Casablanca Quotes

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Source: Casablanca

Speaker: Ilsa Lund

"Play it, Sam."

Play it, Sam. Play "As Time Goes By."

Context

This classic line is spoken by Ilsa Lund, played by Ingrid Bergman, in the film Casablanca (1942) directed by Michael Curtiz.

Of all the gin joints in all the towns in the world, Ilsa Lund just has to walk into the one owned by her former lover, Rick Blaine.

If she didn't, we wouldn't have Casablanca. When she sees Sam (Dooley Wilson), Rick's piano player, she asks him to play their song, "As Time Goes By." And as much time as has gone by since Casablanca's release, this quote still endures.

Where you've heard it

You must remember this: a kiss is just a kiss, a sigh is just a sigh, and the quote is "Play it, Sam," not "Play it again, Sam." In the years before YouTube and IMDb, people had a hard time remembering quotes exactly, which makes this quote one of the most misquoted of all time.

Pretentious Factor

If you were to drop this quote at a dinner party, would you get an in-unison "awww" or would everyone roll their eyes and never invite you back? Here it is, on a scale of 1-10.

It's a good song. We wouldn't mind hearing it again. Just try to get the quote right, and maybe add a "please" while you're at it.