CASABLANCA is probably the best Hollywood movie of all time. Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman star in this timeless classic, a melodramatic tragic love story and WWII propaganda piece. It won three Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay.
(first lines)
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, and so a tortuous, roundabout refugee trail sprang up - Paris to Marseilles... across the Mediterranean to Oran... then by train, or auto, or foot across the rim of Africa, to Casablanca in French Morocco. Here, the fortunate ones through money, or influence, or luck, might obtain exit visas and scurry to Lisbon; and from Lisbon, to the New World. But the others wait in Casablanca... and wait... and wait... and wait."
Set in Rick's Cafe Americain, owned by Richard Blaine (Bogart), the plot centres on the arrival of his old flame, Ilsa Lund (Bergman). Rick once fought with Spanish loyalists and smuggled arms to Ethiopia, but now refuses to stick his neck out for anyone. He is bitter, cynical and does not hide his contempt for his Nazi customers.
Rick: "I came to Casablanca for the waters."
Louis: "What waters? We're in the desert."
Rick: "I was misinformed."
Rick obtains two rare "letters of transit" from Ugarte (Peter Lorre) that would allow him to travel to neutral Lisbon, Portugal and then to the USA. Ugarte says, "You despise me don't you?" Rick responds, "If I gave you any thought I probably would." When Ilsa unexpectedly visits Rick's Cafe with her husband Victor Laszlo (Paul Henreid), Rick becomes very upset.
Ilsa: "Play it once, Sam. For old times' sake."
Sam: "I don't know what you mean, Miss Ilsa."
Ilsa: "Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By."
Sam: "Oh, I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa. I'm a little rusty on it."
Ilsa: "I'll hum it for you. Da-dy-da-dy-da-dum, da-dy-da-dee-da-dum..."
(Sam begins playing)
Ilsa: "Sing it, Sam."
Sam: "You must remember this, a kiss is still a kiss, A sigh is just a sigh; The fundamental things apply, As time goes by. And when two lovers woo, they still say, "I love you," On that you can rely; No matter what the future brings..."
Rick: (rushing up) "Sam, I thought I told you never to play..."
(Rick sees Ilsa. Sam closes the piano and rolls it away)
Ilsa: "I wasn't sure you were the same. Let's see, the last time we met..."
Rick: "Was La Belle Aurore."
Ilsa: "How nice, you remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris."
Rick: "Not an easy day to forget."
Ilsa: "No."
Rick: "I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue. How long was it we had, honey?"
Ilsa: "I didn't count the days."
Rick: "Well, I did. Every one of them. Mostly, I remember the last one, the wild finish. A guy standing on a station platform in the rain, with a comical look on his face, because his insides have been kicked out."
Ilsa wants the escape documents for her Czech Resistance leader spouse, and threatens Rick with a gun when he refuses. Rick is not intimidated, then Ilsa claims she still loves him. The relationship is finished for Rick, and he tells her, "We'll always have Paris."
At the airport Rick doublecrosses corrupt police Captain Louis Renault (Claude Rains) and makes Ilsa and Victor take the plane to Lisbon. Rick kills Nazi Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt) and Renault saves Rick's life by ordering the police to "round up the usual suspects". The two leave Casablanca. As they disappear into the fog, Rick says, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
The movie has romance, intrigue, moody atmosphere, beautiful music, thrills and excitement, humour and pathos. Derived from a second-rate unproduced play riddled with cliches and far-fetched sub-plots, it was miraculously transformed by Director Michael Curtiz. He said: "The scenario isn't the exact truth, but ve haff the facts to prove it."
CASABLANCA's success catapulted Bogart from gangster roles to romanitic leads. Humphrey Bogart ushered in a new type of movie star: the morally ambiguous hero.
Also in the cast are: Sydney Greenstreet (Signor Ferrari), Dooley Wilson (Sam), S.Z. Sakall (Carl), Madeleine LeBeau (Yvonne), Joy Page (Annina Brandel), John Qualen (Berger), Leonid Kinskey (Sascha), Ilka Gruning (Mrs. Leuchtag), Jamiel Hasson (Muezzini), Leo Mostovoy (Fydor), Paul Paner (Paul), Dan Seymour (Abdul), Ludwig Stossel (Mr. Leuchtag), Leo White (Emile), and many others. Writing credits are Murray Burnett, Joan Alison, Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, Howard Koch, and Casey Robinson. Original music is by Max Steiner. Michael Curtiz directed.
Jack Warner wanted George Raft to play Rick, and Warner Brothers initially named Ronald Reagan, Ann Sheridan and Dennis Morgan for the leads. Many of the actors who play Nazis were actually German Jews. "Rick's Cafe Americain" was modeled after the Hotel El Minzah in Tangiers, Morocco. The Herman Hupfeld song "As Time Goes By" was almost removed from the film, but became a smash hit on radio. Dooley Wilson fakes playing the piano in the movie, and he is the only member of the cast who ever actually visited the city of Casablanca. The movie was shot in the Warner Bros. Hollywood studio, except for the ending which was filmed at Van Nuys Airport.
As the world continues to deteriorate, it is comforting to know we'll always have Paris, and we'll always have CASABLANCA as time goes by.
