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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →The green piano seen in the Paris flashback in Casablanca sold at Sotheby’s in New York on December 14, 2012, for a reported $602,500. It was the La Belle Aurore piano—not the separate piano associated with Rick’s Café that reportedly sold for $2.9 million in 2014.
Which piano from Casablanca was auctioned?
The 2012 Sotheby’s lot was the green, 58-key upright studio piano used in the Paris flashback at La Belle Aurore. The auction catalog identifies it by serial number 253333, a Richardson’s Inc. maker’s mark, and Warner Bros. prop number FNP11990. Sotheby’s lot catalog
The catalog estimated the piano at $800,000–$1,200,000. The reported sale price was $602,500, below the estimate’s low end; New Atlas reported the result in 2012 and updated its report on December 18. New Atlas’s sale report
How is it different from the $2.9 million piano?
They were two separate film props associated with different settings in the movie. The La Belle Aurore piano was the one auctioned by Sotheby’s in 2012. A different piano associated with Rick’s Café reportedly sold at Bonhams in November 2014 for $2.9 million, according to UPI. That higher figure does not refer to the 2012 Sotheby’s lot. UPI’s report on the Rick’s Café piano
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- Piano Solo Plus
- Pages: 56
- Level: Late Elementary to Advanced
- Instrumentation: Piano/Keyboard
| Prop | Scene association | Auction and reported result |
|---|---|---|
| Green, 58-key upright; serial 253333; Warner Bros. prop FNP11990 | La Belle Aurore, Paris flashback | Sotheby’s, December 14, 2012; estimated at $800,000–$1,200,000, reported sold for $602,500 |
| Separate piano | Rick’s Café | Bonhams, November 2014; UPI reported a $2.9 million sale |
These are individual historical auction results, not a basis for estimating what other film props—or either piano today—might be worth.
Did Dooley Wilson really play the piano?
No. Wilson, who sang “As Time Goes By” as Sam, pretended to play on camera. Sotheby’s catalog says pianist Elliot Carpenter played another piano out of sight while Wilson imitated the hand movements. The auctioned La Belle Aurore piano was a film prop, not the instrument Wilson audibly played during filming. Sotheby’s lot catalog
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The Sotheby’s catalog marks the 2012 bidding closed. The cited auction reports do not establish the La Belle Aurore piano’s present owner, location, public display status, or current availability, so its later whereabouts cannot be confirmed from these records.
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- Solo Piano/Optional Cello
- Pages: 82
- Instrumentation: Cello
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