VICTOR LAZLO EXPOSED

Election time is always a season for revising history and rearranging facts to use them to your advantage or your candidate’s advantage. This has given me the idea of trying my own hand at that kind of thing without reference to any election, but just for the experience. I don’t have the nerve to fool with actual history, but I have succumbed to the urge to rewrite some semi-history originating with Hollywood in the momentous days of World War II. What I’m talking about is “Casablanca”, the most famous of all war pictures from those days and one which has convinced a lot of people that it’s actually a slice of real history or anyway close to it.

I’m contemplating a new version written from a different viewpoint and called by a new title “The Murder of Major Strasser.” The major, you will recall, was shot down in cold blood by Humphrey Bogart just as he was trying to prevent Victor Lazlo and his wife Elsa from boarding a plane out of Casablanca. Humphrey and his cohort Captain Renault (Claude Raines) then fled from justice after Raines issued spurious orders to his cops to “round up the usual suspects.” (A transparent cover-up for his own collusion, of course.

Probably he would have been the first to squeal on Bogart if they were caught escaping.)

The real facts of the case are quite different from the Hollywood version. Major Strasser, you see, was actually an anti-Nazi, though forced to work for them as an army officer. He was part of the group who were then planning to assassinate Hitler and end the war. The High Command were suspicious of him and sent him to North Africa to get him out of the way. He had no choice but to pose as a zealous Nazi and pretend to be dedicated to smashing the underground resistance of the French in Casablanca.

It was easier for him to keep up this pose when he found that the underground was attempting to help Victor Lazlo to escape to America with his wife to work on the creation of the atom bomb. This was not revealed in the movie, where Lazlo was vaguely identified only as a “resistance leader.” Major Strasser knew better. He knew Lazlo was a nuclear physicist and also…a Communist. Strasser was an anti-Communist just as much as he was an anti-Nazi. He knew that having Lazlo in America at Los Alamos meant that the secret of the bomb would be made known to the Russians at the first opportunity.

That was why he raced to the airport to intercept Lazlo’s escape. When he arrived he was murdered by “Rick”, who was part of the Communist escape team protecting Lazlo. The major didn’t know about “Rick’s” activities in running guns to the Reds in Spain during the civil war there, which he bragged about when far gone in drink. If he had he would have been on his guard, but as a German democrat he trusted Americans. That wasn’t wrong, but trusting the Hollywood type was.

After the war the spy ring at Los Alamos was exposed and, yes, with the help of the Lazlo couple, who turned state’s evidence and testified against their fellow conspirators. For this they were enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and disappeared from view. I believe myself that they were living next door to me a couple of years ago. They once caught me staring at them trying to determine whether my memory was playing me tricks or not, which apparently made them uneasy. The next day their house was deserted and they had left for parts unknown. Was it Paris maybe? Is that what Rick meant when he told Elsa “We’ll always have Paris“? Was he planning to meet her there again? What about old Victor? I haven’t gotten to that part of my screenplay yet. But I fear the worst for Vic.

In this essay I have tried to do belated justice to the reputation of a much misunderstood man, who was unappreciated by those he served, perhaps better than they deserved. However he never complained of this but instead pressed on in the line of duty without recriminations. Circumstances prevented him from expressing his true sentiments, which were of goodwill toward all mankind, including his enemies. He has been abused by many who should have known better and his character has been brought in question. He has been judged by those who knew him only as a man ready to draw a gun on anyone who got in his way. This aspect of his character does not reflect the reality of the sensitive, caring person concealed behind the mask he wore. Those who know the real man are confident that history will vindicate him and place him among the heroes who have served democracy most loyally without getting the recognition due them.

--------

To a reader: No, you’re all wrong. I wasn’t talking about George Bush.

 

 

 

 

 

 VICTOR LAZLO EXPOSED

Election time is always a season for revising history and rearranging facts to use them to your advantage or your candidate’s advantage. This has given me the idea of trying my own hand at that kind of thing without reference to any election, but just for the experience. I don’t have the nerve to fool with actual history, but I have succumbed to the urge to rewrite some semi-history originating with Hollywood in the momentous days of World War II. What I’m talking about is “Casablanca”, the most famous of all war pictures from those days and one which has convinced a lot of people that it’s actually a slice of real history or anyway close to it.

I’m contemplating a new version written from a different viewpoint and called by a new title “The Murder of Major Strasser.” The major, you will recall, was shot down in cold blood by Humphrey Bogart just as he was trying to prevent Victor Lazlo and his wife Elsa from boarding a plane out of Casablanca. Humphrey and his cohort Captain Renault (Claude Raines) then fled from justice after Raines issued spurious orders to his cops to “round up the usual suspects.” (A transparent cover-up for his own collusion, of course.
Probably he would have been the first to squeal on Bogart if they were caught escaping.)

