a. Two German couriers are murdered and exit visas are stolen from them
b. A officer, Major Strasser, arrives at the Casablanca airport and is greeted by the local French commander, Captain Louis Renault
c. They head over to Rick's cafe to find the murderer
II. Rick's Cafe
a. Ugarte approaches Rick, the bar's owner, and asks if he will hold some letters of transit for him
b. Rick hides them in the piano played by the musician, Sam
c. Signor Ferrari, owner of the rival bar, the Blue Parrot, offers to buy Rick's, but Rick says his bar isn't for sale
d. Louis mentions Victor Laszlo, a famous Czech nationalist, will be arriving in Casablanca and warns Rick against trying to assist Laszlo, whose political activities are a threat to Nazi Germany
e. Ugate is cornered by Strasser and arrested
III. Victor Laszlo
a. Laszlo enters the bar with Ilsa in search of exit visas
b. Louis requests that Laszlo report to his office the next day
c. Ilsa asks Sam to play "As Time Goes By" on the piano
d. Rick recognizes and sits with Ilsa, Laszlo, and Louis for a drink
IV. Flashbacks
a. Rick remembers being with Ilsa in Paris driving in his car around the city, drinking champagne, and dancing
b. They are in love and when they hear word that the German army is approaching Paris, Rick asks Ilsa to marry him
c. She doesn't accept or deny him, but Rick plans to leave the city with her by train before the Germans come
d. At the train station Rick waits for Ilsa, but instead receives a note explaining that she can't see him again; confused and angry he boards the train without her
V. The Blue Parrot
a. In the present now, in Casablanca, Laszlo and Ilsa go to Signor Ferrari to try to obtain letters of transit
b. Rick walks in, and while Laszlo talks with Ferrari, Ilsa tells Rick that Laszlo is her husband and has been for years, even when she and Rick were together in Paris
c. Ferrari says he can obtain a visa for Ilsa but not for Laszlo, but the couple decides not to split up
d. Ferrari suggests they speak to Rick, whom he suspects is holding Ugarte's stolen letters of transit
VI. Battle of the Anthems
a. German soldiers have gathered around Sam's piano and are singing the German national anthem
b. Laszlo tells the band to play "La Marseillaise," the French national anthem which drowns out the Germans
c. Strasser is furious and demands that Louis shut down Rick's and does so on the pretext that gambling takes place there
VII. Love and Lies
a. At their hotel, Laszlo asks Ilsa if there is anything she wants to tell him about Paris, but she says no
b. As Victor leaves for a meeting of the underground resistance, Ilsa leaves too for Rick's Cafe
c. She pleads with Rick to give her the letters of transit, and when he refuses pulls out a gun
d. Rick dares her to shoot, but Ilsa cannot; she breaks down in tears and claims she still loves him
VIII. Confessions
a. Ilsa explains after she married Laszlo, he had to return to Prague, where he was arrested and put in a concentration camp
b. She received news he was killed and met Rick in Paris shortly after
c. Ilsa learned Laszlo was still alive just when she and Rick were about to leave Paris together, so that's why she didn't get on the train
d. She didn't tell Rick because she knew he wouldn't leave Paris if he found out, and then the Gestapo would arrest him
IX. Letters of Transit
a. German soldiers arrest Laszlo
b. Rick sells his club to Signor Ferrari and tells Louis that he wants to frame Laszlo for stealing the letters and Rick will use them to leave with Ilsa
c. At the Cafe, Rick tries to hand Laszlo the letters to frame him
d. Just as Louis comes out to make his arrest, Rick turns the gun on Louis
X. The Airport
a. Rick makes Louis fill in the letters of transit for Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo even though Ilsa objects
b. Just as the Laszlo's board the plane, Strasser arrives and tries to stop the plane
c. Rick shoots him so the plane can safely take off for Lisbon
d. Even though Louis has seen everything, when officers arrive and see Strasser's body he tells him to round up suspects and never mentions Rick
e. Rick and Louis walk along the runway together. Louis says he can arrange for Rick to escape to Brazzaville, another French colony in Africa, and then announces he will go, too
f. The movie ends with Rick saying the famous final line, "Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship."
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