Film Buff Blog

March 3, 2020

Film: Casablanca (1942)

Rank: #10

Plot summary: In the first days of World War II, the city of Casablanca, Morocco, attracted people
throughout Europe. All made their way to Ricks Caf Amricain, a popular nightclub owned by Rick
Blaine (Humphrey Bogart), a cynical American expatriate who claimed to be neutral about the war. His
motto: I stick my neck out for nobody.

One December night, of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine. Ilsa
Lund (Ingrid Bergman), the woman Rick loved in Paris years earlier, shows up in his club with her
husband, Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), a celebrated hero of the French Resistance. She asks the clubs
piano player, Sam (Arthur Dooley Wilson) to play As Time Goes By, a song he played for Rick and Ilsa in
Paris.

Rick has letters of transit that allow two people to travel to neutral Portugal and freedom. After hearing
Ilsas story, Rick realizes that she always loved him, and he initially makes plans to use the letters to flee
with her. However, the Nazis in Casablanca scheme to prevent Laszlo from leaving Morocco.

Without telling Ilsa, Rick decides to serve the greater good by giving the letters to Laszlo. With Ilsa
thinking she is leaving with Rick until the last moment, Rick sets events in motion so that Ilsa and Laszlo
escape, while Rick and his friend, Police Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains), get away with murder.
Captain Renault prevents an investigation by ordering his men to Round up the usual suspects. Rick
responds with Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship, one of many famous lines in
the movie.

Director: Michael Curtiz

Genre: Drama, romance

Leads: Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman

Trivia: Humphrey Bogart wore platform shoes to play alongside Ingrid Bergman, who was a few inches
taller than Bogart.

Rick never says Play it again, Sam, an often-quoted line. He says, You played it for her, play it for me.
If she can stand it, I can. Play it! Ilsa says, Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By.

Bloopers: Dooley Wilson could not play the piano, so the movements of his hands over the keyboard do
not match the notes of As Time Goes By.

No countries or people provided letters of transit during World War II.

This file created specifically for HERMAN MAYFIELD