Daily Dialogue — November 18, 2014

Renault: It might be a good idea for you to disappear from Casablanca for a while. There’s a Free French garrison over at Brazzaville. I could be induced to arrange a passage.
Rick: My letter of transit? I could use a trip. But it doesn’t change our bet. You still owe me 10,000 francs.
Renault: That 10,000 francs should pay our expenses.
Rick: “Our” expenses?
Renault: Mm-hm.
Rick: Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

— 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: Friendship.

Trivia: Casey Robinson, who re-wrote the romantic scenes between Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman, was offered screen credit but turned it down because at the time he was only taking credit for scripts he wrote entirely by himself. By declining credit, he did himself out of an Academy Award.

Dialogue On Dialogue: The subplot between Rick and Renault is one of best treats of this film, Renault a classic Trickster figure who in the end turns ally… and proves worthy of their friendship.

If you have a suggestion for this week’s theme, please post in comments.

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