<P> In December 1941, American expatriate Rick Blaine owns an upscale nightclub and gambling den in Casablanca . "Rick's Café Américain" attracts a varied clientele, including Vichy French and German officials, refugees desperate to reach the still - neutral United States, and those who prey on them . Although Rick professes to be neutral in all matters, he ran guns to Ethiopia during its war with Italy and fought on the Loyalist side in the Spanish Civil War . </P> <P> Petty crook Ugarte boasts to Rick of "letters of transit" obtained by murdering two German couriers . The papers allow the bearers to travel freely around German - controlled Europe and to neutral Portugal, and are priceless to the refugees stranded in Casablanca . Ugarte plans to sell them at the club, and asks Rick to hold them . Before he can meet his contact, Ugarte is arrested by the local police under the command of Captain Louis Renault, an unabashedly corrupt Vichy official . Ugarte dies in custody without revealing that he entrusted the letters to Rick . </P> <P> Then the reason for Rick's bitterness--former lover Ilsa Lund--enters his establishment . Spotting Rick's friend and house pianist, Sam, Ilsa asks him to play "As Time Goes By ." Rick storms over, furious that Sam disobeyed his order never to perform that song, and is stunned to see Ilsa . She is accompanied by her husband, Victor Laszlo, a renowned fugitive Czech Resistance leader . They need the letters to escape to America to continue his work . German Major Strasser has come to Casablanca to see that Laszlo fails . </P> <P> When Laszlo makes inquiries, Ferrari, a major underworld figure and Rick's friendly business rival, divulges his suspicion that Rick has the letters . Privately, Rick refuses to sell at any price, telling Laszlo to ask his wife the reason . They are interrupted when Strasser leads a group of officers in singing "Die Wacht am Rhein" ("The Watch on the Rhine"). Laszlo orders the house band to play "La Marseillaise". When the band looks to Rick, he nods his head . Laszlo starts singing, alone at first, then patriotic fervor grips the crowd and everyone joins in, drowning out the Germans . Strasser has Renault close the club . </P>

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