Casablanca (1943) - Quotes

Questioning the Need to Be in Casablanca

Rick: Why did you have to come to Casablanca? There are other places.

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Memories of Love and Jealousy in War

Renault: I can't get over you two. She was asking about you earlier, Rick, in a way that made me extremely jealous.

Ilsa: I wasn't sure you were the same. Let's see, the last time we met was...

Rick: La Belle Aurore.

Ilsa: How nice, you remembered. But of course, that was the day the Germans marched into Paris.

Rick: Not an easy day to forget.

Ilsa: No.

Rick: I remember every detail. The Germans wore gray, you wore blue.

Ilsa: Yes. I put that dress away. When the Germans march out, I'll wear it again.

Renault: Ricky, you're becoming quite human. I suppose we have to thank you for that, Mademoiselle.

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A Congratulatory Exchange in a Café

Laszlo: This is a very interesting cafe. I congratulate you.

Rick: And I congratulate you.

Laszlo: What for?

Rick: Your work.

Laszlo: Thank you. I try.

Rick: We all try. You succeed.

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Searching for Rick in Casablanca

Ilsa: Where is Rick?

Sam: I don't know. I ain't seen him all night.

Ilsa: When will he be back?

Sam: Not tonight no more. He ain't comin'...He went home.

Ilsa: Does he always leave so early?

Sam: Oh, he never... well, he's got a girl up at the Blue Parrot. He goes up there all the time.

Ilsa: You used to be a much better liar, Sam.

Sam: Leave him alone, Miss Ilsa. You're bad luck to him.

Ilsa: Play it once, Sam, for old times sake.

Sam: I don't know what you mean, Miss Ilsa.

Ilsa: [whispers] Play it, Sam. Play As Time Goes By.

Sam: Why, I can't remember it, Miss Ilsa. I'm a little rusty on it.

Ilsa: [hums two bars. Sam starts to play] I'll hum it for you. Sing it, Sam.

Sam: [singing] {{Anchor|lyrics of As Time Goes By}}You must remember thisA kiss is just a kiss A sigh is just a sighThe fundamental things applyAs time goes by.And when two lovers wooThey still say, I love you'On that you can relyNo matter what the future bringsAs Time Goes By.

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Sporting Interests and Political Perspectives

Rick: My interest in whether Victor Laszlo stays or goes is purely a sporting one.

Strasser: In this case, you have no sympathy for the fox, huh?

Rick: Not particularly. I understand the point of view of the hound, too.

Strasser: Victor Laszlo published the foulest lies in the Prague newspapers until the very day we marched in, and even after that, he continued to print scandal sheets in a cellar.

Renault: Of course, one must admit he has great courage.

Strasser: I admit he's very clever. Three times he slipped through our fingers. In Paris, he continued his activities. We intend not to let it happen again.

Rick: Excuse me, gentlemen. Your business is politics. Mine is running a saloon.

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Citizenship and Identity in Casablanca

Strasser: What is your nationality?

Rick: I'm a drunkard.

Renault: And that makes Rick a citizen of the world.

Rick: I was born in New York City, if that'll help you any.

Strasser: I understand that you came here from Paris at the time of the occupation.

Rick: Well, there seems to be no secret about that.

Strasser: Are you one of those people who cannot imagine the Germans in their beloved Paris?

Rick: It's not particularly my beloved Paris.

Heinz: Can you imagine us in London?

Rick: When you get there, ask me!

Renault: Hmmh! Diplomatist!

Strasser: How about New York?

Rick: Well, there are certain sections of New York, Major, that I wouldn't advise you to try to invade.

Strasser: Uh, huh. Who do you think will win the war?

Rick: I haven't the slightest idea.

Renault: Rick is completely neutral about everything. And that takes in the field of women, too.

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Table Assignments in a Restaurant Setting

Renault: Carl, see that Major Strasser gets a good table, one close to the ladies.

Carl: I have already given him the best. Knowing he is German, he would take it anyway.

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Cynicism and Sentimentality in Conflict

Rick: Louie, whatever gave you the impression that I might be interested in helping Laszlo escape?

Renault: [''off Rick's reaction''] Because, my dear Ricky, I suspect that under that cynical shell, you're at heart a sentimentalist. Oh, laugh if you will, but I happen to be familiar with your record. Let me point out just two items. In 1935, you ran guns to Ethiopia. In 1936, you fought in Spain on the Loyalists side.

Rick: And got well paid for it on both occasions.

Renault: The winning side would have paid you much better.

Rick: Maybe.

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Café Dynamics: Visas and Roulette Deals

Renault: Rick, there are many exit visas sold in this café, but we know that you've never sold one. That is the reason we permit you to remain open.

Rick: Oh? I thought it was because I let you win at roulette.

Renault: That is another reason.

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Reflections on Choices and Consequences

Renault: I've often speculated on why you don't return to America. Did you abscond with the church funds? Did you run off with a Senator's wife? I like to think that you killed a man. It's the romantic in me.

Rick: It's a combination of all three.

Renault: And what in heaven's name brought you to Casablanca?

Rick: My health. I came to Casablanca for the waters.

Renault: The waters? What waters? We're in the desert.

Rick: I was misinformed.

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A Conversation on Love and Relationships

Renault: Hello, Rick.

Rick: Hello, Louis.

Renault: How extravagant you are, throwing away women like that. Someday they may be scarce. You know, now I think I shall pay a call on Yvonne. Maybe get her on the rebound. Hmm?

Rick: When it comes to women, you're a true democrat.

