Jno
Indeed.
On reflection, my main gripe with many films these days is how so many screenwriters seem incapable of telling a story in less than 3 hours. Yes, there have always been lengthy movies (Gone With the Wind in the 1930s for instance), but they are more prevalent these days. Casablanca, for me, has nary a wasted word. I wouldn't want to comment on the movie-making aspect of it from other perspectives (such as direction), but my own view on the script is that it has rarely if ever been surpassed.