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On the anniversary of the death of Laila Fawzy.. Learn about the life story of the “Beauty among women”

One of the most beautiful faces that passed through Egyptian cinema, and she left a clear imprint on her distinguished artistic career. The great actress, Laila Fawzy, whom God gave her a glamorous beauty, in addition to the acting talent that made her a successful star, has been on the throne of cinema for decades. She was nicknamed “The beauty among women” and “Princess Virginia” in relation to the role she played in the movie “Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din”. Especially as she retained her beauty even with her age and the introduction of maternity roles. Her beauty and fame did not disappear for a single moment, from her first artistic debut until her death, whose memory falls on January 12. In this article, we present to you the life story of the beautiful actress, Laila Fawzy.

Her birth and Early Life

Leila Muhammed Fawzi Ibrahim was born on October 20, 1918, in Turkey. To an Egyptian father and a Turkish mother whose ancestry goes back to Caesar Lee Pasha, one of the leaders of the Turkish army. She was ranked third among four sons. Because of her dazzling beauty, she was elected Miss Universe when she was ten years old. And an American magazine gave her the title of the most beautiful woman of her time. However, her beauty was the reason for depriving her of an education after the primary certificate, as her father took her out of school and she stayed at home to prevent the frequent harrsment of young people to her. During her stay at home, she had a hobby of acting, and she was standing in front of the mirror and imitating artists, so that her mother thought that she had lost her mind and took her to the doctor, who assured her that she was healthy and not crazy, and that she only liked acting.

Early Works

Laila Fawzy’s artistic start came by chance, when the registrar and author Qassem Wagdy saw her in the street, so he followed her until he reached her house and asked to meet her father and suggested that he present his daughter in the cinema. At the insistence of his wife and daughter, the father agreed to participate in her first movie, “The Wives Factory” in front of Coca and Mahmoud Zulficar. She was 14 years old at the time. The film failed commercially after its release in 1941, because it represented a social revolution against the education system. The important step in her artistic career came the following year, when director Mohamed Karim chose her to co-star in the movie “Forbidden Love” in front of musician Mohamed Abdel Wahab, with whom she participated in two other films: “A Bullet in the Heart” in 1944 and “I’m Not an Angel” in 1946.

Her film career

After her films with Abdel Wahab, offers poured in on Laila Fawzy to participate in many works. Director and producer Togo Mizrahi signed contracts with her for 3 films, “Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves”, which is her first starring role, in conjunction with Ali Al-Kassar, Ismail Yassin, Muhammad Abdul Muttalib and Riad Al-Qasabji. And the movie “Nour El-Din and the Three Sailors” in front of Ali Al-Kassar, Ismail Yassin, Mahmoud El-Meligy and Mahmoud Shukoko. The movie “Long Live the Sixes” in front of Anwar Wagdy, Mohsen Sarhan, Mimi Shakib and Madiha Yousry. Then she launched into the world of fame and stardom, as her artistic career spanned for nearly 60 years, during which she presented about 85 films, including: “The Les Miserables, The Ambassador of Hell, Laila Bint Al Shati, Al Nasser Salah Al Din, One Thousand and One Nights, Faris Bani Hamdan, Young Teenager, Dalal Al Masreya, Sultana of Tarab, Alexandria Les.” Her last movie was “The Knight of the Back of the Horse” with director Atef Salem, in 2001.
As for the TV drama, it presented 40 TV series, the most important of which are: “Al-Haramlek, Ali Al-Zeibaq, One Thousand and One Nights, Halawani Gate, Hawanim Garden City, Years of Love and Misery, My Blood, My Tears and My Smile, Who Doesn’t Love Fatimah ” Her last television work was the series “Frisca” with director Magdy Ahmed Ali, in 2004

The list of top 100 movies

4 films from Laila Fawzy’s works were selected to participate in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema, according to the critics’ choice, and these films are:
• The movie “Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din”, starring Ahmed Mazhar, Salah Zulfikar, Nadia Lutfi and Laila Fawzy, and directed by Youssef Chahine. It occupies number 11 on the list.
• The movie “Why Alexandria?” In partnership with Ahmed Zaki, Farid Shawqi, Mahmoud El Meligy, Mohsen Mohi El Din, Abdullah Mahmoud and Naglaa Fathi, and directed by Youssef Chahine. It occupies number 32 on the list.
• The movie “A Bullet in the Heart”, in partnership with Mohamed Abdel Wahab, Rakia Ibrahim, Siraj Mounir, and Ghali Al Kassar, directed by Mohamed Karim. It occupies number 65 on the list.
• The movie “The Mountain” with Salah Kabil, Samira Ahmed, Magda Al-Khatib, Zozo Madi and Abdel Wareth Asser, directed by Sobhi Abdel Aziz. It occupies number 94 on the list.

Awards and Honors

During her career, Laila Fawzy won many awards and honors, including an award for her role in the movie “Shams Stroke” from the Film Writers and Critics Association in 1980. She was honored in 2003 by the 19th Alexandria International Film Festival. She was also honored by the 28th Cairo International Film Festival in 2004

Her marriages and personal life

Laila Fawzi married 3 times. The first marriage was with the artist Aziz Othman, who was a friend of her father and is 30 years older than her. Laila insisted on marrying him to escape her father’s cruelty, especially after he refused her marriage to Anwar Wagdy, with whom a strong love story joined them. Their marriage lasted 5 years, during which she suffered the same cruelty with her husband, and she insisted on a divorce. After her divorce, Laila returned to her first love, and the second marriage took place in 1954, with the artist Anwar Wagdy. But her marriage only lasted a few months, as he fell seriously ill, and the couple traveled abroad on a medical trip. Anwar left our world, and Laila retired from acting for three years after his death due to her great sadness for him. As for the third and final marriage, in 1960, she married the radio broadcaster Jalal Moawad, and their marriage lasted until his death in 1997, after which she did not remarry. Nor did she have any children from her three marriages

Tragic Events

During her life, Laila Fawzy went through some trajic situations and accidents that some describe as tragic. In addition to his death, her first love and her husband, artist Anwar Wagdy, died after a few months of marriage. It was said that she was the cause of the death of her first husband, Aziz Othman, after she insisted to divorce him, and despite his refusal to divorce, he agreed after pressure from their close friends, to die several days after the divorce. It was also the reason for the divorce of her sister, who was married to a wealthy businessman, who refused his sister-in-law’s work in the cinema, considered it a disgrace to the family, and tried to pressure her father to refuse her entry into art. One day, Registrar Qassem Wagdy tried to persuade the hard-line husband to reverse his position, which the husband considered an insult, and expelled him from the house. Out of his extreme anger, he divorced his wife, then could not stand the shock, so he fell paralyzed and died.

Her death.

Asia Dagher, the Star Maker and Dean of Producers, passed away on January 12, 2005, at the age of 86. And that was after a struggle with illness, at Dar Al Fouad Hospital, and her funeral took place from Mustafa Mahmoud Mosque in Mohandessin.

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On the anniversary of the death of Asia Dagher.. Learn about the film career of “The Dean of Producers”

Her name was recorded in golden letters in the annals of Egyptian cinema. She became one of the pioneers who contributed to the renaissance of cinema in Egypt. She is the actress and producer Asya Dagher, who has been nicknamed the Dean of Producers. She was credited with discovering many artistic talents, whether in the field of acting or directing.

Her birth and Early Life

Her real name is Almaza Dagher. She was born on April 18, 1901, in the village of Tannourine, Lebanon. She began her artistic career in Lebanon when she starred in a short film entitled “Under the Shades of the Cedars” in 1922. After the death of her husband in 1923, and due to the difficult political conditions that Lebanon experienced due to the French occupation,
She left Lebanon and came to Egypt with her daughter “Eileen”, her sister “Mary” and her niece, “Mary Queenie”, and they all resided in Alexandria. Because of her little experience, she was unable to find a suitable job, so she decided to try acting in Cairo. At that time, it was inappropriate for the artist to have children, so she claimed that she adopted a girl, and changed her daughter’s name, “Eileen” to “Mona”, and no one knew the truth until she obtained Egyptian citizenship in 1933.

