CASABLANCA Dir Michael Curtiz 1942 Never heard of

‘CASABLANCA’ Dir: Michael Curtiz, 1942

Never heard of it? Here’s lookin’ at you, kid …the usual suspects Of all the ginjoints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine! Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for the rest of your life Play it again, Sam (a common misquote) The problems of three little people don’t amount to a hill o’beans in this crazy world This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship

Casablanca • Released by Warner Bros. in 1942 ahead of schedule to conincide with invasion of North Africa • Directed by Michael Curtiz – Austro-Hungarian filmmaker who brought European visual style to Hollywood • Typical Studio product not expected to be special • Based on play Everybody Comes to Rick’s • Classic Hollywood

Setting • Casablanca, city on NW coast of Morocco • An exotic location • WWII – Morocco owned by French • Many Europeans fled the war and ended up in Casablanca • From Casablanca, a plane took them to Portugal • From Portugal, ship to America • Mixture of nationalities • Black market

Characters and Plot Rick Blaine – Humphrey Bogart • An American, owns popular nightclub/gambling den, Rick’s Cafe Americaine • A cold, detached character, he seems to care for nobody but himself • Hurt by his one true love, Ilsa Lund – Ingrid Bergman • Young Norwegian beauty • Once the love of Rick’s love until she mysteriously gilts him • Married to Victor Laszlo

Characters and Plot Major Strasser – Conrad Veidt • Gestapo officer investigating theft of stolen transit papers • Hunting Laszlo Victor Laszlo – Paul Henreid • Inspirational writer and activist in anti-Nazi resistance, often called The French Resistance • Considered enemy of the Third Reich • Married to Ilsa • In Casablanca to escape to USA

Outline of Plot • Voiceover: letters of transit (allowing holder to travel to Lisbon, also called visas) are stolen • Strasser arrives in Casablanca looking for them • Victor and Ilsa arrive in Casablanca and visit Rick’s • Victor hopes to get the visas and escape with Ilsa • Strasser wants to arrest Victor • Rick sees Ilsa and goes all funny • And then…. ?