Casablanca Oddities

[MK]

There are a few odd things in Casablanca that just don't make sense.

1)We are told that a prominent banker is a pastry chef at Rick's and that his father is the bellboy.....yet we never see anyone eat there and Rick's isn't a hotel.

2) We see that the airport is next door to Rick's.....yet they take a car to the airport at the end.

 

[Chamorro]

The Major eats caviar and crackers with his champagne cocktail, so we do see at least one person eating. Presumably, they have other things to eat as caviar and liqour is a very limited menu. Most bars have food of some sort. The menu is implied by the pastry chef comment., as well as there being other chefs with other specialities

I've always thought that bellboy was a mistake in the script or the actor who played Karl's mistake. I've always thought that they meant busboy.

Perhaps the terminal is on the other side of the runway because Rick's seems to be at the end. At any rate, it's always easier to drive than walk.

 

[BD Jones]

I thought he made the comment in more of a sarcastic toen than serious. Kind of like "Yeah, you have a story and you think you're important. So does everyone else." Sometimes you can't tell when Bogey was being straight or sacastic.

 

[Bogie1943]

In a way it makes sense to me because of the way the films was made. Back in the old days of the studio system for one, plus the script was never in it's entirety, pages were sent to the set day by day. So I can see how things llike that could have made it into the picture.:cool2:

 

[Michael Mallory]

I don't think there's been a movie made wherein you can't come up with similar lapses in logic. My favorite is "Citizen Kane," the entirety of which is about the search for the meaning of Kane's last word...but no one was in the room with him when he died to hear him utter it. (Sure, the butler later claims he was, but run the film through and try to find him in there.)

And in "The Big Sleep," there's a brief flash of a business card from A.G. Geiger, which gives the location of his shop on South (or North...can't recall) Sunset, which of course is an East/West street.

 

[schwammy]

I've come to regard Casablanca as a movie that is more about style than substance. The whole plot kind of collapses under scrutiny. Consider:

Early on, we hear Ugarte say, "Somehow, simply because you despise me, you're the only person I trust." Somebody explain that logic to me. If Casablanca is "honeycombed with traitors" who are so vehemently anti-German, why give the letters to Rick, the one person in Casablanca who seems to be "carefully neutral?"

Yet Rick isn't really "carefully neutral," because he carelessly makes a show of tearing up a check from the Deutsche Bank, and then refuses to let another German into the backroom casino. Clearly the German is an arrogant jerk, but openly barring him isn't "careful neutrality," it's arbitrary partisanism. Rick gets one thing right: he's a poor businessman. Tearing up a perfectly good check on moral grounds is not the act of someone is trying to appear cynical and neutral.

And why does Rick despise Ugarte? He says, "I don't mind a parasite; I object to a cut-rate one," which sounds clever, but what exactly does it mean? Ugarte says he will sell the letters for more money than even Rick has ever dreamed of. How is that 'cut-rate?' My only thought is that Rick sees a reflection of himself in Ugarte, and doesn't like what he sees, though I'm not sure why. On the surface, Rick himself seems to be a parasite, draining the meager resources of desperate travelers with booze and rigged gambling. But of course, secretly he is kindhearted and helps people in trouble. Similarly, Ugarte on the surface appears cowardly, but if he killed two German couriers, how cowardly can he be?

Then Victor Laszlo shows up and finds he can't get out of Casablanca without these letters of transit, which are "signed by General DeGaulle. Cannot be rescinded. Not even questioned." Really? DeGaulle was the leader of the Free French. The Vichy government had sentenced him to death in 1940. With Germany violating treaties right and left, why would they honor two stolen letters bearing the signature of their sworn enemy? For that matter, why were German couriers carrying letters signed by DeGaulle?

The hardest sell, though, is the conceit that Laszlo has escaped from a concentration camp. Somehow he still manages to appear well-fed, with perfectly marcelled hair, an immaculately pressed suit, and money to buy Cointreaus. He doesn't look or act like a man on the run. And if the Nazis have really been chasing him all over Europe, it is uncharacteristically civilized of them to meet him socially in a cafe and not shoot him or arrest him on the spot. They let him go, hoping he doesn't wander down to the pier and hop aboard the "fishing smack Santiago; third boat on the left." Strasser himself points out, "in Casablanca, human life is cheap." The Germans seem to be showing more restraint than is believable, in the same manner that James Bond villains never kill Bond when logic would so dictate.

Later in the movie when Rick is explaining his scheme to Captain Renault, he states matter-of-factly, "Ilsa is Victor's wife. She probably knows things Strasser would like to know." But up until that point, the marriage has been a secret. So why doesn't Renault seem at all surprised to learn of the marriage? More importantly, why does Rick announce the marriage? What purpose does it serve? If Rick really wants to get Ilsa safely out of Casablanca, he is only making it harder by divulging her secret.