Early Works

Asia Dagher began her artistic career in Egypt by presenting a secondary role in the first silent Egyptian film, “Nida’ Al-Rabb” or “The Call of God” in 1926, then the second modified version of the film in 1927, which bore the name “Laila”, which is the first film Featured novel in Egyptian cinema. Thus, she became the first Lebanese girl to appear in an Egyptian movie. Her first starring was in the movie “Ghada al-Sahara” in 1929. Which she produced for herself.

Lotus Film Company

In 1927, Assia and her niece, the artist Mary Queenie, founded the Lotus Film Company for the production and distribution of films, which became the oldest film production company in Egypt. Therefore, she deserved the title of “Dean of Producers”. The movie “Ghada al-Sahara” was the company’s first film in 1929, and the seventh in the history of Egyptian cinema. Where she used the Turkish artist, Wedad Orfi, to direct it. Then she hired director Ibrahim Lama to present the movie “Punk of Conscience” in 1931, a film that, after its success, contributed to her obtaining Egyptian citizenship in appreciation of her efforts.
Since 1933, she has collaborated with writer and director Ahmed Galal, and has made nearly 10 films with him. Until he abandoned her in 1942 after marrying her sister’s daughter, Mary Queenie, and established “Studio Galal” for production with her, and devoted himself to directing films for his own company. So, Asia Dagher started looking for another director until she settled on the young director Henri Barakat to direct the movie “Al-Shared” in 1942.

Her achievements in Egyptian cinema

Asia Dagher had a clear and distinctive imprint in Egyptian cinema, as she was the pioneer in presenting the first science fiction movie entitled “Witch’s Eyes”, a film that was initially rejected by censorship because its events revolve around controversial ideas such as resurrecting the dead, hypnosis and magic. It also caused the anger of the clergy, until Abdel Fattah Pasha Yahya, then Prime Minister, intervened to solve the crisis and allowed the film to be shown, as he saw that the filmmakers made it clear at the end of the film that the heroine was dreaming.
In 1954, she produced the movie “Life or Death”, which was transmitted in the world of cinematography, as 80% of its scenes were filmed on the streets of Cairo, while previous cinematic works were shot in studios, thus achieving a new achievement. She also had the lead in presenting the first Egyptian film in color in 1958, which is “Give My Heart Back”.
She was also very interested in presenting epic historical films, as she was the first to present them in Egyptian cinema, and a large production budget was allocated to them to appear appropriately. One of the most important historical films produced by the film was “Shagaret al-Dur” in 1935, which was the first Egyptian historical film. Then the movie “Prince of Revenge” in 1950, and the movie “Al-Nasser Salah al-Din” in 1963, which was later selected in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema, where it ranked 11th.

Discover new directors and actors

Asia Dagher contributed to the emergence of a group of the most important directors and artists in the history of Egyptian cinema. She presented the director, Henry Barakat, in the movie “Al-Sharida” in 1942, and after that she presented the new directors who later became among the greatest directors such as Youssef Chahine, Hassan Al-Imam. Ibrahim Emara, Ahmed Kamel Morsi, Youssef Maalouf, Ezz El-Din Zulficar, Hassan El-Saifi, Helmy Rafla, Kamal El-Sheikh.
As for the artists, Faten Hamama, at the beginning of her artistic life, appeared in the movie “Al Hanim” in 1947. She also presented Sabah in the movie “The Heart Has One” in 1945. She also presented Salah Nazmi in the movie “This is what my father did” in 1945.

Quitting Acting

During her career, Asiya Dagher has acted in nearly 20 movies. In the late 1940s, specifically in 1947, Asia Dagher suddenly decided to quit acting altogether. The movie “Al Hanim” was the last movie in which she co-starred with Faten Hamama and Zaki Rostom. After that, she decided to devote herself to production, and produced a number of the most important works of art, including: “Prince of Vengeance, A Watch for Your Heart, Charming Mother-in-law, Life or Death, Returning My Heart, Al-Nasir Salah Al-Din, Diary of a Deputy in the Countryside”. Bringing the ‘total’ of the films she produced to about 50 films.
Although she did not give clear reasons for her retirement from acting, it was said that she moved away from him because she could not read, and she could not abandon her Lebanese dialect, which was not accepted by the Egyptians, in addition to the lack of public acceptance of her ostentatious performance in films.

Declaring bankruptcy

Asia Dagher wanted to present a huge artwork that would immortalize her name in the memory of cinema, so she chose the movie “Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din” and agreed with Ezzedine Zulficar to direct the film. But he fell seriously ill, which caused a 5-year delay in the preparation of the film. Until Ezzedine Zulficar nominated the young director Youssef Chahine, who was 26 years old at the time, to complete the film. Because of her great faith in the film and her betting on its success, Asia Dagher mortgaged her house and car and sold her entire home, in order to pay the film’s budget, which exceeded 200,000 pounds, thus becoming the largest production budget for an Egyptian movie in that period. However, the film failed due to poor marketing and distribution to cinemas, which caused a heavy loss to Asia Dagher, and all of her property was seized, which prompted her to declare her bankruptcy. Even the Ministry of Culture honored her and gave her 3,000 pounds as assistance in paying her debts, and compensating part of her loss. Because of her bankruptcy, there was a significant decline in her production of films, and Asia Dagher presented only 4 films after “Al-Nasser Salah El-Din”, none of which achieved enough commercial success to compensate for her heavy loss. She stopped film production in 1972, to conclude her production history with the movie “The Devil and the Autumn.”

The list of top 100 movies

5 films produced by Asia Dagher were selected to participate in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema, according to critics’ choice, and these films are:
The movie “Al-Nasser Salah Al-Din”, starring Ahmed Mazhar, Salah Zulfikar, Nadia Lutfi and Laila Fawzy, and directed by Youssef Chahine. It occupies number 11 on the list.
The movie “Give My Heart Back”, starring Shukri Sarhan, Maryam Fakhreddine, Salah Zulfikar, Hussein Riad and Hind Rostom, and directed by Ezzedine Zulficar. It occupies number 13 on the list.
The movie “Life or Death”, starring Imad Hamdi and Madiha Yousry, and directed by Kamal Al-Sheikh. It occupies number 38 on the list.
The movie “Prince of Revenge”, starring Anwar Wagdy, Farid Shawqi, Samia Gamal and Madiha Yousry, directed by Henry Barakat, and ranked No. 61.
The movie “Diary of a Deputy in the Countryside”, starring Ahmed Abdel Halim, Rawya Ashour and Tawfiq Al-Daqn, and directed by Tawfiq Saleh. It occupies number 69 on the list.

Awards and Honors

Asia Dagher has received many important awards throughout her career, in recognition of her artwork and her great contributions to the field of cinema. Among the most important awards that she won, we mention the following:
The Lebanese Merit Award.
• Prize from the League of Arab States for producing the historical film “Al-Nasser Salah El-Din”.
• First prize in film production in 1950.
• The Syrian Order of Merit.
• First prize in the State Film Competition for producing the films “Life or Death” and “Return My Heart”.
• Pioneers Award from the Film Writers and Critics Association.
• State Prize for Pioneers in the Golden Jubilee Festival of Egyptian Cinema.

Her death.

Asia Dagher, the Star Maker and Dean of Producers, passed away on January 12, 1986, at the age of 84.

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On the birthday of Maryam Fakhreddine… Screenshots from the life of “Screen Belle “

A glamorous star who entered the world of art to shine among the stars, she is Maryam Fakhreddine, who is considered one of the most beautiful stars of the beautiful era in Egyptian cinema, and was even nicknamed “Beauty of the Screen” because of her attractive features, her gentle smile and her slender figure. For her prowess in providing the role of a romantic girl, she was also nicknamed “The Innocent Angel”. But she did not let the beauty of her angelic face become her passport to fame and stardom, and she was able to prove her artistic talent with merit. So, let’s celebrate Maryam Fakhreddine’s birthday, which falls on January 8, and review together snapshots of her personal and artistic life.

Her birth and Early Life

Maryam Mohamed Fakhreddine was born on January 8, 1933 in Fayoum, to an Egyptian father and a Hungarian mother, and she is the older sister of the artist Youssef Fakhreddin. She was educated at the German School in Bab El-Louk, and has mastered many languages, including English, French, German and Hungarian.

