Casablanca (1942)

Casablanca (1942), Warner Brothers

"Casablanca," a romantic drama set in Africa during World War II, is one of the most famous films of all time. The love story between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman's characters is legendary- "Here's lookin' at you, kid." And it lives up to its hype- it really is romantic.

The story is captivating, the script is great, and Humphrey Bogart is compulsively watchable. He and Ingrid Bergman work well together, bringing emotional depth and complexity to the film. 

Notes:

Narrator- 

"With the coming of the second world war, many eyes in imprisoned Europe turned hopefully, or desperately, toward the freedom of the Americas. Lisbon became the great embarkation point, but not everybody could get to Lisbon directly, so a torturous round-about refugee trail sprang up- Paris to Marseille, across the Mediterranean to Oran, then by train, auto, or foot, across the rim of Africa to Casablanca, in french Morocco. Here, the fortunate ones might obtain exit visas and scurry to Lisbon. And from Lisbon, to the New World. But the others (the less fortunate ones), wait in Casablanca."

Inside Rick's Cafe Americain, a nightclub in Casablanca, there are quiet deals being made at various tables. The place is filled with desperate Europeans trying to get out of Casablanca and on a boat or a plane to Lisbon.

The club's namesake and owner, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), is sitting at a table alone when he is approached by an acquaintance named Ugarte (Peter Lorre). Ugarte tells Rick that he's the only one of his friends that he trusts because Rick despises him. He asks Rick to hold onto some important letters of transit for him, and Rick agrees, slipping them into his jacket pocket.

"You hate me so I know you're a good guy"

Rick stands up to slip the letters underneath something on top of the piano. He is standing and listening to the live musician, Sam (Dooley Wilson), sing and play piano, when he is approached by Signor Ferrari (Sydney Greenstreet), the owner of The Blue Parrot. Ferrari says that he wants to buy Rick's club, and Rick tells him that it's not for sale. Ferrari asks what he wants for Sam then, and Rick replies, "I don't buy or sell human beings." Ferrari says, "Too bad, that's Casablanca's leading commodity. With the refugees alone you can make a fortune, if you'd work with me through the black market." Rick declines the offer and ends the conversation, walking to the bar. Yvonne, a woman that Rick spent a night with, has been waiting for him, and asks if they will be seeing each other later that evening. Rick says that he never makes plans, which angers the woman, and Rick escorts her out when she tries to order another drink, telling her that she's had enough. He sees her into a cab, and tells his bartender to make sure she gets home safe.

Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), the chief of police in Casablanca, and a friend of Rick's, is sitting outside the club and hails him over.

"Chatty, chat, chat"

They chat for a bit and then go inside. Louis confides to Rick that they will be making an arrest in his club shortly. He tells Rick that the man is a murderer, and if he's thinking about warning the man, not to bother. Rick assures him, "I stick my neck out for nobody," and Louis replies with a smile, "A wise foreign policy." 

Once they are in Rick's office, Louis tells him that a man named Victor Laszlo, an escapee from a concentration camp and a leader of the French Resistance, will be trying to obtain an exit visa in Rick's cafe, and that he must not be allowed to get one. 

Ugarte, the accused murderer, is arrested in the club and taken away.

Major Heinrich Strasser (Conrad Veidt) of the Third Reich implores Rick to sit down at his table and then interrogates him on his political leanings and opinions of Victor Laszlo. Rick answers his questions with his usual vague and neutral stance, and then excuses himself from the table.

Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid) and his female companion, Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman), arrive at the club and are seated at a table. Both Captain Louis and Major Strasser visit their table and ask Victor to meet them at Louis' office the next day.

Victor meets with a man named Berger at the bar, and asks him if he knows where he can find Ugarte, a man who is supposed to help him. Berger tells Victor that Ugarte has just been arrested for murder.

Meanwhile, Ilsa says hello to Sam, and he to her. They know each other, and both agree it's been awhile. She tells him to play some of the old music, and as he begins to play, she asks if he's seen Rick. Sam lies and says that he hasn't seen Rick all night, and that he's probably gone to The Blue Parrot. Ilsa smiles and tells him that he used to be a much better liar, to which Sam pleads, "Leave him alone Miss Ilsa. You're bad luck to him."

"You suck at lying, Sam"

Ilsa asks him to play "As Time Goes By," for old times' sake. Sam begins to play and sing, as Ilsa sits and listens. Rick walks in and heads straight over to Sam and says impatiently, "I thought I told you never to play..." and then he sees Ilsa sitting there.

Rick and Ilsa exchange a long look, but before they can say anything, Louis and Victor join Ilsa at the table, and Rick sits down as well. They chat and then Victor suggests they call it a night, and he and Ilsa get into a cab and leave.

