Set in WWII in Morocco, Rick Blaine (Humphrey Bogart) owns a popular nightclub. An ex-lover, Ilsa Lund, runs into him in his club. She is there with her husband who is running from the Germans, and they are trying to get to the US. Rick has possession of two "letters of transit" which are valuable documents allowing two people to go to Lisbon, Portugal and then on to America. Ilse and her husband, Viktor Lazlo (Paul Henreid) want to buy the letters. She even threatens Rick at gunpoint to get them, but won't shoot, because she still loves Rick. Rick, who still has feelings for her, too, pays off officials, keeps Viktor out of jail, and arranges for a plane to take Viktor to Lisbon. Rick pretends that Ilse will stay behind with him when her husband leaves. However, at the plane he makes her get on with her husband and fly to safety.