Early Works

Mariam Fakhreddine’s artistic start came by chance. On her birthday, her mother took her to take a photo of her. The photographer suggested that she participate in the competition held by the French magazine “Image”. She won the award for the most beautiful face, and received the prize amount, which was 250 pounds, and her picture was published on the cover of the magazine. When the great cinematographer Abdo Nasr saw her, he searched for her and suggested that she enter the world of art, and he contracted with her to star in her first film, which bore the name “Night of Love”, which was taken from the novel “Bastard” by the romantic writer Muhammad Abdullah, directed by Ahmed Badrakhan. That was in 1951. To begin her long artistic career, Maryam Fakhr El-Din.

Her film career

After that, Mariam Fakhreddine presented two films for director Ahmed Badrakhan, “The Promise” in 1954, and “The Little Bride” in 1956. In the fifties and sixties, she used to play the delicate, romantic and overpowered girl. But from time to time she managed to break out of this stereotypical character, to innovate in other, more complex roles. Some of her works: “Give my heart back, Soft Hands, I Don’t Sleep, Angel and Demon, The Cursed Palace, A Love Story, Today’s Youth, Me and My Heart, A Love Journey, Virgin Remains, Well of Deprivation, A Message to God”.
In the seventies, the roles of Maryam Fakhruddin differed by age. She is now taking on roles that are completely different from her usual stereotypical roles, including the role of the mother in the films “The Well of Deprivation, 3 Teenage Girls, Love Was, Mad Youth I Will Return Without Tears, A Storm of Tears, A Virgin But, Whispers of the Night”. The role of Queen Nazli in the movie “Sultana Al Tarab” , the role of the nun in the movie “a girl like no other”. the role of the unfaithful wife in the films “The Judge and the Executioner, With Memories”.
Maryam Fakhr El-Din is the record holder in film championships, as she starred in nearly 400 films, a record that no artist has achieved before. The beauty of the Cinema was not satisfied with acting only, as she also produced 4 films: “Khalkhal Ring” in 1955 and “A Love Journey, Me and My Heart, Today’s Youth” in 1957.
As for the TV series in which Maryam Fakhreddine participated during her artistic career, we mention them: “The Unknown, Innocents in the Dock, Raafat Al-Hagan, The Age of the Knights, Mothers in the House of Love, Al-Hawi, Against the Current, Deferred Dreams, Manshiyat Al-Bakri, Opera Aida”.

Awards and Honors

Maryam Fakhreddine won many awards during her artistic career. She received nearly 500 certificates of appreciation from various technical bodies. However, she was not a believer in these awards, and says that a message from the audience is much better than any award, because the message represents the people’s sincere love.
After her death, she was honored at the 36th Cairo International Film Festival, and the festival’s organizers were keen to dedicate this session to the spirit of the late artist, and put her picture on the festival’s logo.

Her marriages and personal life

Maryam Fakhreddine was married 4 times, the first marriage came in 1952, that is, one year after she entered the artistic field, and when she was only 17 years old. She married actor and director Mahmoud Zulficar, who was 38 years old at the time. Their marriage lasted 8 years, during which she gave birth to her daughter, Iman, and then they separated because of her husband’s insane jealousy, as well as his miserliness and his strong control over her and his financial exploitation of her. Only 3 months later, Maryam Fakhreddine married for the second time to Dr. Muhammad Al-Taweel, after she met him by chance while receiving treatment in a hospital in Alexandria. They agreed to marry on condition that she retire from art. She agreed and moved to live with him in Sweden, where he was receiving an educational scholarship there. So that he too began to exploit her financially, as she paid him from her own money the travel expenses, and she lived a harsh life with him because of his bad treatment of her due to the lack of money and his inability to provide for living expenses. She separated from him after 4 years of marriage, which resulted in their son “Ahmed”.
The third marriage was with the Syrian singer Fahd Ballan, after he proposed to her the first time they met while filming the movie “Where’s My Love” in 1968, and they married after only 3 months. Maryam Fakhruddin has always described him as the kindest, kindest and most generous of her husbands. But their marriage did not last long because her children did not accept him, so she asked him to separate and he calmly agreed. Her last marriage came to Sherif Al-Fadali, who was chosen by her children, who was 10 years younger than her. However, she asked for a divorce from him after her children married, and she refused to marry again, and chose to devote herself to art and acting.

Conversion to Islam

Maryam Fakhreddine was born to a Muslim father and a Christian mother, but her mother taught her the teachings of the Christian religion, so she entered the nuns’ schools and registered her in the school as “Mary Fakhri”, and she taught Christianity for many years until her father was surprised by this. So he went to school and told the teachers that his daughter was a Muslim. Maryam Fakhruddin stated that what her mother did was the reason for her growing up knowing nothing about the Islamic religion, and not knowing how to pray properly. She also stated in one of the media interviews that she did not learn to pray until she reached the age of 50, due to her filming a drama, in which she was supposed to read Surat Al-Fatihah in one of its scenes, so the people in charge of the work wrote it down for her and memorized it by heart. One day, she woke up during the dawn call to prayer and wanted to pray, so she called the artist, Shadia, to teach her how to pray. The next morning, I was surprised by Sheikh Muhammad Metwally Al Shaarawy calling her to teach her how to pray and how to perform ablution.

Her shocking statements

In the last years before her death, Maryam Fakhruddin used to speak frankly in the press and television interviews in which she participated. Where she caused a great shock to the public due to her sensational statements and bold attack on fellow artists. Maryam Fakhreddine refused to call the artist Faten Hamama the “Lady of the Arab Screen”. She wonders why she is called this title and not other actresses, even though she did not perform different roles. She said: “Ok, for example, Shadia and I. What are we then? Nobody?!” We are both the gerbils of the Arab screen, Hind Rostom, Magda Al-Sabahi and Souad Hosni, I mean, this is our leader, and we are the worlds behind which we sing!”. As for Adel Imam, she attacked the title of “leader” and asked: It is the work of the play “Al-Wad Sayed Al-Shaghal.” Why was he not given this title?
Maryam Fakhreddine also attacked the artist, Nermin El-Feki, for playing the role of “Engie” in the series “Give My Heart Back”, the same character that Maryam had previously embodied in a movie of the same name, and she said about her: “Narmin al-Fiqi is chubby, I was so thin. No one eats a pot of stuffed cabbage and goes to play romantic roles.” She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the personality of the artist, Sabah, and said that she is a woman who loves men and prefers to marry younger men. She attacked Sabah’s many plastic surgeries to make her look younger, stressing that every age has its beauty.

Her relationship with Rushdi Abaza

Maryam Fakhruddin’s relationship with the artist Rushdi Abaza aroused a lot of controversy. It is said that a strong love affair joined them and Rushdi Abaza stayed for long months confused between her and Samia Jamal until he finally married the latter. For her part, Maryam Fakhruddin stated that Rushdi Abaza was in love with her and wanted to marry her. He even broke into her house one day by hitting the door with his pistol so that he could enter. She indicated that he was not conscious at the time, and when she saw him in this condition, she quickly escaped from the servants’ ladder and went to her mother, who was living near her.
So her mother went home with her and found Rushdi Abaza sitting in the salon eating kebabs and drinking whiskey. As soon as he saw her mother, he welcomed her and kissed her hands and invited her to share the food with him, and after they had finished with him, he asked her to marry Mary, and she asked for a while to think. As for the reason for her refusal to marry him, Maryam Fakhreddine said: “His mother is a foreigner, and my mother is foreigner, and he acts like them, and I do not like this lifestyle.”

Her death.

Maryam Fakhreddine fell ill, necessitating her admission to the hospital and a surgy to remove a blood clot from the brain. But her health deteriorated after undergoing the operation and she was kept in the intensive care room. Until she passed away on November 3, 2014, at the age of 81.

صورة 1

Most notably the Stoned King Farouk and Amr Diab. Artworks by Waheed Hamed did not come to light

January 2 marks the first anniversary of the departure of the great screenwriter and writer Waheed Hamed, who is considered one of the most prominent pillars of Egyptian cinema in recent decades. In addition to being a novelist and screenwriter, Waheed Hamed was a member of the Egyptian Writers Union, the Acting Professions Syndicate, the Film Professions Syndicate, the PEN Club, and the Film Writers and Critics Association.

