In some ways, the world feels more divided than ever before. It feels more than ever that people are not only willing to disagree about a good many things, but disagree/argue more forcefully, too. Sometimes, that’s okay, but if not, perhaps it’s good to think about the rare things that are universally accepted or rejected. Enter Casablanca, which is a movie that may well technically have detractors, but they’re pretty damn hard to find (the number may not even reach double-digits).
So, in the spirit of unity around Casablanca and its status as an iconic film, why not celebrate one of its best components: the screenplay. Balancing war, drama, romance, and even some comedy genre-wise, Casablanca expertly tells a story of love, loss, heroism, and sacrifice, set against the backdrop of World War II, all the while balancing numerous characters and being extremely economical, with the film’s runtime being just 102 minutes. It’s hard to outline all the iconic dialogue contained within said screenplay, but the following lines are some of the most memorable, demonstrating Casablanca’s capacity to be funny, romantic, inspiring, and dramatic.
Casablanca
PG
Drama
Romance
War
A cynical expatriate American cafe owner struggles to decide whether or not to help his former lover and her fugitive husband escape the Nazis in French Morocco.
- Release Date
- January 23, 1942
- Director
- Michael Curtiz
- Cast
- Humphrey Bogart , Ingrid Bergman , Paul Henreid , Claude Rains , Conrad Veidt , Sydney Greenstreet
- Runtime
- 102 minutes
10 "Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’"
Ilsa Lund
There are a fair few iconic movie quotes that have been remembered (slightly) incorrectly by the general public, like Clint Eastwood not saying "Do you feel lucky, punk?" in Dirty Harry and "Luke, I Am Your Father” from The Empire Strikes Back being slightly off what was actually said. Joining the club of slightly misquoted lines is Casablanca’s "Play it, Sam. Play ‘As Time Goes By.’"
Like those other examples, it sometimes gets quoted as the slightly snappier “Play it again, Sam,” which became the title of a 1970s romantic comedy, too. Still, the actual line is iconic in any event, being a memorable exchange between Ilsa Lund (Ingrid Bergman) and Sam the piano player (Dooley Wilson) that works in heightening the film’s bittersweet emotions and exploration of nostalgia. Additionally, ‘As Time Goes By’ has become increasingly iconic as a song, with part of it being featured alongside the Warner Bros. Pictures logo in many of the studio’s films.
9 “Oh, please, monsieur. It is a little game we play. They put it on the bill, I tear up the bill. It is very convenient.”
Captain Renault
Of the various great characters in Casablanca, Captain Renault is one of the very best, getting many of the film’s most quotable lines and being played by reliable supporting player (and occasional leading man) Claude Rains. His back and forth with Humphrey Bogart’s Rick is a consistent source of comedy for the film, both trading lines in a way that feels borderline flirtatious at times.
Anyway, Renault is consistently snarky but in a charismatic sort of way, never quite outshining Rick when it comes to being witty, but not being too far off. His dismissal of Victor Laszlo’s (Paul Henreid) concern regarding a bottle of champagne being bought with a declaration of: “They put it on the bill, I tear up the bill. It is very convenient,” feeling particularly smooth and humorous.
8 “You might as well question why we breathe. If we stop breathing, we'll die. If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.”
Victor Laszlo
For as romantic and funny as Casablanca can be, it’s also a World War II movie, and one notably made/released while the conflict was ongoing at that. Victor Laszlo’s the character who feels most responsible for ensuring Casablanca feels like a great war movie on top of being a great romantic drama, as he’s a prominent member of the Czechoslovak Resistance who’s romantically involved with Ilsa, Rick’s former lover.
Laszlo is a little flatter as a character, as a result, being a noble and respectable character who’s nevertheless less cool than Bogart’s Rick (by design). However, he does get some chances to shine throughout the film, living up to his reputation as a brave resistance fighter with dramatic claims like: “If we stop fighting our enemies, the world will die.”
7 “Liebchen - sweetness heart, what watch?” “Ten watch.” “Such much?”
Mr. and Mrs. Leuchtag
Admittedly, this exchange between minor characters doesn’t often get brought up as one of the greatest moments in Casablanca, but it’s hilarious and plays a part in making the film as entertaining as it is. It happens during a scene with Carl the waiter (S. Z. Sakall) and a married couple, Mr. and Mrs. Leuchtag (Ludwig Stössel and Ilka Grüning), the pair of them both wanting to celebrate the fact they’re about to move to America.
Claiming they only want to speak English from that point onwards, the two adorably practice asking for the time in English, with “Ten watch” getting a confident response of “Such much?” The kicker is Carl smiling and saying, “You will get along beautiful in America,” serving as a punchline that makes fun of English speakers in America on top of (gently) poking fun at the Leuchtag’s somewhat shaky attempts at English.
6 “Major Strasser has been shot... round up the usual suspects.”
