Pop music star and actor David Soul, best remembered for playing Rick Blaine in the ’80s network TV show Casablanca, has passed at the age of 80.
Mr. Soul starred as the owner of a popular nightclub in the titular African city, which was wracked with intrigue as a hub for refugees during World War II. The series was adapted from a stage play, Everyone Meets at Rick’s, which was (fun fact) also adapted into an obscure movie in the 1940s. Mr. Soul headed up a strong cast, headlining opposite Hector Elizondo, Ray Liotta and Scatman Crothers. The program also made a hit of the song “As Time Goes By,” although oddly it was sung by Cruthers and not international singing star Soul. The program also costarred Clement von Franckenstein, who I believe was played by Gene Wilder in Young Frankenstein.