Waheed Hamed was known for his interest in discussing issues of interest to Egyptian society, especially issues with a political dimension. Where he took it upon himself to confront extremist ideology and terrorism in many works such as the films “Birds of Darkness, Blood of the Gazelle” and the series “The Family, the Brotherhood”. He also discussed political and societal corruption in the films “The Innocent, the Ghoul, Playing with the Elders, the Dancer and the Politician, His Excellency the Minister, Tell Shahrazad.” As well as addressing the class differences between the rich and the middle and poor classes in the films “Al-Mansi, Dil Al-Samaka, Laugh, the Picture Looks Good.” Which often offered him to file many cases against him, as well as receiving death threats. Which necessitated the appointment of a special guard at times, fearing for his life. On the first anniversary of his departure, we present to you excerpts from Waheed Hamed’s life, and the most prominent works of art that he could not finish writing before his death, or finished them, but have not yet come to light.

His Birth & Early Life

Waheed Hamid was born on July 1, 1944, in the village of Bani Quraish, in the Minya al-Qamh district, in the Sharkia Governorate. He came to Cairo in 1962 to enter the Faculty of Arts, Department of Sociology. During the study period, he was keen on enriching his talent by reading literary and cultural books, and undertaking the world of cinema and theater, hoping to become a distinguished writer. He even managed to publish his first collection of short stories entitled “The Moon Kills His Lover”. Which was read by the great writer Youssef Idris, and advised him to write for cinema and television, which is the advice that Waheed Hamed worked on. He quit short stories and started his journey with scriptwriting achieving dazzling success during his rich career that contained more than 40 films and 30 TV and radio series. He became one of the most important and greatest authors in Egypt.

Works that did not come to light

There are many scenarios written by Waheed, that were never completed due to circumstances and reasons that differ from one work to another, and one of the most important reasons was the need for these works to have a huge production budget. The following is a list of Waheed Hamed’s most prominent scenarios that have not yet seen the light.

The Death Boat

In 2006, Waheed Hamed wrote the script for the movie “The Death Boat”, the events of which dealt with the sinking of the ferry “Al-Salam 98” in February of the same year. An accident that preoccupied public opinion at the time, after which killed more than a thousand people who drowned in the waters of the Red Sea. Because of this scenario, Waheed Hamed was subjected to threats that amounted to an injunction from businessman Mamdouh Ismail, the owner of the ferry. However, Waheed Hamid insisted on completing the scenario, even experiencing the conditions of the trip, as he spent more than 3 days on a similar ferry at sea. He also communicated with the families of the victims and the missing, as well as the survivors of the accident. Although the film obtained the approval of the censorship of artistic works, it was not implemented due to the high production cost, which amounted to 50 million pounds.

Farouk the first and last

Also in 2006, Waheed Hamed finished writing the script for the movie “Farouk the First and the Last”, in which he chose to deviate from the prevailing view of the character of King Farouk, using documents that deal in a neutral manner that corrects some negative images that adhere to the king, due to the behavior of his employees or members of his family. in governance. Waheed Hamed had settled on Samir Seif to direct the film, and chose Ahmed El-Fishawy to play the lead role. Then the preparation for the film stopped, despite his contract to sell it to a Saudi production agency.

The Junkies

Waheed Hamed wrote an initial treatment for a movie called “The Junkies”, which deals with the stories of three characters in different times and eras, all associated with terrorist thought. The first is Hassan Al-Sabah, the founder of the Hashashin group, which is the first group to adopt a violent approach on a religious basis. The second is Sayyid Qutb, a hard-line jihadist. The third is Muhammad Atta, the mastermind of the September 11, 2001 operation, who flew one of the two planes that crashed into the World Trade Center towers. Despite obtaining the approval of the censors, Waheed Hamed never started writing the film, which was to be directed by Marwan Hamed.

134 days

Waheed Hamed wrote the script for a movie called “134 Days”, which revolves around one of the battles of the October 1973 war, which was known as the “Battle of Kibrit”. It is one of the battles that showed the valor and courage of the Egyptian soldiers during the war. This was demonstrated by the steadfastness of the soldiers of the 603rd Battalion in front of the siege, which was the longest during the war. In order to write the work, Waheed Hamed met the heroes of the battle from the officers and soldiers of the Egyptian army, and listened to their memories of 134 days they spent under siege, hunger, thirst, and lack of weapons and ammunition. After he finished writing the script of the film, he nominated Marwan Hamed to direct it, after which the preparation for the film stopped for no apparent reason.

Amr diab

Waheed Hamed wrote the script for a movie that deals with the life story of the star Amr Diab, and the film was to be produced by the “Alam Al Fan” company, produced by Mohsen Gaber. The choice fell on Sharif, who knew him as the director of the work. But, as usual for Amr Diab’s acting projects, the film entered the cycle of delays several times, in the end facing an unknown fate until now.

The Brotherhood (Season 3)

The series “The Brotherhood” is considered one of the most important works of Waheed Hamid, in which he dealt with the scandals of terrorist groups, and Waheed Hamid had finished writing two-thirds of the events in the third part of the series, as it was scheduled to be shown the previous year 2021, but he died before finishing writing. The fate of the third part of the work has not yet been revealed

Nice Company

One of the works that Waheed Hamed began writing before his death is the movie “The Sweet Companion”, starring the great artist Yahya Al-Fakharani, and directed by Sandra Nashaat. Which had been scheduled for filming, and stopped working due to Covid-19. Waheed Hamid was scheduled to resume his writing, but he died before completing it. And none of the filmmakers mentioned any details about his fate since the death of its writer.

The list of top 100 movies

Despite his great artistic balance and his presentation of many important works that discussed community issues, and expressed citizens’ problems. However, Waheed Hamed’s credit in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema includes only two works, the first is the movie “The Innocent” starring Ahmed Zaki, Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Mamdouh Abdel Alim, Ilham Shaheen, and directed by Atef Al-Tayeb, which occupies the 28th place on the list. The second is the movie “Playing with the Adults”, starring Adel Imam, Hussein Fahmy, Mahmoud Al-Jundi, Aida Riad, and directed by Sherif Arafa, which occupies number 90 on the list.

Awards and Honors

Waheed Hamed received many important awards throughout his life, the last of which was several weeks before his death, where he was honored at the 42nd Cairo International Film Festival, and was awarded the Golden Pyramid Award for Lifetime Achievement. As for the rest of the awards he received, we mention:

  • The Nile Prize in 2012, which is the highest award granted by the state.
  • Naguib Mahfouz Award for all his TV dramas from the Cairo Arab Media Festival in 2010.
  • Prize of the Vivier Festival, Switzerland, 2008.
  • The State Award for Excellence in Arts from the Supreme Council of Culture, 2003.
  • Best Screenplay Award from the Valencia Film Festival in Spain for the movie “Playing with Adults”.
  • Silver Award from Milan Festival in Italy for the film “Terror and Kebabs”.
  • Best Film Award from China for the movie “Laugh, the Picture Looks Sweet”.
  • Best Screenplay Award from the African Film Festival for the film “His Excellency the Minister”.
  • The Golden Knight Award granted by Middle East Radio for the best screenwriter from 1990 until 2002.
  • The Catholic Center Awards for the best cinematography and best screenwriter for the years 1985 – 1998 – 1999.

His Death

Waheed Hamed fell ill, necessitating his transfer to the hospital and he was admitted to the intensive care unit, as he suffered from heart and lung problems and a deterioration in liver function. The great writer left our world on January 2, 2021, at the age of 76, after suffering a heart attack.

صورة 1

Some of them were rejected. Novels by Ihsan Abdel Quddous turned into films

January 1, the birthday of the great writer and creative writer Ihsan Abdel Quddus, who was born on this day in 1919. He passed away on January 12, 1990, at the age of 71. After a life full of creativity in which literature, love and art combine with journalism, politics and prison, he left a huge legacy of books and novels numbering more than 600 stories and novels, many of which were turned into films, radio and television series, and theatrical works, as well as the translation of 65 of his novels into a number of The world’s languages, including English, French, German and Chinese.

