Casablanca. Revisited, with revisionist sequel... Here's Looking At You, Kid!
It's still the same old story ...
Casablanca.
The story of a hot love affair with badly crossed wires.
Rick Blaine, an American adventurer (H. Bogart) is hanging out in Paris after the Spanish Civil war and carrying on a hot and heavy love affair with Lisa, a central European refugee from the German occupation of her country. She is a stunning beauty. (Ingrid Bergman).
When the Germans blitz France out of action , Rick and Lisa agree to meet in Marseille to catch a ship to the Free French territory of Morocco.
However, at the last minute Lisa fails to show up and Rick is convinced that she has just ditched him. He ships out without her.
We will find out later that this was because her husband, an underground leader she thought dead, has shown up in Paris, on the run from the Germans. .
But Bogart doesn't know this, so he heads for Casablanca and starts up a very successful night club and Casino, but is bitter to the core over the ditching.
One fine day Lisa and her husband show up there, setting up the key line "of all the gin mills in the world she has to walk into mine!"
And also, to Sam, the piano player; "I thought I told you never to play that again"
-- The films theme song, As Time Goes By -- which was their special song back in Paris. We soon perceive that she is still in love with Rick, but for idealistic patriotic reasons, has chosen to remain at her husband's side and help him escape to freedom to continue the fight again Naziism ...
The bulk of the film now focuses on the strained and restrained love affair between Rick and Lisa, as they realize they cannot be reunited because of the political situation. (At least he does, even if she doesn't) ...
This will all finally be resolved in a jolting surprise ending where Rick gives up his claim on Lisa in order to help her and heroic husband escape to safety in Lisbon. A tremendous true love sacrificed on the altar of Anti-Naziism.
This was the right patriotic message in 1943.
But some have wondered about what the sequel might have been after the war ..Unfortunately. "Return to Casablanca" was never made.
In my version, all are reunited in Morocco and she ditches the ex war hero as Rick reopens his Casino --- with Lisa as the main croupier.
Until ...
One day Alain Delon shows up ...
And she runs off with him to Paris!
Our love doesn't amount to a hill of beans compared to this war ...
I know Rick, but I'm nuts about you --- nuts for your putz!
By Alex Deleon
Here's Looking At You, Kid
