Made in 1942 and released not long after the United States had seriously committed itself to fighting in World War II, the classic film Casablanca provides insight into popular attitudes early in the war. In addition, it lays out some of the arguments for U.S. involvement, tracing the transformation of U.S. policy from neutrality to non-belligerency to involvement. The character of Richard "Rick" Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, provided a heroic analogy for the historical process of U.S. involvement in the war.

Questions to Think About:

1) Think about how different nationalities are represented in the film. What are the nationalities of each of the characters in the film--especially those in Rick's Cafe Americaine--and how are we, the audience, told of them? How do we know who the allies are, and how do we know who are the enemies? Who are the collaborators?

2) How are representatives of each nationalities' governments (or militaries) represented? What are the characterizations of the French (Vichy and Free), German, and Italian officials and officers? How are relations among these groups depicted in the film?

3) What is the significance of Rick's Cafe? Who gathers there, and why? How does it--as a space--compare with Ferrare's Blue Parrot?

4) What is the audience/public meant to understand about Rick when it learns of his past? What does it mean that Rick ran guns to Ethiopia in 1935 and in 1936 fought on the Loyalist side in Spain?

5) What does Ilsa Lund represent? What does she mean to Rick, beyond his love for her?

6) What does Major Strasser say about Americans? Why does he dismiss Rick as "bumbling"?

7) What do you think was meant by the following statements in the following contexts:

"Isolationism is no longer a viable policy."--Ferrare
"I stick my neck out for nobody."--Rick, as Ugarte is being taken away by the gendarme
"I stick my neck out for nobody."--Rick, to Renault, when Renault warns him against helping Victor Laslo
"Bet they're asleep in New York. I bet they're asleep all over America."--Rick, talking to Sam
"I blow with the wind."--Loius Renault

8) At what point does Rick turn from neutrality to non-belligerency? At what moment does he go from non-belligerency to involvement? What events cause the turn in his stance toward involvement in Victor Laslo's struggle against Nazism?

9) There are several emotional scenes which might represent the turning point for Rick's character. These include his intervention on behalf of the Bulgarian couple at his roulette wheel; the arrival of Victor Laslo (and Ilsa Lund); Laslo's singing of La Marseilles; Rick's discussion with Laslo after Laslo has been injured; his confrontation with Ilsa when she asks him to do the thinking for the both of them. Which do you think was the most significant, and why? What would be the analogues to these scenes in the historical events of 1939 to 1942?

10) What sort of public feeling would viewing this film have caused? What kind of popular feeling would it have reflected?

Further resources for studying Casablanca and the U.S. decision to enter World War II:

Randy Roberts, "You Must Remember This: The Case of Hal Wallis's Casablanca," in Steven Mintz and Randy Roberts, eds., Hollywood's America: United States History Through Its Films (1993)

Clayton R. Koppes and Gregory D. Black, "What to Show the World: The Office of War Information and Hollywood, 1942-1945, in Steven Mintz and Randy Roberts, eds., Hollywood's America: United States History Through Its Films (1993)

Mike Rosenberg's script for the movie.
Cyberblanca's background information on the film.
Learn more about the study of film at the American Film Institute site.
The National Archives' Exhibit about the Bombing of Pearl Harbor, including recordings of Franklin Roosevelt's request to Congress to declare war on Japan.
The National Archives' Exhibition, A People at War.
Library of Congress' Women Come to the Front site.
Professor Lavender's Rosie the Riveter page.
The National Archives' Exhibition, Powers of Persuasion, on war propaganda posters during World War II.
Library of Congress's American Memory Project's Color Photographs from the Farm Security Administration and the Office of War Information site.

Prepared by Professor Catherine Lavender for History 339 (Themes in U.S. History, 1914-1945), The Department of History, The College of Staten Island of The City University of New York. Send email to lavender@postbox.csi.cuny.edu
Fall Semester 1997. Last modified: Thursday 15 June 2000.