Ilsa is the answer to the crossword clue 'Play it, Sam Speaker'. Ilsa is a character from the 1942 film Casablanca, played by Ingrid Bergman. She is the former lover of Rick Blaine, played by Humphrey Bogart, and is the catalyst for the film's plot. The phrase 'Play it, Sam' is a reference to a scene in the film where Rick tells his piano player, Sam, to play a song that he and Ilsa used to dance to.