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Uncertainty in Relationships and Future Plans

Yvonne: Where were you last night?

Rick: That's so long ago, I don't remember.

Yvonne: Will I see you tonight?

Rick: I never make plans that far ahead.

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Negotiation Over Sam's Value

Rick: [about his club] It's not for sale.

Ferrari: You haven't heard my offer.

Rick: It's not for sale at any price.

Ferrari: What do you want for Sam?

Rick: I don't buy or sell human beings.

Ferrari: Too bad. That's Casablanca's leading commodity. In refugees alone, we could make a fortune, if you work with me through the black market.

Rick: Suppose you run your business and let me run mine.

Ferrari: Suppose we ask Sam. Maybe he'd like to make a change?

Rick: Suppose we do.

Ferrari: My dear Rick, when will you realize that in this world today, isolationism is no longer a practical policy?

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Cynicism and Irony in Times of War

Ugarte: Too bad about those two German couriers, wasn't it?

Rick: They got a lucky break. Yesterday, they were just two German clerks. Today, they're the Honored Dead.

Ugarte: You are a very cynical person, Rick, if you forgive me for saying so.

Rick: I forgive you.

Ugarte: You despise me, don't you?

Rick: If I gave you any thought, I probably would.

Ugarte: But why? Oh, you object to the kind of business I do, huh? But think of all those poor refugees who must rot in this place if I didn't help them. Well that's not so bad. Through ways of my own, I provide them with exit visas.

Rick: For a price, Ugarte. For a price.

Ugarte: But think of all the poor devils who can't meet Renault's price. I get it for them for half. Is that so parasitic?

Rick: I don't mind a parasite. I object to a cut-rate one.

Ugarte: Well, Rick, after tonight, I'll be through with the whole business, and I'm leaving finally, this Casablanca.

Ugarte: You know, Rick, I have many a friend in Casablanca, but somehow, just because you despise me, you are the only one I trust.

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Social Status and Perceptions in a Bar

Carl: Madame, he never drinks with customers. Never. I have never seen it.

Female companion: What makes a saloonkeeper so snobbish?

Gentleman: Perhaps if you told him I ran the second largest banking house in Amsterdam.

Carl: The second largest? That wouldn't interest Rick - the leading banker in Amsterdam is now the pastry chef in our kitchen --

Gentleman: We have something to look forward to.

Carl: -- and his father is the bellboy!

Resistance Against Oppression and Fear

Victor Laszlo: [the names of Underground leaders] If I didn't give in a concentration camp, where you had more persuasive methods at your disposal, I certainly won't give them to you now. And what if you track down these men and kill them? What if you murdered all of us? From every corner of Europe, hundreds, thousands would rise to take our places. Even Nazis can't kill that fast.

The Harsh Reality of Concentration Camps

Victor Laszlo: In a concentration camp, one is apt to lose a little weight.

Self-Pity and the Consequences of Weakness

Ilsa Lund: You want to feel sorry for yourself, don't you? With so much at stake, all you can think of is your own feelings. One woman has hurt you, and you take your revenge on the rest of the world. You're a coward and a weakling.

Memories of Paris and Lost Love

Ilsa Lund: Last night, I saw what has happened to you. The Rick I knew in Paris I could tell him, he'd understand. But the one who looked at me with such hatred - I'll be leaving Casablanca soon and we'll never see each other again. We knew very little about each other when we were in love in Paris. If we leave it that way, maybe we'll remember those days and not Casablanca. Not last night.

Love and Longing in a Turbulent World

Ilsa Lund: [to Rick, as the Germans are invading in Paris] I love you so much. And I hate this war so much. Oh, it's a crazy world. Anything can happen. If you shouldn't get away, I mean, if something should keep us apart, wherever they put you and wherever I'll be, I want you to know that...I Love you. Kiss me as if it were the last time.

A Conflicted Admiration for Rick

Captain Louis Renault: [to Ilsa] Well, Rick is the kind of man that...well, if I were a woman, and I were not around, I should be in love with Rick. But what a fool I am talking to a beautiful woman about another man.

The Convenience of a Little Game

Captain Louis Renault: Oh, please, monsieur. It is a little game we play. They put it on the bill, I tear up the bill. It is very convenient.

Uncertainty Surrounds Cause of Death

Captain Louis Renault: [about Ugarte] I'm making out the report now. We haven't quite decided whether he committed suicide or died trying to escape.

Perception of Humanity in Rick's Viewpoint

Rick Blaine: [on Captain Renault] Oh, he's just like any other man, only more so.

Reflections on Stories and Lost Love

Rick Blaine: [to Ilsa] I heard a story once. As a matter of fact, I've heard a lot of stories in my time. They went along with the sound of a tinny piano, playing in the parlor downstairs. Mister, I met a man once when I was a kid, they'd always begin. Well, I guess neither one of our stories is very funny. Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Laszlo or were there others in between? Or aren't you the kind that tells?

Rick Blaine Questions His Eye Color

Rick Blaine: [after inspecting a dossier about himself] Are my eyes really brown?

Self-Protection and Personal Boundaries

Rick Blaine: [repeated line] I stick my neck out for nobody.

A Reflection on Lost Love and Sacrifice

Rick Blaine: [[w:AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes|American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations] * Ranked #5 in the ] in American cinema.

A Toast to Fond Memories

Rick Blaine: Here's looking at you, kid.

Rick Blaine's Reflection on Life and Choices

Rick Blaine: [[w:AFI's 100 Years…100 Movie Quotes|American Film Institute's list of the top 100 movie quotations] * Ranked #67 in the ] in American cinema.