Later that night, after the club is closed, Rick is sitting at the bar and drinking by himself. Sam walks in and asks if he's going to bed. Rick says no, and Sam pleads with him to leave and they'll take a drive together.

"Rick, please don't get stupid wasted over this girl again"

Rick says no, that he's waiting for a girl; he says that he knows that she'll come back. Sam says that he's not leaving, so he sits down at the piano and begins to play. Rick says forlornly,

"Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine."

Rick tells Sam to stop what he's playing and says, "you know what I want to hear." Sam insists that he doesn't, and Rick replies, "you played it for her, now play it for me. If she can stand it, I can stand it. Play it!" Sam begins playing "As Time Goes By," and Rick is tortured by memories.

"Love is the worst"

Flashback to Paris, when Rick and Ilsa were seeing each other. They sit on a sofa, drinking champagne, and Rick tells her, "Here's looking at you, kid" and they clink glasses.

"So happy, la, la, la"

There are flashbacks of the two of them dancing and of one night, when Ilsa asks Rick what he is thinking about, he says, "I was wondering why I'm so lucky- why I should find you waiting for me to come along."

Their happiness is rudely interrupted by the impending German occupation of Paris.

"Let's drink some champagne before the Nazis get here"

At La Belle Aurore, a Parisian cafe, Rick and Ilsa discuss the looming Nazi threat. Ilsa laments, "The whole world is crumbling and we pick this time to fall in love!" There is a price on Rick's head, and Ilsa tells him that he must leave Paris. Rick reminds her that they both need to leave Paris, to which Ilsa gives him a hesitant, "yes, of course," but you can tell that she doesn't mean it. Rick announces that they will both catch a train to Marseille the next day, and Ilsa says that she will meet him at the train station. He suggests they get married in Marseille, and she begins to cry. He asks her what's wrong, and she says, "I love you so much. And I hate this war so much. Oh, kiss me as if it were the last time."

"No, really, this is the last time"

The next day at the train station, Rick is waiting for Ilsa to show, and of course, she doesn't. Sam appears beside Rick to report that Ilsa checked out of her hotel and left him a note.

"This is ominous"

He hands the letter to Rick and it reads:

"Richard, I cannot go with you or ever see you again. You must not ask why. Just believe that I love you. Go, my darling, and God bless you. Ilsa."

The last call for the train to Marseilles is heard, and Sam urges a stunned Rick forward and onto the train.

Back to present time, and Rick and Sam are still at the club, and Rick is still drinking. The door opens, and Ilsa suddenly walks in. She hurries over to the table where Rick is sitting, and sits down next to him.

"Is this seat taken?"

Rick asks her, "Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places." She says, "I wouldn't have come if I'd known you were here." She wants to explain herself, and she starts to tell him the story of when she first arrived in Paris. Rick interrupts her and wants to know who she left him for- Laszlo or someone else? This angers her, and she gets up and leaves. Rick lays his head down and cries.

Laszlo and Ilsa show up at Renault's office the next day, where Major Strasser is waiting for them.

"This should be fun."

The Major offers to let Laszlo obtain an exit visa for Lisbon if he gives Strasser the names of the underground resistance leaders. Laszlo refuses and asks if he can leave, and Strasser assents because he can't arrest him on French occupied land.

Rick spots Isla at an open-air market, and apologizes for his drunken state the night before. He asks her to finish her story about what happened in Paris, but she refuses.

"I'm sober now, please continue your story"

He wonders if she left him because she didn't want to be on the run from the police. He points out that he's settled now, and whenever she wants to leave Victor... (hint, hint). And then she drops a crazy truth bomb and tells him that Victor is her husband, and that he was her husband while she was seeing Rick.

Victor and Ilsa are talking to Signor Ferrari about obtaining visas and Ferrari says that he cannot help them. He says that he can only obtain a visa for Ilsa. Laszlo tells her to take it and he'll meet her in America when he can, but she refuses to leave him. Ferrari then tells them that the letters of transit that Ugarte had on him are most likely with Rick.

"Rick is your only hope, good luck with that"

Laszlo and Ilsa arrive at Rick's club, where Rick greets them and shows them to a table. He tells Ilsa that he'll have Sam play "As Time Goes By," her favorite song. Poor Sam, he really hates that song at this point.

"Seriously? As Time Goes By? Do you guys even know any other songs?"

Laszlo asks if he can speak with Rick in his office. He tries to offer Rick money for the transit papers, but Rick says that it doesn't matter how much he offers, he won't take it. Laszlo asks why, and Rick tells him he should ask his wife.

