Ugarte in Casablanca: 9. A night without Rick Sam ‘Dooley’ Wilson, interview in 1968 [fragment]: “Could you tell us a little about your time in Casablanca during the war? You were employed as a musician…?” “Yeah, as a pianist. At the Café Americain. The original one, not the one they put up for the tourists.” “Were you part of the resistance then, or was that later?” “Ah part of the resistance… I’m not sure if you can call it that. I was part of it in so far Rick was, y’see.” “Rick?” “The owner of the café Americain and a good friend of mine. But even he didn’t really actively join, he got wrapped up into it, and he wrapped me up with him [chuckles].” “Could you tell us a little bit about that?” “Well, there were a lot of people of all sorts there. But the one who caused it, the chain reaction that brought us all in it, that was Mr. Ugarte. He was, or at least we thought he was… I’m not so sure anymore… a smuggler. He sold visas and forged documents for people to escape to Portugal to go to the US. I’d see him almost every night at the café. He’d do a few turns at the roulette, talk with Rick or anyone else, and then leave. I remember us talking a few times, especially the evening before he died.” “What did you talk about?” “I remember him asking for Rick, but he wasn’t there that evening. We ended up having a chat, and he said this thing… I can almost hear him say it again: ‘do you suppose Rick will ever make up his mind? Or does someone have to die before he does?’ I remember asking him what he meant, but he just laughed a bit and went off to the roulette and that was it. Until of course the next day, when he got shot.” . . . #casablanca #casablancamovie #dooleywilson #peterlorre #rickscafe #humphreybogart #filmnoir #classicmovie #classicfilm #playitagainsam #gouachepainting #gouache #acrylicpainting #drawing #sketch #sketchbook #ecolinebrushpen #brushdrawing https://www.instagram.com/p/CPlkGgwD2X-/?utm_medium=tumblr
