By Elliott Brack
Editor and publisher, GwinnettForum
JULY 10, 2018 | Yes, travel of any kind, either international or to visit the Varsity, is something that I enjoy. But somehow, I had never thought I might be interested in the city of Casablanca, in darkest Africa.
Yes, we’ve enjoyed that movie, one of the best ever, a propaganda piece released in 1942 before the United State entered World War II on African soil. And yes, Casablanca the city sounds exotic, but it also reeks of sand and a third-world underbelly that doesn’t have a deep appeal.
That is, until recently, when we read a snazzy story about a former American diplomat who is making a business of re-creating Rick’s Café, from that presentation in the film.
There is a problem with that idea. You see, there never was a Rick’s Café in Casablanca. It’s merely a fictional set of the movie, but actually never existed as a café.
That didn’t stop Kathy Kriger, originally from Portland, Ore. She had a career in the U.S. State Department, and at one time was posted to Casablanca as the commercial attaché in this Atlantic Ocean port town, the largest city and business center in Morocco. That’s when she was surprised to realize that there was no Rick’s Café there. She saw this as a missed marketing opportunity, and eventually began to think about creating a real café, and to call it Rick’s….in Casablanca.
She also thought of the idea as a way to show that an American woman, even one operating alone in a Muslim world, could succeed. She considered her idea as an example of tolerance in this different world. She cashed in her 401-k, but didn’t have enough to fund it. Eventually, she even brought in friends of hers in the United States, with this pitch: “Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, this is the one.”
It worked. That was in 2002. She bought a house in the run-down old city, which had two palm trees in the front, and began remodeling what was a run-down house, but something of a gem to re-do similar to the depiction of Rick’s Café in the movie. It opened in 2004.
When looking for a local manager, she met a guy who in the interview played on the piano “As Time Goes By.” He got the job. His name is Issam Chabaa…….and yes, people ask him to “Play it again, Sam.” He tells them: “My name is Issam.”
Today a real Rick’s Café is successful for Ms. Kriger, age 71. She calls her venture her “assisted living center.” And she quotes the Humphrey Bogart character of Rick: “I’m going to die in Casablanca. It’s a good place for it.”
You can see why now I now have Casablanca, Morocco, and the continent of Africa as a prospective travel venture. It’s sounds like a neat adventure!
Wouldn’t it be great to hear Issam play “As Time Goes By?”
DETAILS ARE from a July 2 New York Times article. This is just one example of why I enjoy reading stories in the print-edition of the newspaper at home each day.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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