Casablanca.Casablanca Casablanca (kă'səblăng`kə, kă'zə–, Span. kä'säbläng`kä), Arab. Dar-al-Baida, city (1994 est. pop. 2,940,623), W Morocco, on the Atlantic Ocean. The largest city and principal port of Morocco, it accounts for more than half of Morocco's industrial production. (Warner Brothers, 1942). Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) came to Casablanca "for the waters," but the tide of European evacuees, escapees, and exiles washing up on this North African outpost of Vichy Vichy government was the regime set up there by Marshal Henri Pétain in July, 1940, subsequent to the Franco-German armistice of June 22. Its effective control extended only to unoccupied France and its colonies. The Third Republic was voted out of existence by a truncated parliament, and a new constitution established a corporate state (see fascism). France is fleeing the carnage and devastation of Hitler's blitzkrieg. American audiences in 1942 hoped the hard-bitten and cynical Rick would find it in his tough-guy heart to forgive and rescue the lovely Ilsa (Ingrid Bergman) and to help her husband-hero Victor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) escape the snares snare (snar) a wire loop for removing polyps and tumors by encircling them at the base and closing the loop. snare (snâr) n. of his Nazi captors. Meanwhile, Warner Brothers and a pro-war Hollywood were hoping to wake up Americans to the plight of all Hitler's victims and refugees. ***** |
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