This film deserves its status as a classic and it has, in fact, made many top-ten lists including being ranked number one. Rick (Bogart) runs a nightclub in Casablanca and the Gestapo is beginning to take a concentrated interest in the club and its activities. Rick is believed to be hiding some important papers which the Gestapo wants very badly. Into this scenario comes Ilsa, who had an affair with Rick in Paris several years before. Without giving the plot away, she believed her husband had died at the time and now, with Ilsa’s return, what will this mean for Rick? He fights mixed feelings of love and hatred. The Gestapo wants Ilsa’s husband and will not stop until they get him. It is within Rick’s power to help Ilsa’s husband. Watch this film and you will see a well-crafted and authentically-acted film which holds up nicely to this day. You won’t want to miss Bogie’s great line: “Here’s lookin’ at you, kid!”

There is drinking and smoking throughout much of the film, but this is the strongest of the content area. Although Rick and Ilsa have an affair, she believes she is a widow at the time. Her plans in the end also do not work out and we learn some things about Rick that we might not have guessed.