Don't get me wrong; I love Casablanca. I think Bogart's is the best portrayal ever of an embittered lover. He is so convincing in the drunken reminiscing scene, one has to wonder if there wasn't real bourbon in that bottle. (Probably not; Bogart preferred Scotch.) And his line, "All right, I'll make it easier on you. Go ahead and shoot. You'll be doing me a favor." Incredibly good stuff. Reminds me of another immortal line, "You wanna talk to God? Let's go see him together. I've got nothing better to do."

 

[Chamorro]

"The movie has been read as an allegory of America's movement from neutrality to war, with the title 'casa blanca' - white house in Spanish - signifying the White House and Rick a reluctant President Roosevelt who finally commits America to the war.

Telotte [film critic] concerns himself with the image and substance of thievery in the movie - the theft of Europe by the Nazis, Rick Blaine's stolen love, the stolen Letters of Transit, the stolen wallets and dignity, and, in the end, Rick's stealing from the Nazis the possession they most want, Victor Laszlo. Thus the film gives audiences 'the comforting notion that the stolen can eventually be stolen back, that theft - corruption, injustice or simply repression - sets up the very conditions of its own undoing.'"

"That Casablanca can tolerate these interpretations and a dozen others...testifies to the richness of the film."

Alrean Harmetz. (1992). Round Up the Usual Suspects:
The Making of Casablanca

 

[Chamorro]

The entire movie hinges on this one plot point: The so-called "Letters of Transit." I don't know if this was a McGuffin in the classic sense but ...

Vichy France was an independant country, with which the US, among others, had diplomatic relations, until mid 1942. (Past the period of the movie.) If you were a French citizen, you could come and go as you pleased with your Vichy passport. So could Rick with his American passport. The problem was that if you went to French Morocco, or French Equitorial Bongo-Bongo, there wasn't a heck of a lot of places you could go from there. Neighboring countries would have to issue you a visa, and you'd need a reason to go there (some of them being either pro-Axis or at war against the British). No transatlantic voyages were available. If you had any francs left after buying your way out of Metropolitan France you needed them to survive until the US Army came in November, 1942. Naturally, criminals, fugitives from Vichy law, suspects wanted for questioning under reciprical agreements with the Germans or deserters from the French Army or Police would be arrested, period. No such thing as a "Letter of Transit" existed.

 

[Andykev]

Oh My

The next thing you'll be telling me is there is no such thing as "Kryptonite".

Golly Lois Lane!


I am reading the book "The Makinf of Casablanca" now.....lots of good stuff in it about how many things in the movie came to be.

 

[schwammy]

You all know that the comic-hero Superman was weakened by the green substance Kryptonite. It is true that the gas Krypton will glow green when electrically charged, but in its solid form, it is a white crystal. Kryptonite is fiction. Superman lives!!

 

[Marlowe]

Originally posted by Chamorro
...At any rate, it's always easier to drive than walk.

Spoken like a true Angeleno!

 

[schwammy]

Watching Casablanca again, I came up with another oddity. When Major Strassor reads his dossier on Rick, he says, "Richard Blaine, age 37; cannot return to his country."

How then does Rick propose to take Ilsa back to America, as he leads everyone to believe he is going to do?

 

[Marlowe]

Early on, we hear Ugarte say, "Somehow, simply because you despise me, you're the only person I trust." Somebody explain that logic to me.

I figure it means that Rick is what Ugarte isn't: an honest man. (At least, "as honest as the day is long!") Therefore, Ugarte trusts Rick not to fawn over him and then stab him in the back.

Yet Rick isn't really "carefully neutral," because he carelessly makes a show of tearing up a check from the Deutsche Bank, and then refuses to let another German into the backroom casino. Clearly the German is an arrogant jerk, but openly barring him isn't "careful neutrality," it's arbitrary partisanism. Rick gets one thing right: he's a poor businessman. Tearing up a perfectly good check on moral grounds is not the act of someone is trying to appear cynical and neutral.

The implication is that BECAUSE it's from the Deutschesbank the check is no good. Ilsa throws it in Strasser's face in a later scene: "You may recall what good German guarantees have been in the past."

And why does Rick despise Ugarte? He says, "I don't mind a parasite; I object to a cut-rate one," which sounds clever, but what exactly does it mean? Ugarte says he will sell the letters for more money than even Rick has ever dreamed of. How is that 'cut-rate?' My only thought is that Rick sees a reflection of himself in Ugarte, and doesn't like what he sees, though I'm not sure why. On the surface, Rick himself seems to be a parasite, draining the meager resources of desperate travelers with booze and rigged gambling. But of course, secretly he is kindhearted and helps people in trouble. Similarly, Ugarte on the surface appears cowardly, but if he killed two German couriers, how cowardly can he be?

Rick despises Ugarte because Ugarte is a con artist who preys on those who cannot afford to lose the money that he bilks out of them with his false promises.

Then Victor Laszlo shows up and finds he can't get out of Casablanca without these letters of transit, which are "signed by General DeGaulle. Cannot be rescinded. Not even questioned." Really? DeGaulle was the leader of the Free French. The Vichy government had sentenced him to death in 1940. With Germany violating treaties right and left, why would they honor two stolen letters bearing the signature of their sworn enemy? For that matter, why were German couriers carrying letters signed by DeGaulle?

