Daily Dialogue — January 8, 2014

Rick: Louie, have your men go with Mr. Laszlo and take care of his luggage.
Renault: Certainly, Rick, anything you say. (to one of his men) Find Mr. Laszlo’s luggage and put it on the plane.
Man: Yes, sir. 
Rick: (to Renault) If you don’t mind, you fill in the names. That will make it even more official.
Renault: You think of everything, don’t you?
Rick: The names of Mr. and Mrs. Victor Laszlo.
Ilsa: But why my name, Richard.
Rick: Because you’re getting on that plane.
Ilsa: I don’t understand. What about you?
Rick: I’m staying here with him until the plane gets safely away.
Ilsa: No, Richard. What’s happened to you? Last night…
Rick: Last night we said a great many things. You said I was to do the thinking for both of us. Well, I’ve done a lot of it since then, and it all adds up to one thing: you’re getting on that plane with Victor where you belong.

— Casablanca (1942), screenplay by Julius J. Epstein, Philip G. Epstein, and Howard Koch, play by Murray Burnett and Joan Alison

The Daily Dialogue theme for the week: Explain the mission, suggested by Shaula Evans.

Trivia: To maximize profits from foreign distribution of the film, the studio suggested that any unpleasant characters other than the Nazis should also be from an enemy country, namely Italy. This is why Ugarte, Ferrari, and the dark European pickpocket are Italian.

Dialogue On Dialogue: It’s one of the great scenes in cinema history and in effect it is about Rick explaining the plan to Ilsa. The structural point of the scene: To get Ilsa on the plane and safely away with Laszlo. The emotional point of the scene: For Rick and Ilsa to have a last moment together.

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