It wasn't just a movie. Morocco played an important role during World War II with or without Rick's cafe. There were British cartographers-map makers, the most obvious were the French, the Germans apparently were there as well. I just finished reading a book about Moroccan Harem Life around the 1940's by a Fatima Mernissi. Yes, I said harem life but not in the Sherhazade-Arabian Night fashion. Harems were later consider to be a house filled with family members. An example, 2 brothers get married (to different women) and they decided to share a home and raise there families together. The men are those who work for the family are allowed to leave the house but the women and children are not permitted to walk in the streets. The book was written by a Moroccan feminist and sociologist who grew up in a harem in the 1940's, her generation along with the "assistance" of the French ended harem life. It's an interesting look into the lives of Moroccan women however maybe this is just me I found that some of the "challenges" they encounter are not that different from someone who may not have grown up in a harem. I still think alot of women in Morocco today have harem mentality and its more often than not those who leave the homeland who sometimes grasp the concept of being able to realize that there is more to making a good batch of cous cous and having a 24 K tea set. On the other hand its like going from extreme hot to cold in the respect that some times women lose focus and respect for themselves when they leave the homeland and do things that are completely out of character for anyone to do. I think the country and the society have a long way to go before women can make a sizable contribution to its history and legacy. I don't know where this is all coming from--I'm home sick today and babling seems to be one of the symptons.