Yep. That's one gigantic hole in the plot. You could fly an Air France Lockheed Vega right through that one and never come close to brushing a wingtip.

The hardest sell, though, is the conceit that Laszlo has escaped from a concentration camp. Somehow he still manages to appear well-fed, with perfectly marcelled hair, an immaculately pressed suit, and money to buy Cointreaus. He doesn't look or act like a man on the run. And if the Nazis have really been chasing him all over Europe, it is uncharacteristically civilized of them to meet him socially in a cafe and not shoot him or arrest him on the spot. They let him go, hoping he doesn't wander down to the pier and hop aboard the "fishing smack Santiago; third boat on the left." Strasser himself points out, "in Casablanca, human life is cheap." The Germans seem to be showing more restraint than is believable, in the same manner that James Bond villains never kill Bond when logic would so dictate.

Well, if "Free France" is supposedly neutral, perhaps the Germans don't find it expedient to just blast him down like a dog in the street. It is a bit shaky, though

Later in the movie when Rick is explaining his scheme to Captain Renault, he states matter-of-factly, "Ilsa is Victor's wife. She probably knows things Strasser would like to know." But up until that point, the marriage has been a secret. So why doesn't Renault seem at all surprised to learn of the marriage? More importantly, why does Rick announce the marriage? What purpose does it serve? If Rick really wants to get Ilsa safely out of Casablanca, he is only making it harder by divulging her secret.

He's using a little truth to sell a big lie. He adds convincing and probably verifiable detail to his story to make it sound like he's going to sell Laszlo down the river and abscond with his beautiful wife. Just the sort of detail a man like Renault would swallow hook, line and sinker.

Don't get me wrong; I love Casablanca. I think Bogart's is the best portrayal ever of an embittered lover. He is so convincing in the drunken reminiscing scene, one has to wonder if there wasn't real bourbon in that bottle. (Probably not; Bogart preferred Scotch.) And his line, "All right, I'll make it easier on you. Go ahead and shoot. You'll be doing me a favor." Incredibly good stuff. Reminds me of another immortal line, "You wanna talk to God? Let's go see him together. I've got nothing better to do."

Yeah, that's the stuff all right.

 

[Forrestal]

If Rick despises Ugarte so much, then why does he regret his capture?

?¢‚Ǩ?ì They grab Ugarte then she walks in?¢‚Ǩ¬¶well one-in-and-one-out I guess.?¢‚Ǩ?

I have never really understood why Rick feels this way. Any thoughts?

Regards,
Forrestal

 

[schwammy]

Maybe his regret indicates that he didn't really despise Ugarte. After all, he does allow him into the back room. Perhaps it's all part of the 'cynical shell.' A lot of men seem to think it's good form to show affection for by insulting one another.

 

[FRASER_NASH]

I'll be watching CASABLANCA in a totally new light now. I never pick up on these sorts of details - I just watch and enjoy it for what it is and the great characters just a shallow guy I guess
Really enjoying this thread and 'all' the things folk are picking up on - thanks!

 

[Old Rogue]

I'll be watching CASABLANCA in a totally new light now. I never pick up on these sorts of details - I just watch and enjoy it for what it is and the great characters just a shallow guy I guess
Really enjoying this thread and 'all' the things folk are picking up on - thanks!

Agreed. Like all good fiction, Casablanca requires some level of the "willing suspension of disbelief". As I understand it, neither the producers, cast or crew had any inkling what Casablanca would become. It was just another movie being cranked out by the studios. Somehow Bogey, Bergman, et al and the story combined to make something magical. To counterbalance all the gaffs pointed out in this thread (which are unquestionably there and do require some mental gymnastics to rationalize), think of all the turns of phrase from this movie that are still hanging around in our everyday speech even now. I daresay that even someone whose never seen the movie still gets the gist of what you mean if you say "we'll always have Paris". My personal favorite line from the movie (well, one of my many favorites) is when Ferrari says "as the leader of all criminal activities in Casablanca I am a respected man". Even after all the times I've watched the film I still laugh out loud when I hear that line. Like Mr. Nash I may be a bit shallow when it comes to this film, but I can watch it over and over and I enjoy it even more each time. By the way, I'd highly recommend that all Casablanca fans get their hands on the Michael Walsh Novel "As Time Goes by" (Warner Books, 1998). It's a sequel to Casablanca and, while it doesn't play out the storyline exactly the way I would, it is faithful to the personalities of the characters is a very good read. I make it a point every year or so to watch the movie and then re-read the novel. Hmmmm....was looking for something to kill the rest of the weekend with, maybe it's time!

 

[Tommy]

The train station scene with Sam, it's pouring down rain, Rick's getting soaked while he reads Ilsa's letter saying she can't go with him, they then make for the train since it is pulling out. the next shot shows him on the train deck in a completely dry outfit crumpling the letter and tossing it to the ground as the train pulls out.