Captain Renault
Likely inspiring the title of an iconic 1990s movie, Captain Renault’s call for the usual suspects to be rounded up comes during Casablanca’s classic climax, where so much is wrapped up, and in such satisfying ways, too. Dispatching the film’s central antagonist, Major Strasser (Conrad Veidt), is somewhat overshadowed by the bittersweet farewell between Rick and Ilsa that also occurs in the climax, but it’s still a significant moment capped off with a memorable line.
Importantly, this marks the point where Renault officially turns on Strasser and becomes Rick’s unequivocal ally, given Renault knows Rick was the one who (understandably) shot Strasser. It’s a memorable and snappy line, and plays a role in Renault’s character arc, perhaps suggesting that all that banter back and forth between him and Rick was because the two genuinely, deep down, respected each other.
5 “You despise me, don't you?” “If I gave you any thought I probably would.”
Guillermo Ugarte and Rick Blaine
Plenty of Humphrey Bogart movies prove worthy of revisiting, Casablanca included. However, some of his more complex films might well need more than one watch to completely digest, including 1941’s complex and twisty The Maltese Falcon. Released one year before Casablanca, it notably featured some people who showed up in both, including Bogart (obviously), Peter Lorre, and Sydney Greenstreet.
Lorre’s role in Casablanca is small but memorable, with his character, Ugarte, being a criminal whose death early on in the film helps establish some stakes for the remainder of the movie. Ugarte also introduces the all-important letters of transit into the plot, getting Rick involved and causing some antagonism between the two in the process, best summed up with Rick saying he probably would despise Ugarte “If (he) gave (him) any thought” in the first place.
4 “Louie, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Rick Blaine
If the quote about rounding up the usual suspects wasn’t enough to solidify Rick and Renault’s dynamic as a bromance for the ages, then the final line of Casablanca certainly helps drive that point home. Rick has just helped Ilsa and Laszlo escape, bidding a bittersweet farewell to his former lover. At the point he knows they’re safe, he admits to Renault that what they have might be “the beginning of a beautiful friendship.”
Also significant is the fact that Rick refers to him as Louie here, which he’d done earlier in the climax, too, but it’s nice that they’re definitely on a first-name basis; that’s a positive signifier of their friendship indeed being a beautiful one. It’s a lovely line that concludes the whole movie on a high, and it’s honestly fun to imagine the sorts of adventures Rick and Renault might’ve gotten up to if they did end up joining the Free French together after walking off into the fog.
3 “I'm shocked! Shocked to find that gambling is going on in here.”
Captain Renault
One final line that helps Captain Renault be a contender for the title of MVP of Casablanca is his exchange with Rick and a croupier regarding Rick’s bar having people gamble inside it. Renault, still at odds with Rick, claims he’s going to close up Rick’s bar because of the “shocking” discovery that people are using it as a place to gamble, with the phoniness and insistence on being “shocked (shocked!)” already being funny.
But then the croupier enters and says, “Your winnings, sir,” to which Renault thanks him. There – the whole thing’s been over-explained and is probably no longer funny. But it’s the execution that counts, and let’s face it – you’ve probably already seen the scene and therefore know that it’s one of the funniest and most memorable exchanges in the entire (classic) movie.
2 “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine.”
Rick Blaine
Across films both classic in status and underrated, Humphrey Bogart always brought his A-game, and had an effortless cool and charm that enabled him to deliver lines that might’ve sounded ridiculous coming from the mouths of other actors. For example, the legendary: “Of all the gin joints, in all the towns, in all the world, she walks into mine” could sound overwrought or melodramatic in lesser hands, but Bogart sells the hell out of it.
Rick’s pretty down for much of Casablanca, only emerging as a true hero by the end of it on account of his life experiences weighing him down and making him, for lack of a better word, pretty sulky for much of the film’s runtime. And the classic “Of all the gin joints” line gets that mopey side of Rick across perfectly, ensuring his emergence as a hero by Casablanca's end feels all the more triumphant. Speaking of…
1 “If that plane leaves the ground and you're not with him, you'll regret it. Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life.” “But what about us? “We'll always have Paris.”
Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund
For all its humor, triumphant moments, and scenes of excitement, Casablanca is also ultimately a tearjerker, balancing the lighter stuff with an exploration of heartbreak and the difficulties of moving on that still feels emotionally resonant. This bittersweet aspect of Casablanca naturally comes to a head during the film’s climax, with the whole final conversation between Rick and Ilsa being the single best part of the entire film.
To highlight the most perfect part of the entire exchange, Rick’s talk about regret - “Maybe not today. Maybe not tomorrow, but soon and for the rest of your life” - just sounds poetic, in all honesty, as is the claim that they’ll "always have Paris." And, this part of the film also includes the final time Rick says “Here’s looking at you kid,” which itself is another iconic line in the film that is more or less reduced to an honorable mention here… Casablanca’s just that well-written, in the end; it’s arguably too iconic and quotable.
Casablanca can be streamed on Max in the U.S.
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