The piano from Casablanca on which Sam played As Time Goes By has sold for more than $3 million. (AFP/ Don Emmert)
The piano from Casablanca on which Sam played As Time Goes By has sold for more than $3 million. (AFP/ Don Emmert)

The Casablanca piano: a case of do or buy



If you shop around in the UAE, you can buy a new upright piano for as little as Dh14,000. However, in New York, an 80-year-old piano with 30 fewer keys, a few dents, a paint job that may not be to everyone’s taste and a piece of petrified chewing gum under the keyboard has been sold at auction for US$3.4 million (Dh12.5m), including commission. As you would expect, it is no ordinary instrument.

The piano in question was featured in the classic 1942 film Casablanca. Dooley Wilson, the actor playing Sam, sat at the piano as he sang As Time Goes By, the theme tune for star-crossed lovers Rick (Humphrey Bogart) and Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman). The piano is also where Rick chooses to hide a document that is central to the plot.

Many people will not see the value in a movie prop. Others may be wondering which modern movie memorabilia will fetch big money. Perhaps a trip to the Abu Dhabi set of Star Wars VII will reveal something worth saving for 70 years hence.

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The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.

When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.

How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
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RESULTS

Women:

55kg brown-black belt: Amal Amjahid (BEL) bt Amanda Monteiro (BRA) via choke
62kg brown-black belt: Bianca Basilio (BRA) bt Ffion Davies (GBR) via referee’s decision (0-0, 2-2 adv)
70kg brown-black belt: Ana Carolina Vieira (BRA) bt Jessica Swanson (USA), 9-0
90kg brown-black belt: Angelica Galvao (USA) bt Marta Szarecka (POL) 8-2

Men:

62kg black belt: Joao Miyao (BRA) bt Wan Ki-chae (KOR), 7-2
69kg black belt: Paulo Miyao (BRA) bt Gianni Grippo (USA), 2-2 (1-0 adv)
77kg black belt: Espen Mathiesen (NOR) bt Jake Mackenzie (CAN)
85kg black belt: Isaque Braz (BRA) bt Faisal Al Ketbi (UAE), 2-0
94kg black belt: Felipe Pena (BRA) bt Adam Wardzinski (POL), 4-0
110kg black belt final: Erberth Santos (BRA) bt Lucio Rodrigues (GBR) via rear naked choke

Disclaimer

Director: Alfonso Cuaron 

Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville 

Rating: 4/5

Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

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