Beyond Casablanca......

Its a windy, cold, rainy day here in northeast Iowa, meaning there's nothing to do outside, meaning I have time to sit here and relate the following story to you. I'll admit, I'm skeptical of the whole thing, but here's what happened:

The other day I was accosted by this pair of mourning doves. In hushed tones, they advised me to listen carefully to what they had to say. Quickly, they lifted their wings to reveal tiny, shiny, official-looking badges emblazoned with the letters, "B.T.S." (They also showed me their passports, although I didn't think that was necessary......I mean, I'm nobody important.....just a farm wife going about her business.)
They summarily explained that B.T.S. stands for "Beyond Tales Society"........well, I had certainly never heard of that before. Maybe you have, but I have not. The doves said that the group privately refers to themselves as the "Tale Feathers Club", and they travel about in pairs to tell the story "beyond the tale". Somehow, my blog post quiz about "Casablanca" had come to B.T.S.'s attention. These two agents had been sent here to straighten things out.

I shook my head, not comprehending in the least what could possibly need straightening out about the tale of Casablanca. Then they informed me that they had come to fill me in on "The Rest of the Tale". They then assured me they have no connection to Paul Harvey's "The Rest of the Story". Similar-sounding, but no connection.

The birds said I obviously had not watched the movie "Casablanca" close enough......I was immediately indignant, thinking that I certainly had watched the film thoroughly, in order to write up a quiz to put on my blog. The birds simply said that there are aspects in several scenes which point to what actually took place after the movie's story was finished. I thought......pa-leeze.......give me a break, and started to walk away from the birds, but they exhorted me to stay and listen to them. So I did, and here's what they told me:

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In the final scene, of course, the plane carrying Ilsa and Victor takes off and disappears into the fog, and Rick and Captain Renault saunter together across the runway conversing about a "beautiful friendship" that is beginning. Then "THE END" appears, and that's it.......so we think.

The birds said that the fog was so thick that the plane's pilot became very concerned that he might crash into the Rock of Gilbraltar on the way to Lisbon, so he turned the rig around and flew back to Casablanca. During this time, Victor had a sudden epiphany and realized what he really wanted to do with his life........be a band leader......not the leader of a band of Resistance fighters, but the leader of a big band....you know, that plays music. In a scene in the movie, Victor is suddenly moved to direct Rick's cafe band in a rousing rendition of the French national anthem, "La Marseillaise", to counter the Germans singing their repective national anthem. (It is a moving moment in the film.......makes one wish that wars could be fought that way.)

Anyway, apparently, this band directing thing really resonated with Victor, and as the plane flew back towards Casablanca, he tried to explain to Ilsa his sudden desire to change careers. She was beside herself, of course........she loved him for his noble role in life as a Resistance leader. The couple was arguing heatedly as they disembarked from the plane on the still-foggy runway at Casablanca International Airport.

Rick and Captain Renault (Louie) had already found a car and driven back into downtown Casablanca. It was a zippy sports car, similar to the one Rick was driving in the flashback scene, driving in the French countryside with Ilsa. He suddenly realized that it actually had been THE CAR which made him so happy at that moment in the past.......not Ilsa. So Rick decided right then and there to pursue a career in sports car test driving. On the side, he opened a branch store in Casablanca of Aperitifs Liqueurs de Marque-----the main store in Paris having been shown in the flashback scene------in order to pursue his second love, that of enjoying fine liquors.

Victor used a stash of cash to purchase Rick's Cafe Americain in Casablanca, renaming it Vick's Cafe Americain (it was good plan......only one letter on the sign needed changing). Vick.....er, Victor, converted Rick's former apartment above the cafe into an upscale massage and aromatherapy business called "Vick's Vapo & Rub". Don't worry......it was all legitimate......no hanky-panky was tolerated there; it simply offered healthy massages accompanied by olfactory pleasures.

What of Ilsa and Captain Renault, you may ask........why Ilsa, who had, of course, been beside herself concerning Victor's career change decision.......gathered her and herself together and opened a flower shop in Casablanca. (I had failed to remember that she had been shown arranging flowers in the flashback scene.) And in the "A franc for your thoughts" scene, the centerpiece on the coffee table had actually been created by Ilsa, the birds informed me. My goodness........my eyes were being opened to the clues that I'd missed.

And as for Captain Louie Renault.......well, he probably was the smartest character in the story, anyway........the one who could mix with anyone, and make connections happen. With his gambling winnings, Louie purchased The Blue Parrot and enticed Sam to partner with him in the venture. They renamed the place, "Sam's Tick-Tock", featuring decor with a theme of time and clocks. Ilsa, who eventually became Louies' wife, often would wander in with a new flower bouquet, and say, "Play it, Sam", and Sam would oblige by playing, as always, "As Time Goes By"........that part of the tale could never change!

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Anyway, there you have it.........the "Beyond the Tale" tale of Casablanca, straight from the birds' mouths.

I know, its difficult to believe all of this........and I'm not sure I do believe it, but I'm passing the information on to you, despite its questionable nature.