The real facts of the case are quite different from the Hollywood version. Major Strasser, you see, was actually an anti-Nazi, though forced to work for them as an army officer. He was part of the group who were then planning to assassinate Hitler and end the war. The High Command were suspicious of him and sent him to North Africa to get him out of the way. He had no choice but to pose as a zealous Nazi and pretend to be dedicated to smashing the underground resistance of the French in Casablanca.

It was easier for him to keep up this pose when he found that the underground was attempting to help Victor Lazlo to escape to America with his wife to work on the creation of the atom bomb. This was not revealed in the movie, where Lazlo was vaguely identified only as a “resistance leader.” Major Strasser knew better. He knew Lazlo was a nuclear physicist and also…a Communist. Strasser was an anti-Communist just as much as he was an anti-Nazi. He knew that having Lazlo in America at Los Alamos meant that the secret of the bomb would be made known to the Russians at the first opportunity.

That was why he raced to the airport to intercept Lazlo’s escape. When he arrived he was murdered by “Rick”, who was part of the Communist escape team protecting Lazlo. The major didn’t know about “Rick’s” activities in running guns to the Reds in Spain during the civil war there, which he bragged about when far gone in drink. If he had he would have been on his guard, but as a German democrat he trusted Americans. That wasn’t wrong, but trusting the Hollywood type was.

After the war the spy ring at Los Alamos was exposed and, yes, with the help of the Lazlo couple, who turned state’s evidence and testified against their fellow conspirators. For this they were enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and disappeared from view. I believe myself that they were living next door to me a couple of years ago. They once caught me staring at them trying to determine whether my memory was playing me tricks or not, which apparently made them uneasy. The next day their house was deserted and they had left for parts unknown. Was it Paris maybe? Is that what Rick meant when he told Elsa “We’ll always have Paris“? Was he planning to meet her there again? What about old Victor? I haven’t gotten to that part of my screenplay yet. But I fear the worst for Vic.

In this essay I have tried to do belated justice to the reputation of a much misunderstood man, who was unappreciated by those he served, perhaps better than they deserved. However he never complained of this but instead pressed on in the line of duty without recriminations. Circumstances prevented him from expressing his true sentiments, which were of goodwill toward all mankind, including his enemies. He has been abused by many who should have known better and his character has been brought in question. He has been judged by those who knew him only as a man ready to draw a gun on anyone who got in his way. This aspect of his character does not reflect the reality of the sensitive, caring person concealed behind the mask he wore. Those who know the real man are confident that history will vindicate him and place him among the heroes who have served democracy most loyally without getting the recognition due them.

--------

To a reader: No, you’re all wrong. I wasn’t talking about George Bush.











VICTOR LAZLO EXPOSED

Election time is always a season for revising history and rearranging facts to use them to your advantage or your candidate’s advantage. This has given me the idea of trying my own hand at that kind of thing without reference to any election, but just for the experience. I don’t have the nerve to fool with actual history, but I have succumbed to the urge to rewrite some semi-history originating with Hollywood in the momentous days of World War II. What I’m talking about is “Casablanca”, the most famous of all war pictures from those days and one which has convinced a lot of people that it’s actually a slice of real history or anyway close to it.

I’m contemplating a new version written from a different viewpoint and called by a new title “The Murder of Major Strasser.” The major, you will recall, was shot down in cold blood by Humphrey Bogart just as he was trying to prevent Victor Lazlo and his wife Elsa from boarding a plane out of Casablanca. Humphrey and his cohort Captain Renault (Claude Raines) then fled from justice after Raines issued spurious orders to his cops to “round up the usual suspects.” (A transparent cover-up for his own collusion, of course.
Probably he would have been the first to squeal on Bogart if they were caught escaping.)

The real facts of the case are quite different from the Hollywood version. Major Strasser, you see, was actually an anti-Nazi, though forced to work for them as an army officer. He was part of the group who were then planning to assassinate Hitler and end the war. The High Command were suspicious of him and sent him to North Africa to get him out of the way. He had no choice but to pose as a zealous Nazi and pretend to be dedicated to smashing the underground resistance of the French in Casablanca.

It was easier for him to keep up this pose when he found that the underground was attempting to help Victor Lazlo to escape to America with his wife to work on the creation of the atom bomb. This was not revealed in the movie, where Lazlo was vaguely identified only as a “resistance leader.” Major Strasser knew better. He knew Lazlo was a nuclear physicist and also…a Communist. Strasser was an anti-Communist just as much as he was an anti-Nazi. He knew that having Lazlo in America at Los Alamos meant that the secret of the bomb would be made known to the Russians at the first opportunity.

That was why he raced to the airport to intercept Lazlo’s escape. When he arrived he was murdered by “Rick”, who was part of the Communist escape team protecting Lazlo. The major didn’t know about “Rick’s” activities in running guns to the Reds in Spain during the civil war there, which he bragged about when far gone in drink. If he had he would have been on his guard, but as a German democrat he trusted Americans. That wasn’t wrong, but trusting the Hollywood type was.