The total of what Abdel Quddous presented to Egyptian cinema amounted to 49 novels, in addition to 5 novels that became theater scripts, 10 novels that became television series, and 9 other novels that became radio series. On his birthday, let’s get acquainted with the most prominent novels of Ihsan Abdel Quddus, which became films in Egyptian cinema.

Ihsan Abdel Quddus movies

  • Women Without Men, which was shown in 1953.
  • God is with us, and it was presented in 1955.
  • I do not sleep, the dead end, the empty pillow. It was introduced in 1957.
  • Girls and summer, a strange man in our house, the sun does not extinguish. They were presented for the first time in 1961.
  • Groom for my sister, the black glasses. They were presented for the first time in 1963.
  • Three thieves, she and the men, had holes in the black dress. They were presented for the first time in 1965.
  • The beggars strike, my wife’s dignity. They were presented for the first time in 1967.
  • Three Women, which was presented for the first time in 1968.
  • My father is above the tree, the well of deprivation. They were presented for the first time in 1969.
  • My sister, something in my chest, the fine thread, sands of gold. They were presented for the first time in 1971.
  • Nose and Three Eyes, Empire M. They were presented for the first time in 1972.
  • My blood, my tears and my smile. It was shown in 1973
  • Torment over smiling lips, a forest of legs, where is my mind, the bullet is still in my pocket. They were presented for the first time in 1974.
  • This I love and this I want, nothing matters. They were presented for the first time in 1975.
  • I am neither sane nor crazy, far from earth. They were presented for the first time in 1976.
  • Ah, night, time, and She fell into a sea of honey. They were presented for the first time in 1977.
  • Swimsuits for the daughter of Usta Mahmoud. It was shown in 1978
  • The investigation is still ongoing. It was shown in 1979
  • Resignation of an atom scientist. It was shown in 1980
  • I do not lie, I am wearing make up It was shown in 1981
  • Virgin and the white hair. It was introduced in 1983.
  • So that the smoke does not fly, do not ask me who I am, please give me this medicine, the dancer and the drummer. They were presented for the first time in 1984.
  • Days in virtue, a cat is originally a lion. They were presented for the first time in 1985.
  • The Suicide of the Landlord. It was introduced in 1986.
  • Everything is before life ends, my lover is younger than me. They were presented for the first time in 1987.
  • Before the age of suicide. It was introduced in 1988.
  • My dear, we are all thieves, where is this child taking me? They were presented for the first time in 1989.
  • Dancer and politician, days of water and salt. They were presented for the first time in 1990.
  • Finding another way, another kind of madness, except for my daughter. They were presented for the first time in 1992.
  • I forgot that I am a woman. It was introduced in 1994.
  • Bouquet of flowers (short film). It was introduced in 2009.

Movies in the top 100 movies list

Some of Ihsan Abdel Quddous’s films were selected in the list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema, according to the 1996 critics’ poll:

  • A strange man in our house: Starring Omar Sharif, Rushdi Abaza and Zubaida Tharwat, directed by Henry Barakat, and it is ranked 23rd on the list.

    Where has my life gone? Starring Magda, Yahya Shaheen, Ahmed Ramzy, Zaki Rostom and Amina Rizk, and directed by Ahmed Diaa El Din, and it occupies the 50th place on the list.

  • M Empire: Starring Faten Hamama and Ahmed Mazhar, directed by Hussein Kamal, and occupies the 89th place on the list.
  • I am free: Starring Lubna Abdel Aziz, Shukri Sarhan and Hassan Youssef, directed by Salah Abu Seif, and it is ranked 97th on the list.

Films rejected by censorship

Ihsan Abdel Quddous’s novels have been a resounding success, and have won the admiration of the public and critics. However, some films were strongly rejected by the censors, because they presented bold and unusual issues in Egyptian society. Among the most prominent films that were subjected to censorship interference and distorted some of their endings:

I do not sleep 1957

The film showed the story of “Nadia”, a wealthy girl who lives with her father after his divorce from her mother. When she reaches the age of adulthood, her father marries another woman. Nadia’s heart is filled with jealousy and she decides to take revenge on her, so she convinced her father that his wife is cheating on him with his brother. Meanwhile, Nadia is swept up in an incestuous relationship with a man her father’s age. The censors rejected the original ending of the novel, and demanded that it be amended to burn the heroine because she was a bad girl. The film stars Faten Hamama, Mahmoud El Meligy, and Imad Hamdi. It was directed by Salah Abu Seif.

The dead end 1957

The film revolves around a girl named “Fayza” who grew up with a mother and two sisters who work in forbidden jobs, and they try to drag her down the path of vice. But she refuses and decides to move to the countryside to get away from her family, but there she finds the same corruption from her fellow teachers. The censors asked to amend the film’s ending with the heroine’s marriage rather than her suicide. The film stars Faten Hamama, Ahmed Mazhar, Zouz Madi and Wedad Hamdi, and was directed by Salah Abu Seif.

Girls and summer 1960

The film presents three separate stories from different worlds whose heroes encounter crises that put them to difficult tests. We meet the weak-willed wife who is attacked by her husband’s friend and fails to resist him, so she tries to warn her husband. We find another husband who falls in love with the maid and wants to get close to her, but he fears for his reputation, so he treats her harshly and accuses her of theft. There is a shy young man who falls in love with his neighbor, but she is not convinced of him because of his great shyness.The censors demanded that the end of the film be amended to the heroine’s suicide as punishment for her betrayal of her husband, contrary to the course of the true story.The film stars Maryam Fakhr El-Din, Souad Hosni, Samira Ahmed Waziri Al-Badrawi, Abdel Halim Hafez, Kamal El-Shennawy, Hussein Riad, and directed by Ezz El-Din Zulfikar, Salah Abu Seif and Fateen Abdel-Wahhab.

So smoke does not fly 1984

The film showed the story of “Fahmy Abdel-Hadi”, an outstanding rural student at the Faculty of Law. His behavior is perfect and his dreams are simple, but he collides with the bitter reality when he loses his mother in search of the price of her treatment. At the time he sees his colleagues behaving lavishly and mocking his poverty and refusing to help him, he decides to abandon idealism and turn to revenge. The censorship rejected the story of the film completely, until the director submitted an appeal to the grievance committee to wage a battle between him and the censorship that lasted for a long time, until the film was approved after making some modifications.The film stars Adel Imam, Suhair Ramzy, Nadia Arslan and Ahmed Ratib, and directed by Mohamed Yehia.

Oh dear, we are all thieves 1989

The film tells the story of “Mortada Al-Salamouni”, whose father’s palace, the minister, is seized after his death. He is forced to live in the country house owned by his family, and tries to find work for “Abdullah Bahnas”, but he is expelled. Mortada decides to take revenge on him by cooperating with three thieves in order to steal important papers from his house in order to blackmail him. Censorship rejected the movie’s name because it judges all members of society to be thieves, and the movie was suspended for two years, until it was approved after that.The film starring Mahmoud Abdel Aziz, Salah Kabil, Saeed Saleh and Laila Elwi, and directed by Ahmed Yehia.

صورة 1

On the birthday of Umm Kulthum… Films in which she participated and others whose biography she documented

December 31 is the anniversary of the birth of the lady of Arab singing and the planet of the East, Mrs. Umm Kulthum, who was born on this day in 1898. In the village of Tamay Al-Zahayra in the Sinbillawin Center in Dakahlia Governorate. Since her childhood, God has endowed her with a strong, different voice that captivated the hearts of millions of lovers in Egypt and the Arab world until she became an immortal icon in the world of singing. In addition to dozens of songs and poems, Kawkab Al Sharq participated in several films. However, she initially rejected the idea of acting for fear of her father’s reaction. Still, she decided to take the experience in the mid-thirties after her father’s death. In the following report, we will show you films in which the woman of Arab singing participated.

Wedad

The movie “Wedad” is Umm Kulthum’s first movie, in which she presented the role of a beautiful maid with a strong voice, owned by a merchant and whom he loves with all his heart. However, when his business collapses due to the seizure of the caravan in which he put all his money, he loses his business. The debt holders begin to ask him to pay it, so he is forced to sell everything he owns, which is insufficient to pay off his debt.

