The following essay discusses Philip Epstein and his brother, Julius.

The careers of Julius and Philip Epstein reached their zeniths with Casablanca (1943). With a few exceptions, their other films never gained critical esteem, although many of them were popular with audiences.

Julius and Philip Epstein, twin brothers, were born in New York City. Their father, Henry, was proprietor of a livery stable. The brothers grew up in New York, attended local schools, but went to college at Pennsylvania State University. Julius graduated in 1931 and Philip a year later. They held various jobs after college. Philip worked as an actor in New York, and Julius tried many things, from press agentry to professional boxing. In 1933 they came to Hollywood and began their screenwriting careers. Julius worked on several musicals with Jerry Wald, and Philip wrote some lighthearted detective films, working with several different collaborators. These projects were basically "B...