After the war the spy ring at Los Alamos was exposed and, yes, with the help of the Lazlo couple, who turned state’s evidence and testified against their fellow conspirators. For this they were enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and disappeared from view. I believe myself that they were living next door to me a couple of years ago. They once caught me staring at them trying to determine whether my memory was playing me tricks or not, which apparently made them uneasy. The next day their house was deserted and they had left for parts unknown. Was it Paris maybe? Is that what Rick meant when he told Elsa “We’ll always have Paris“? Was he planning to meet her there again? What about old Victor? I haven’t gotten to that part of my screenplay yet. But I fear the worst for Vic.

In this essay I have tried to do belated justice to the reputation of a much misunderstood man, who was unappreciated by those he served, perhaps better than they deserved. However he never complained of this but instead pressed on in the line of duty without recriminations. Circumstances prevented him from expressing his true sentiments, which were of goodwill toward all mankind, including his enemies. He has been abused by many who should have known better and his character has been brought in question. He has been judged by those who knew him only as a man ready to draw a gun on anyone who got in his way. This aspect of his character does not reflect the reality of the sensitive, caring person concealed behind the mask he wore. Those who know the real man are confident that history will vindicate him and place him among the heroes who have served democracy most loyally without getting the recognition due them.

--------

To a reader: No, you’re all wrong. I wasn’t talking about George Bush.

 

 

 

 

VICTOR LAZLO EXPOSED

Election time is always a season for revising history and rearranging facts to use them to your advantage or your candidate’s advantage. This has given me the idea of trying my own hand at that kind of thing without reference to any election, but just for the experience. I don’t have the nerve to fool with actual history, but I have succumbed to the urge to rewrite some semi-history originating with Hollywood in the momentous days of World War II. What I’m talking about is “Casablanca”, the most famous of all war pictures from those days and one which has convinced a lot of people that it’s actually a slice of real history or anyway close to it.

I’m contemplating a new version written from a different viewpoint and called by a new title “The Murder of Major Strasser.” The major, you will recall, was shot down in cold blood by Humphrey Bogart just as he was trying to prevent Victor Lazlo and his wife Elsa from boarding a plane out of Casablanca. Humphrey and his cohort Captain Renault (Claude Raines) then fled from justice after Raines issued spurious orders to his cops to “round up the usual suspects.” (A transparent cover-up for his own collusion, of course.
Probably he would have been the first to squeal on Bogart if they were caught escaping.)

The real facts of the case are quite different from the Hollywood version. Major Strasser, you see, was actually an anti-Nazi, though forced to work for them as an army officer. He was part of the group who were then planning to assassinate Hitler and end the war. The High Command were suspicious of him and sent him to North Africa to get him out of the way. He had no choice but to pose as a zealous Nazi and pretend to be dedicated to smashing the underground resistance of the French in Casablanca.

It was easier for him to keep up this pose when he found that the underground was attempting to help Victor Lazlo to escape to America with his wife to work on the creation of the atom bomb. This was not revealed in the movie, where Lazlo was vaguely identified only as a “resistance leader.” Major Strasser knew better. He knew Lazlo was a nuclear physicist and also…a Communist. Strasser was an anti-Communist just as much as he was an anti-Nazi. He knew that having Lazlo in America at Los Alamos meant that the secret of the bomb would be made known to the Russians at the first opportunity.

That was why he raced to the airport to intercept Lazlo’s escape. When he arrived he was murdered by “Rick”, who was part of the Communist escape team protecting Lazlo. The major didn’t know about “Rick’s” activities in running guns to the Reds in Spain during the civil war there, which he bragged about when far gone in drink. If he had he would have been on his guard, but as a German democrat he trusted Americans. That wasn’t wrong, but trusting the Hollywood type was.

After the war the spy ring at Los Alamos was exposed and, yes, with the help of the Lazlo couple, who turned state’s evidence and testified against their fellow conspirators. For this they were enrolled in the Witness Protection Program and disappeared from view. I believe myself that they were living next door to me a couple of years ago. They once caught me staring at them trying to determine whether my memory was playing me tricks or not, which apparently made them uneasy. The next day their house was deserted and they had left for parts unknown. Was it Paris maybe? Is that what Rick meant when he told Elsa “We’ll always have Paris“? Was he planning to meet her there again? What about old Victor? I haven’t gotten to that part of my screenplay yet. But I fear the worst for Vic.

In this essay I have tried to do belated justice to the reputation of a much misunderstood man, who was unappreciated by those he served, perhaps better than they deserved. However he never complained of this but instead pressed on in the line of duty without recriminations. Circumstances prevented him from expressing his true sentiments, which were of goodwill toward all mankind, including his enemies. He has been abused by many who should have known better and his character has been brought in question. He has been judged by those who knew him only as a man ready to draw a gun on anyone who got in his way. This aspect of his character does not reflect the reality of the sensitive, caring person concealed behind the mask he wore. Those who know the real man are confident that history will vindicate him and place him among the heroes who have served democracy most loyally without getting the recognition due them.

--------

To a reader: No, you’re all wrong. I wasn’t talking about George Bush.