The movie was made in 1935. It was written by Ahmed Rami and a script and dialogue by Ahmed Badrakhan. German Fritz Kramp directed it. The film co-starred Ahmed Allam, Mukhtar Othman, Coca. The film included seven songs: “O smeller of glory, O sign of goodness, the O night your stars are witnesses, salute the spring, why oh time was my love, oh the one whose love is mine, oh bird, living captive.”

You raised my hopes (Song of Hope)

In the movie “Anthem of hope,” Umm Kulthum presented the role of a wife named Amal, who suffers from the difficulties of life after her husband divorces her and leaves her alone with her sick daughter. She meets a doctor, Assem, who treats her daughter, discovers her talent for singing, and helps her find a job to use her artistic talent. He proposes to her after they fall in love. However, her ex-husband continues to chase after her, guide her and blackmail her until the order comes to shoot her.

The movie was made in 1937. It was written by Edmond Twima, script and dialogue by Ahmed Ramy. Ahmed Badrakhan directed it. It co-stars Zaki Tulaimat, Mary Mounib, Abbas Fares, Stephan Rosti. The film included nine songs: “You raised my hopes, Sleep, Sleep, oh joy of the feast, oh you the creator of beauty, oh glory, oh my longing for you, rejoice, my heart, I spent my life, the university anthem, oh Nile youth.”

Dananeer

Umm Kulthum participated in the movie “Dananeer,” which occurs during the era of Harun al-Rashid, the fifth caliph of the Abbasid state. The character of the sweet-sounding Bedouin girl, whom Minister Jaafar Al-Mansour listens to in the desert by chance, performed on his return from travel. He asks her to come with him to his urban palace to learn the principles of singing. Dananeer goes with him, and love combines between their hearts. She begins to sing at his parties, and when Harun al-Rashid listens to her, he admires her voice and asks Jaafar to guide her to him to be the singer of his palace. Jaafar hesitates because of his love for her, so some haters exploit his hesitation and plot plots against him until they can change his image before the caliph and convince him of his willingness to seize the caliphate. Harun al-Rashid orders to kill Jaafar. Dananeer refuses to sing to the caliph and cries for her beloved Jaafar. Hence, he lets her return to her Bedouin life after being impressed by her loyalty to her lover.

The movie was made in 1939. Ahmed Rami wrote it, and a script was written by Ahmed Rami. Ahmed Badrakhan directed it. The film is co-starring Suleiman Najib, Abbas Fares, Amr Wasfi. The film included eight songs: “Tell your memory to bend, We travel tomorrow, the chirping birds have left you, the sun has gone away, welcome the night of the feast, oh my heart, sing the tunes of fulfillment, the blossom is in the garden, the sweet breeze is good.”

Aida

In the movie “Aida,” Umm Kulthum embodied the role of a rural girl whose poor father works in Ezbet Amin Pasha and Suleiman Bey’s sister. Aida’s father is killed while defending the estate after a thief tries to steal cattle and farm produce. The Pasha pledges to take care of Aida to return her father’s favor. Aida joins the Conservatory of Music with the help of Suleiman Bey. When she returns to the estate, Sami Ibn Al-Basha declares his love for her and asks her to marry. Still, the Basha objects and accuses Aida of exploiting him and setting up his son. She goes to a music institute and refuses to return to the manor again. In her graduation ceremony, the institute presents the opera Aida in partnership with the Faculty of Arts students where Sami studies. The minister attends the ceremony and next to him is Amin Pasha and Suleiman Bey, who at the end of the ceremony introduces his heroes Aida and Sami to the minister and invites him to attend their wedding, so Amin Pasha finds himself involved in front of the minister, and is forced to agree to the marriage.

The movie was made in 1942. It was written by Abdel-Warith Asher, script and dialogue by Fathi Nashati and Abbas Younis. It was directed by Ahmed Badrakhan. The film is co-starring Suleiman Najib, Abbas Ibrahim Hammouda,. The film included 6 songs: “Opera Aida, we are alone, the kindness of my beloved and my congratulations, please, what time, cotton opened, oh joy of loved ones”.

Salama

The film “Salama” takes place in the era of the Umayyad dynasty, and Umm Kulthum played the role of a maid with a charming voice working for Sheikh Abu Al-Wafa, who threatened to sell her if she began to sing again. His gift is carried out and Salama is sold to Ibn Suhail, and she becomes a famous singer, and has a love affair with Sheikh Abd al-Rahman al-Jass. Ibn Suhail refuses to sell her to him to marry her, so she runs away from him and Abdul Rahman begins his journey to search for her. He volunteers in the Muslim armies, to fight the enemies of the Umayyad state, and defeats the enemies of the Caliph Yazid, who bought Salama after her escape, and left her to Abd al-Rahman when he knew his love for her. But Abdul Rahman is injured in one of the battles and dies in the hands of Salama.

The movie was made in 1945. It was written by Ali Ahmed Bakathir, and the script and dialogue by Bayram Al-Tunisi. It was directed by Togo Mizrahi. The film is co-starring Yahya Shaheen, Abdel Razek Asser, Fouad Shafik, Stephen Rosti. The film included 8 songs: “Peace, sing me a little bit, say it and don’t be afraid, with your consent, they said I love the priest Salama, oh eye, oh eye, in the light of your face, remember when you were beside me.”

Fatima

The movie “Fatima” is Umm Kulthum’s last movie, in which she played the role of a poor nurse who takes care of a sick pasha. Fathi, the Pasha’s brother, falls in love with her, and tries to seduce her, but he fails. He finds no solution but to marry her, and in fact he marries her with a customary marriage contract. His older brother gets angry at his customary marriage to the poor girl and expels him from the palace. Fathi can’t stand life in Fatima’s modest house in the neighborhood, and tries to win the Pasha’s satisfaction by marrying an aristocratic girl, so that he returns to the palace again. He leaves Fatima, who gave birth to her child from him, refuses to recognize the child, and steals the customary marriage contract at the request of the Pasha. However, Fatima kept a copy of the marriage contract, and the people of the neighborhood helped her to file a case against Fathi. At the same time, Fathi discovers the betrayal of his aristocratic wife, so he goes to Fatima, regretting what he did to her and confessing the lineage of his son to him.

The movie was made in 1948. It was written by Mustafa Amin, screenplay by Ahmed Badrakhan, and dialogue by Badi’ Khairy. It was directed by Ahmed Badrakhan. The film is co-starring Anwar Wagdy, Suleiman Najib, Hassan Fayek, Mimi Shakib. The film included 9 songs: “The language of flowers, a strong victory, O good morning, your light, O six of all, people have wronged me, the beauty of the world, I will meet him tomorrow, I will preserve my dignity, O you who have been deprived of tenderness.”

Umm Kulthum in cinema and television

No one disputes the unprecedented position that Umm Kulthum has reached, as she is one of the landmarks of authentic rapture in the Arab world. Her artistic biography and history have become a heritage passed on by generations, from which drama makers draw inspiration from the most beautiful stories and series. Therefore, the biography of the woman of Arab singing, Umm Kulthum, has been presented in many films and television series, and here are the most prominent works in which Umm Kulthum appeared.

East Planet movie

Movie released in July 1999. It deals with a specific period of Umm Kulthum’s life, since 1944, reviewing her unfinished emotional relationships, her relationship to the revolution and her role after the defeat of 1967. Actress Ferdous Abdel Hamid played her role.

Umm Kulthum series

TV series that aired in December 1999. It tells the complete biography of Umm Kulthum since her upbringing in Sinbillawain and her journey with her father and siblings in singing religious songs, passing through her artistic career and the love stories she experienced during her life, and the crises she encountered during her artistic work and social life. Actress Sabreen played her role.

The Nightingale series, the story of a people

TV series that premiered in September 2006. It deals with the life of the artist Abdel Halim Hafez, played by the young artist Shadi Shamil. There was part of the events revolving around Umm Kulthum, whose role was embodied by the artist Salma Gharib.

King Farouq series

TV series that premiered in September 2007. It deals with the reign of King Farouk I, the last of the rulers of Egypt from the family of Muhammad Ali, the founder of modern Egypt, played by the artist Tim Hassan. While the role of Umm Kulthum, singer Reham Abdel Hakim.

