Romance/Drama: An American night club owner runs into his old sweetheart and her husband and has to decide whether to help them escape from the Nazis.

NITTY GRITTY:

It is World War II, Rick Blaine (HUMPHREY BOGART), runs the most popular nightspot in Casablanca. All kinds of people have come to French Morocco to escape the Germans and try to get a plane ride to the new world, but without official papers they are stuck in Casablanca.

Two German agents are killed in the desert and their letters of transit stolen. Police Captain Renault (CLAUDE RAINS) has the usual suspects rounded up for investigating.

That evening a local thief, Ugarte (PETER LORRE) asks Rick to hold some papers for him. Rick reluctantly agrees.

Nazi Major Strasser(CONRAD VEIDT) arrives in town and Captain Renault assures him he will arrest the killer of the German agents in Rick's night club.

Also arriving in Casablanca is Czech resistance leader Victor Lazlo (PAUL HENREID). Much to Rick's surprise, Lazlo arrives with his wife Ilsa (INGRID BERGMAN), Rick's one time love. Rick is very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out on him in Paris.

Renault's men attempt to arrest Ugarte for the German agents' murder, but he shoots it out with them and is taken away.

Lazlo comes to Rick asking for his help in obtaining letters of transit. Rick says he doesn't have them. Ilsa shows up later, also asking for the papers. Rick asks her why she left him in Paris. Ilsa tells him that she thought her husband Victor was dead when she fell in love with Rick. Then when they were to leave Paris together, she got news of Victor still being alive and she went to him.

Rick devises a plan that he shares with Captain Renault that he will give him Lazlo trying to escape and Rick will leave with Ilsa on the plane. Renault agrees.

THE ENDING:

They arrive at the airport and Rick changes his plans. He tells Renault to fill in the letters of transit with Victor and Ilsa Lazlo's names. To insure his compliance, Rick holds a gun on Renault.

Major Strasser shows up and tries to stop the plane. Rick shoots him. Other police show up and Renault tells them to round up the usual suspects. The plane takes off with Victor and Ilsa aboard.

Rick and Captain Renault walk away into the foggy night.

WHAT EVERYONE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT:

Some of the best lines ever in a movie: "Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship," "Here's looking at you, kid," "Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine."

TRIVIA: The movie's budget was so small they couldn't use a real plane in the background at the airport. Instead, it is a small cardboard cutout. To give the illusion that the plane was full-sized, they used midgets to portray the crew preparing the plane for take-off.

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