, who was placed on the set where Wilson could see him and imitate his hand movements. The only black people on the Casablanca set, Wilson and Carpenter remained lifelong friends.

Dooley died on May 30, 1953 in Los Angeles. He was buried in Rosedale Cemetery, a favorite resting place for politicians.