Series Ana, my heart, my guide

TV series that premiered in September 2009. It deals with the biography of the artist Leila Murad, played by the artist Safa Sultan. While the role of Umm Kulthum was embodied by the artist Farah Ismail.

صورة 1

On the centenary of Abdul Monem Madbuli’s birth… The life story of the “Comedy School Principal”

On December 26, the centenary of the birth of the Principal of the comedy school, the great artist Abdel Moneim Madbouly, who was distinguished by his lightness of shadow and his many roles between comedies and tragic ones. He is the “Madbolism”, the founder of a unique acting and directing school, and “Baba Abdo”, who is known for the roles of a kind father. He left his distinctive mark in the history of Egyptian cinema, capturing the hearts of millions of viewers in Egypt and the Arab world. To remain a symbol of high-end comedy, and his immortal artwork continues to draw laughter on the faces of his fans, despite the passage of many years since his death. On the anniversary of his birth, we review with you his life story and stations from his artistic career.

His Birth & Early Life

Abdel Moneim Madbouly Hassan was born on December 28, 1921, in the Bab El Shaeria neighborhood of Cairo. His father passed away a few months after his birth, leaving his mother alone in charge of raising him and his siblings. His acting talent appeared early, as he was nominated during the primary stage to lead the school’s theater group. He graduated from the Faculty of Applied Arts and worked as a professor in the Sculpture Department until the mid-seventies, before joining the Higher Institute of Arab Acting Art in 1945. After graduating in 1949, he joined the George Abyad troupe and then the Fatima Rushdie troupe. Madbouly began his artistic career in the famous radio program “An Hour for Your Heart”, and also participated in acting in children’s programs on radio within the episodes of the “Baba Sharo” program.

Theater and theater groups

Abdel Moneim Madbouly participated in his first theatrical work with the Egyptian Modern Theater Troupe, founded by Zaki Tulaimat. Then he himself began to establish several theater groups, the first of which was called the Free Theater in 1952, through which he presented plays such as: “The Rebellious Land, Hesbah Barma, I am afraid to marry, my wife Namira 11, the cocktail of wonders.” In 1963, he founded the Comedy Theater Troupe, through which he presented the most prominent theatrical performances, namely: He and she, Be patient Sheikh Allam, the inspector general, the technical secretary, Desouki Effendi, the origin and image, the singer of emotions, Julfdan Hanim.

After that, Madbouly participated in the formation of the United Artists Troupe in 1966, which performed several plays, including: Red Pajamas, Tenth Husband, Good Children. Then he separated from the troupe in 1973 to form in 1975 his own troupe under the name Al-Madbolism, through which he presented successful plays. Such as: “A man like no other, O owner of my heart, was born in the lost time, with my sincere regards, a donkey, there is no need.” The balance of his plays throughout his artistic career reached 120 plays.

Cinema and TV

Abdel Moneim Madbouly’s entry into the world of cinema came a little late, as he began his cinematic career in 1951, and his first movie was “Fel Hawa Sawa”, after which he presented a series of successful films and various roles, which have remained stuck in the audience’s memory to this day. The number of films Madbouly participated in reached 150, including: “The grandson is born, Dunya, we are on the bus, a quarter of a dozen villains, a very funny world, a love hunt, a school of rioters, between heaven and earth, a millionaire against his nose, a beach of fun, a love in a cell, a fake millionaire, the bravest man in the world.”  His last film work was the movie “I Want to Take It Off” with the artist Ashraf Abdel Baqi, in which he appeared as a guest of honor, but his role was distinguished and had a great impact on the events of the film.

As for television, Abdel Moneim Madbouly presented 30 drama series, including: “Two below zero, world uncle Amin, goodbye, spring of life, marriage is my way, no, my dear daughter, and my dear children.. Thank you.” It is the series in which he presented the character “Baba Abdo”, which became one of his titles after the series was shown and it achieved great public success. He also presented singing shows, “Grandpa Abdo planted his land.” The series “Al-Kalam Al-Mubah” (The Permissible Words) was the last television series he participated in in 2005. In addition, Madbouly presented nearly 22 radio series, including: “The Dajjal, me, her and Wes, Hiam and the dream catcher.”

A do-it-all artist

Abdel Moneim Madbouly was a comprehensive and creative artist in more than one field of art, not just acting. Among those arts are painting and sculpture, and many exhibitions of his paintings and sculptural works were held for him. Some of his paintings were placed in the Presidency of the Republic and the Ministry of Culture. He also participated in the repair of the paintings of the Mansterly Palace.In addition, Madbouly enriched cinema, television and theater with his artistic additions as an author and director, as well as composing and singing, and recording several advertisements with his voice. Madbouly has always taken pride in his all-round talent, likening himself to Charlie Chaplin, who takes on the same missions.

In addition to his distinguished performance on stage as an actor, he directed many of his famous plays, including: “With my best regards, School of Rioters, Technical Secretary, Airport of Love, Namera 2 Yissb, Locanda Al-Firdaws, singer of emotions.” He has also directed plays for fellow artists such as: “Eve at 12 o’clock, me and her and His Highness, me and him and her” by Fouad Al-Mohandes and Shweikar. And “Your dream, Sheikh Allam, is the most beautiful meeting in the world” by Amin Al-Hunaidi. and “The Bulldozer, Al-Wad Al-Nims” by Mohamed Negm. He has also authored and written many films, including: “A quarter of a dozen villains, threshold mozzar, fake millionaire, hamza’s bag, love in August, please kill me, he and she, lovers of a woman.”

Singing for kids

Abdel Moneim Madbouly was famous for his great love for children, and therefore he made sure to make them happy by participating in singing at Children’s Day parties, and presenting many children’s songs in his films and series. Which was engraved in the hearts of all Egyptian children for decades, and remained immortal in the memory of Egyptian television and cinema. He was keen to choose words that carry an important message or useful information for children. Among the most famous of these songs are “Tot Toot and Al-Shater Omar”, which he sang during the events of the series “My Dear Sons.. Thank you.” They are from the words of Sayed Hegab and composed by Ammar Al-Sharei. And the song “Helketak Birmaltak” from the movie “Al-Hafid”. 

This great success of Madbouly’s songs for children made him present a number of other songs that were very successful. In the foreground are the songs of the movie “Bold Ya Donya”, which are “Ya Sabr Tayeb” from the words of Morsi Jamil Aziz and composed by Kamal Al-Taweel, and “Zaman and Was Yama Kaan”, which are from the words of Morsi Jamil Aziz and composed by Ali Ismail. The late artist Shadia also participated in the song “Your Love Janna” from the play “Raya and Sakina”, which was written by Abdel-Wahhab Muhammad and composed by Baligh Hamdi, and the song “Shabakna Al-Hakam” was written by Baligh Hamdi and composed by Muhammad Hamza.

Multiple nicknames

Abdel Moneim Madbouly was known, since 1962, by the nickname “The Madboulyzm”, a metaphor for his distinctive style and distinctive manner of performance in acting, writing and directing theatrical performances. Where he had a special style and was the first comedian to improvise on the stage, and this method was new at this time, so it received some criticism at first, but it was a great success later, and critics called it “Madbolism”.

Madbouly was also known as the “Nazir of the Comedy School” after he presented the character of the “Nazir” in the play “The School of Rioters”, which he directed and participated in for 3 years before he withdrew from it. As for the nickname “Baba Abdo”, which is Madbouly’s favorite, he became famous after introducing that character in the famous social series “My Dear Sons.. Thank you,” which discussed the issue of family interdependence, the extent of the father’s need for his children, as well as the children’s constant need for their father, regardless of their age. And that is through the personality of the father, who is over sixty, and discovers after he was referred to the pension that his children have moved away from him a lot and he needs to get to know them again.

Awards and Honors

During his artistic career, Abdel Moneim Madbouly received many awards and honor certificates, the most important of which are: Best Actor Award in Cinema for his films “The grandson”, “Hey Captain” and “ Mawled Ya Donia”. He was also awarded the 1st Class Medal of Science and Arts in 1983. The State Appreciation Award for his overall work in 1984. In 1986, he received a tribute award at the Zaki Tulaimat Festival. The late President Mohamed Anwar El-Sadat honored him with a special certificate of appreciation at the Academy of Arts for his role in the series “My Dear Sons..Thank you.”