Laszlo returns downstairs and rouses the crowd by singing a French Resistance ballad. Strasser demands that Renault shut down the club immediately, and Renault shouts at everyone to get out. Laszlo and Ilsa return to their apartment, where Victor tells her what happened with Rick. He asks her if she was alone in Paris while he was in the concentration camp, and she lies and says yes. Victor leaves to go to an underground meeting and Ilsa leaves to see Rick.

When Rick retires for the night up to his room, Ilsa is waiting for him. She tells him that she needs the transit papers at any cost. She begs and tries to reason with him, but he won't give her the papers. He turns away for a moment, and when he turns back, she's holding a gun on him with tears in her eyes. She demands that he give her the papers, and he walks over to stand right in front of her and says, "Go ahead and shoot, you'd be doing me a favor."

"Shoot me, I'm dead without you anyways." Ahhh, Casablanca is all kinds of romantic!

She lowers the gun, walks away, and begins to cry. He goes to her and turns her around.

"What is your deal?"

She says, "The day you left Paris, if you knew what I went through. If you knew how much I loved you, how much I still love you." They kiss.

"I still love you and I'm sorry I pulled a gun on you"

Ilsa tells Rick the whole story about what happened in Paris. She explains that before she met him, she had received word that Victor had been shot and killed in the concentration camp. She fell in love with Rick, but the day before they were supposed to leave Paris together, she received word that Victor was still alive but sick, and needed her.

Rick says that the story still hasn't finished and what now. She tells him she doesn't have the strength to leave him again, and to just give the papers to Victor so that he can continue his work in America. Rick points out that Victor is not going to want to leave her. Ilsa says that she doesn't know what to do, and tells Rick to decide for all of them.

"I'm tired, you decide."

Victor's underground meeting is crashed by the police, and he and Carl go back to Rick's club to hide out and bandage up a wound Victor has received. Rick calls Carl up to his room, and asks him to see Ilsa safely home. He then goes down to talk to Victor. Victor tells Rick that he knows he's in love with his wife. He asks Rick to use the transit papers to get Ilsa out of Casablanca if Rick's still refusing to give them to him.

The police burst into the club and arrest Victor. Rick shows up at the police station to talk with Renault, telling him that he doesn't have enough on Victor to keep him, and that he might as well release him now. Renault warns Rick not to think about helping Victor escape, and Rick tells him that he's using the transit papers to leave Casablanca that night with Ilsa, so he needn't worry. Rick then tells Renault that he wants to ensure Ilsa can make it out of the country without being detained for the information she has on Victor. He tells Renault to release Victor so that Rick can give him the transit papers, and then when Victor tries to leave Casablanca, Renault will be able to arrest him for a real charge and send him back to the concentration camp- thus erasing any need to detain Ilsa.

Victor and Ilsa arrive at the club, and Rick hands them the transit papers. Renault steps out of hiding and tells Victor that he is under arrest. Rick, revealing where his true loyalties lie, pulls a gun on Renault and tells him to make the call to ready the plane.

"This is called flip-flopping, Renault"

Renault says into the phone to ready the plane, but he has secretly calls Major Strasser.

At the airport, Ilsa demands to know what Rick is doing, and insists that she's not leaving him. And in the film's most iconic scene, Rick tells her that she has to go. Here are the highlights:

"You're getting on that plane... If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life. We'll always have Paris... The problems of three little people don't amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world... Here's lookin' at you, kid."

"Get on the plane."

"Nooooooo"

"Yes."

"Fine."

"Quitter."

Victor and Ilsa get on the plane and Strasser shows up and picks up the phone to call for back-up. Rick tells him to put down the phone but Strasser refuses, and Rick shoots him. When a group of German soldiers arrive, Renault tells them to round up the usual suspects, and does not tell them that Rick shot Strasser. The film ends with the plane taking off and Renault and Rick making plans to leave Casablanca.

"Let's get out of here, Casablanca sucks the big one"

"Casablanca" won Best Picture, Best Director (Michael Curtiz), and Best Screenplay (Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch) at the 1944 Academy Awards, and was also nominated for Best Actor (Humphrey Bogart), Best Supporting Actor (Claude Rains), Best Cinematography (Arthur Edeson), Best Editing (Owen Marks), and Best Music (Max Steiner).

Casablanca (1942)

Director: Michael Curtiz

Screenplay: Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and

Howard Koch

Based on the play by:

Murray Burnett and Joan Alison

CAST:

Humphrey Bogart- Rick Blaine

Ingrid Bergman- Ilsa Lund

Claude Rains- Captain Louis Renault

Paul Henreid- Victor Laszlo

Dooley Wilson- Sam