1942 Masterpiece Named the Best Movie Screenplay Ever Written - It Was Set in World War 2
Imagine a nightclub in the middle of World War 2. It's called Café Américain, and it's where Germans mix uncomfortably with resistance sympathizers and fighters. A man, the club owner, turns suddenly to see a woman walk through the door - a woman he loved in Paris, and lost, believing he would never see her again. A woman who left him standing on a train platform with a note and his guts figuratively kicked in.
He is Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, and she, of course, is Ilsa Lund, played by the legendary Ingrid Bergman. And the movie is 1942's Casablanca. "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine," says Rick later, drowning in his cups. And then she appears, in the darkness, and they have a choice to make. It's a choice that will illustrate cause over self, and with lines like that, it's no wonder that Casablanca was named the best movie script ever written on a list of 101 screenplays. There's a catch, though. The list was limited to the best screenplays written before 2005.
However, a supplemental list was later released for the 21st century.
The Writer's Guild of America Asked Its Members to List the Best Screenplays Ever Written
According to No Film School, the list dates back to 2005, when The Writer's Guild of America (WGA) "sent out ballots to its members asking them to list up to 10 of their favorite produced screenplays."
What were the rules? "Any film, past or present, English-language or otherwise, was eligible. This caused a long debate as the votes were tallied. What resulted was a list that ranked the top 101 screenplays of all time written before 2005," added No Film School.
Casablanca's script is highly regarded because of its timeless themes of sacrifice for a cause, its romantic plot, and its iconic lines. Think "Here's looking at you, kid" and "We'll always have Paris."
Of course, the legendary actors who filled out the cast helped make those lines iconic.
Here are the movie screenplays that made the top 10, according to No Film School. "The greatest screenplays are the ones that affect and move you or draw you to into the story and never let you go," the site noted.
1. CASABLANCA
"Screenplay by Julius J. & Philip G. Epstein and Howard Koch. Based on the play "Everybody Comes to Rick's" by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison."
2. THE GODFATHER
"Screenplay by Mario Puzo and Francis Ford Coppola. Based on the novel by Mario Puzo."
3. CHINATOWN
"Written by Robert Towne."
4. CITIZEN KANE
"Written by Herman Mankiewicz and Orson Welles."
5. ALL ABOUT EVE
"Screenplay by Joseph L. Mankiewicz. Based on "The Wisdom of Eve," a short story and radio play by Mary Orr."
6. ANNIE HALL
"Written by Woody Allen and Marshall Brickman."
7. SUNSET BLVD.
"Written by Charles Brackett & Billy Wilder and D.M. Marshman, Jr."
8. NETWORK
"Written by Paddy Chayefsky."
9. SOME LIKE IT HOT
"Screenplay by Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond. Based on "Fanfare of Love," a German film written by Robert Thoeren and M. Logan."
10. THE GODFATHER II
"Screenplay by Francis Ford Coppola and Mario Puzo. Based on Mario Puzo's novel 'The Godfather.'"
The Writer's Guild of America Later Released Another List for the Best Screenplays of the 21st Century
In 2021, the Writer's Guild of America tried to make room for modern screenplays by releasing another list of the best screenplays of the 21st century "so far."
The top movie on that list? Get Out from 2017.
The other movies on that top 10 were, in order: Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind; The Social Network; Parasite; No Country for Old Men; Moonlight; There Will Be Blood; Inglourious Basterds; Almost Famous; and Memento.
This story was originally published by Men's Journal on Jun 9, 2026, where it first appeared in the Entertainment section. Add Men's Journal as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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This story was originally published June 8, 2026 at 7:48 PM.