A short dissertation on “Casablanca” (The movie)

I don’t understand why movie writers these days’ pigeon hole romance (AKA “Chick flicks” OR “Rom-coms”) movies to become completely formulaic to the point where you can almost count the beats between where the two completely mis-matched people eventually make some excuse to go out to shop, look into each other’s eyes, deny what they see there, wreck everything, and then at the end…  Ah, love at last! (Blelch!) 

-And it happens just that way in real life, too – don’tcha know?

If anyone knows me very well, they know that I am a real movie hound. In that context, my all-time favorite movie is “Casablanca” (1943: Starring Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman And Claude Raines).  It annoys several of my dates because, well… it’s old and in Black and White (I’ve ignored the awful “colorized” version of the classic)..  But for me, Casablanca is the embodiment of the Perfect Drama and the Perfect Romantic Movie.

So, why would I think it’s the perfect drama? Well, first there’s Nazi’s..  They have become universal “bad guys” (Along with the Taliban)..  and living under their regime in German-controlled Europe and Northern Africa must have been extremely frightening and dangerous.

Enter one “Richard Blaine… American… Age 37… cannot return to his country for reason’s a little vague”…  Owner and manager of “Rick’s Café Americana” located in downtown Casablanca…  Which is a still “Unoccupied France” providence of Morocco, Africa… 1941.  Not too long before the American’s invaded French Morocco…  (In December 1941).

So, Rick is despondent and cynical and angry because the one woman he loved left him “standing on the train platform with a funny look on his face”. One of the few times a film actually shows a leading man crying….even if the shot was out of focus, in the rain on a train…. Ilsa Lund had left him at the train station… and it was only Sam (the notably black piano player… and obviously his best friend).. That got him hitched up and on the train and spirited away from the Nazi invaders.

Rick seems to be a well-regarded kind of guy in the cesspool of snakes that inhabit the questionable port of Casablanca.  Kind of like the wise guy that knows everyone’s secrets but won’t spill them to the authorities because his customers keep in Francs and the back-room roulette wheels spinning (“Gambling is illegal in Casablanca”).  The machinery behind the illegal squeaky wheel is the enigmatic (and…. well, horny) Captain Louis Renault, Prefect of Police. Renault has set himself up as “king of the city” sort of, helping himself to the desperate women going through his office hoping for a Visa and a quick trip out of the country.  He allows Rick to stay open because “I allow you to win at Roulette.”  That, my friends is what is known as a Quid Pro Quo.

One night, Renault comes to Rick to warn him about a guy coming into town, a Victor Laszlo.  Victor (apparently) was a bad boy that “Printed scandal sheets in the basement”…an organizer and an eloquent speaker against the Nazi regime.  Victor escaped from a German prison camp with his traveling companion and has landed in Casablanca, where the Germans finally catch up to him. 

That same night, a sweaty and nervous character called Senior Ugarty (Played to the hilt by amazing actor and spooky-eyed Peter Lorre) comes to Rick with a request…  he has somehow gotten a pair of tickets out of the country (“Letters of Transit.  Cannot not be questioned.”)   He murdered a couple of German clerks to get his hands on the “Letters of Transit” (What Hitchcock called the “McGuffin”) and gave them to Rick for safe keeping.  The Germans are on to him and arrest him. 

Meanwhile, enter Laszlo and his traveling companion…one Ilsa Lund on his arm and looking very much in love with him.  Ilsa realizes she’s in THAT Rick’s café, when she spots Sam at the piano.  Oh, oh… 

Well, of course…  Rick spots her and before the sparks fly he’s introduced to Victor Laszlo.  It comes out that Victor was to contact Ugarty to purchase the letters of transit for him and Ilsa to leave.  But, of course.. Ugarty is dead (“Shot trying to escape… or suicide.  We haven’t decided which.”) and Rick has the letters. 

(The drunken scene where he privately confronts her is about as classic as it gets… I think all us guys have done that… at least in our heads).  

Well, cynical Rick is NOT going to give the letters to Laszlo and Ilsa of course.. not even for money…  She broke his heart, and now he will get his revenge… “Destiny lends a hand”  as they arrest Laszlow…

What follows is Rick showing why even we cynics have an inner core of good and light.  Rick Blaine gives guys like me hope for our future… change is possible.  And though we may not get the girl, perhaps we can save the world.  As I’ve said recently: There are those that are meant to live happily ever after.  And that leaves the rest of us; all we have to do is save the world. 

Okay.. that was the movie.  Now the reality: 

It was originally to be released in the summer of The Allies invaded Casablanca in real life on 8 November 1942. As the film was not due for release until spring, studio executives suggested it be changed to incorporate the invasion. It premiered in New York on November 26. It did not play in Los Angeles until its general release the following January, and hence competed against 1943 films for the Oscars.

It opened to Luke-warm reviews.

Humprey Bogart was somewhat shorter than Swedish beauty Ingrid Bergman… so he often stood on crates, pillows or sometimes wore lifts in his shoes!  (that’s one for us stubby guys!! YEAH!)

Humphrey Bogart's wife Mayo Methot continually accused him of having an affair with Ingrid Bergman, often confronting him in his dressing room before a shot. Bogart would come onto the set in a rage. In fact, despite the undeniable on-screen chemistry between Bogart and Bergman, they hardly spoke, and the only time they bonded was when the two had lunch with Geraldine Fitzgerald. According to Fitzgerald, "the whole subject at lunch was how they could get out of that movie. They thought the dialogue was ridiculous and the situations were unbelievable... I knew Bogart very well, and I think he wanted to join forces with Bergman, to make sure they both said the same things." For whatever reasons, Bogart and Bergman rarely spoke after that. (ILBD.com)

The script was based on the un-produced play "Everybody Comes to Rick's". Murray Burnett and Joan Alison wrote it. They were paid $20,000 for it by Warner Brothers.

In the 1980s, this film's script was sent to readers at a number of major studios and production companies under its original title, "Everybody Comes to Rick's". Some readers recognized the script but most did not. Many complained that the script was "not good enough" to make a decent movie. Others gave such complaints as "too dated", "too much dialog" and "not enough sex".   (ILBD.com)

No one knew right up until the filming of the last scene whether Ilsa would end up with Rick or Laszlo.  I remember reading that reportedly, she (Ingrid Bergman) barged into the producers office to demand “who the hell gets to have me, Rick Or Laszlow?”  (My favorite trivia).

Well.. that’s it for this review.  If you’re interested.. there are many other movies I adore, that come really close to this one.  I’ll be writing some reviews of them soon.  Next, I think I’ll do:

Gilda.  (Rita Hayworth and Glen Ford 1946)

Also check out: The Philadelphia Story.  Adam’s Rib.  To Kill a Mockingbird.  The Defiant Ones.  Lover Come Back.  Pillow Talk.  The long, long trailer.  And Du Barry Was a Lady (the last two Starring Lucy Ball). 

LATER!