I. Setting
A. Casablanca, Morroco
1. World War II - Europeans fleeing from Germans to Casablanca
II. Introducation
A. Rick Blaine
1. "Rick's Café Américain"
2. Very cynical man
B. Ilsa Lund
1. Rick's ex-lover - left him in Paris
2. Married to Victor Laszlo
C. Ugarte
1. Has letters of transit - brings them to Rick's cafe
2. Police catch him and he later dies
3. Rick has possession of the letters
D. Victor Laszlo
1. Resistance leader
2. Tried to meet Ugarte to buy letters of transit
3. Escaped from Nazi concentration camp
III. Rising Action
A. Ilsa Lund arrives at Rick's cafe with her husband
1. Ilsa recognizes Sam, the cafe's piano player and asks him to play "As Time Goes By" - a significant song between her and Rick
2. Rick comes to find out that Ilsa is married to Laszlo
B. Laszlo and Ilsa plan to flee to America
C. Laszlo gets word that Rick has the letters of transit he needs
IV. Climax
A. Laszlo attempts to get the letters, Rick refuses to bargain with him
B. German officers begin singing a German pride song
1. Laszlo and the rest of the cafe overpower them with their own song
2. German officers force Rick to close down his cafe
D. Ilsa makes an attempt at getting the letters from Rick
1. Rick doesn't buy it and knows she won't shoot him because she loves him
2. Flashback to their romance in Paris - Ilsa tells Rick that she thought Laszlo had been killed when they fell in love, when in reality he was alive
3. When Rick and Ilsa were to leave Paris, Ilsa knew Laszlo was alive and left Rick with only a letter
V. Falling Action
A. Rick tells Ilsa that he will help her, and that they can be together again after Laszlo leaves
1. Isla and Rick are in his office
2. Laszo comes to the cafe to talk to Rick (Ilsa stays in office) - tells Rick he knows about him and Ilsa - attempts to persaude Rick to give him the letters to keep Ilsa out of trouble
C. Police arrest Laszlo
1. Rick tells police to wait until Laszlo has the letters of transit to make an arrest with a greater charge
VI. Conclusion
A. Police try to arrest Laszlo as they had planned, but Rick threatens to shoot and lets Ilsa and Laszlo get away
B. Rick makes Ilsa leave with Laszlo, assuring her that staying with him was the best decision
1. Ilsa disagrees but is later on forced and convinced.
C. German officers arrive, Rick kills the lead officer
D. Rick and police officer become friends and walk off into the distance