Marriages and children

Abdel Moneim Madbouly married Mrs. Najat, whom he had known since childhood, as she was his neighbor and a student at the College of Fine Arts. When he thought about stability and marriage, he did not find another in his imagination, and feelings of love began to fill his heart towards her, so he proposed to marry her and they had three sons, Amal, Muhammad and Mahmoud. Madbouly would listen to her opinion in all his artworks and take it into consideration, and he was afraid of her opinion because her criticism was harsh without compliment. He always described her as a guerrilla because she alone carried all the responsibilities of the house and raising children.

His Death

In the mid-1980s, Abdel Moneim Madbouly fell ill with liver cancer, so he traveled abroad and underwent surgery and was cured. But in 2006, a few months before his death, he discovered that the cancer had returned in the spleen, so he traveled to France, but doctors refused to perform surgery on him due to his age. He returned to Egypt and dealt with the disease with medication, but his health deteriorated. In his late days, he developed pneumonia and severe heart failure, and was transferred to intensive care after entering a long coma that lasted for weeks. The comedy giant passed away on July 9, 2006, at the age of 85.

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In tribute to the death of Farid al-Atrash. What you do not know about the “King of the Oud.”

December 26 marks the anniversary of the death of the great musician and singer Farid al-Atrash, who is considered one of the best oud players in the history of Arab music. The whole wide world. That is why he was called the “King of the Oud” and “The Musician of All Time.” The late President Gamal Abdel Nasser called him the “Professor.”

Farid al-Atrash had a distinctive voice and a unique sad style. The Arab world did not witness a similar style to his style, as he remained to adhere to the rules of Arabic music despite the emergence of Western influence on his music. He left clear imprints in singing and enriched Arabic music with the sweetest melodies. He presented the history of Arab art with a rich library of 31 films, 300 lyrical tunes, as well as soundtracks and music tracks for many films. On the anniversary of his death, we bring to you in the following lines the most important information about the king of the oud, and glimpses of his artistic and personal life.

His Birth & Early Life

Farid Fahd Farhan Ismail al-Atrash was born on April 21, 1910, in the town of al-Qurayya in the Jabal al-Arab region, or what is known as Jabal al-Druze in Syria. His father is one of the leaders of Jebel Douz, who was known for fighting the French occupation and confronting colonialism. His mother is the princess and singer Alia Hussein Al-Mundhir, and he has 7 siblings from his father.

Because of the French persecution of his father, and his political struggle that put all family members at risk, Farid did not know stability in his childhood, as his family was busy fleeing the enemy constantly, so Farid traveled with his mother, brother Fouad and sister Amal, who later became the singer Asmahan, to Lebanon and from there to Egypt, fleeing the French occupation forces. Then, he changed his family surname from Al-Atrash to Koussa. Farid was deprived of his father, and after a while the news of the father was cut off and they did not know whether he was killed or captured.

In Egypt, Farid al-Atrash studied at the French school of al-Kharnafash. At this time, he participated in a ceremony honoring the Syrian revolution, which drew the attention of the artistic community for his performance, but when he revealed his true identity as a member of the Al-Atrash family, the French school dismissed him. After that, he joined the Greek Catholic Patriarchate School, then entered the Music Institute, and was apprenticed to the famous composer Riad Al-Sunbati.

Farid al-Atrash singing

Riad Al-Sunbati admired the art of Farid Al-Atrash, and helped him work on the Egyptian radio, where he was initially appointed as an oud player in the orchestra, and then asked Medhat Assem, the director of the oriental music department on the radio, to allow him to sing, so that Farid recorded his first song, “Oh, I wish I could fly.” Around You”, and he started singing on the radio twice a week, as he used a band and famous musicians such as Ahmed Al-Hefnawi, Yacoub Tatios and others, and worked to provide the band with Western instruments in addition to Eastern instruments, and then recorded a second song, “With Love Without Hope.”

During his artistic career, Farid al-Atrash presented a large number of songs and poems that were widely known and successful, the most famous of which are: I used to think of you as an angel, the melody of eternity, commanding the head and the eye, the carpet of the wind, the beautiful beauty, our love, the spring, the adornment, the hour near the beloved, on your branch, oh lemon, the leaves of the tree, the age of you, O Abu laughter of Janan, your absence is long, I wish you Bird, you made me deserted, my soul is sacrificed, the first whisper.

He also composed for major male and female singers such as Asmahan, Sabah, Fayza Ahmed, Warda Al Jazairia, Laila Murad, Souad Muhammad, Nour Al-Huda, Muharram Fouad, Fahd Ballan, and Muhammad Rushdi.

Farid al-Atrash and cinema

Farid al-Atrash’s artistic career in Egyptian cinema began in the early 1940’s, with the movie “The Victory of Youth”, which he put the tunes and soundtrack for. He starred with his sister Asmahan. Then he participated in 31 movies with the most famous stars and artists. From 1941 to 1974, he developed the music and tunes for the October celebrations held by the Egyptian Armed Forces in cooperation with the Ministry of Information. The most famous of them was “Habib Al-Omar, I love you, Afrita Hanim, the last joke,” with Samia Gamal. “The Melody of Eternity, The Story of a Lifetime, Great Love” with Faten Hamama. and “Goodbye your love, you are my love” with Shadia. and “Bulbul Effendi, the melody of my love, how can I forget you” with Sabah. And “A Message of Love, A Covenant of Love, There Is No One Behind You, a Day Without Tomorrow” with Maryam Fakhr El-Din.

Singing in French

Farid al-Atrash was known for his adherence to singing in Arabic, but for once during his life he decided to sing in French in order to support Palestine and the thousands of citizens displaced by the Israeli aggression. One day, he received a message from an Algerian citizen named Nayef Al-Wahrani, telling him that the impact of the song on the masses is much stronger than the sermon or the article and that if Farid Al-Atrash could present a song about Palestine in French, he would have done this cause a great service, and sent words The song with that message.

 Indeed, Farid al-Atrash agreed to sing in French in order to present this important cause to the whole world. With his distinctive voice, he was able to tell the story of Zionism, its ambitions, and its usurpation of the Palestinians’ right to their lands. Farid decided that the song would be recorded in Paris on cylinders, and that a body of Algerian liberals would distribute the song in Europe and America.

Multiple romantic relationships

It was known about Farid al-Atrash that he preferred the life of celibacy and freedom, and escaped from engagement and marriage. Until 1973, the only official engagement in Farid al-Atrash’s life came when he announced his engagement to Mrs. Salwa al-Qudsi, who was more than 30 years his junior. Which he met in Lebanon, and a friendship developed between them, which turned into a great love story in his last days, especially since she did not leave him during his sick ordeal. After his death, Salwa al-Qudsi announced their marriage with a customary marriage contract and kept it secret until Farid al-Atrash returned from the last treatment trip in London, where Farid intended to document this contract and announce the news of their marriage as soon as he returned to Cairo, but fate did not allow him. Salwa Al-Qudsi announced the customary marriage when she resorted to the Egyptian judiciary to prove the validity of her marriage contract with Farid after entering into disputes with the rest of the heirs over the inheritance.

A final love story and customary marriage

It was known about Farid al-Atrash that he preferred the life of celibacy and freedom, and escaped from engagement and marriage. Until 1973, the only official engagement in Farid al-Atrash’s life came when he announced his engagement to Mrs. Salwa al-Qudsi, who was more than 30 years his junior. Which he met in Lebanon, and a friendship developed between them, which turned into a great love story in his last days, especially since she did not leave him during his sick ordeal. After his death, Salwa al-Qudsi announced their marriage with a customary marriage contract and kept it secret until Farid al-Atrash returned from the last treatment trip in London, where Farid intended to document this contract and announce the news of their marriage as soon as he returned to Cairo, but fate did not allow him. Salwa Al-Qudsi announced the customary marriage when she resorted to the Egyptian judiciary to prove the validity of her marriage contract with Farid after entering into disputes with the rest of the heirs over the inheritance.

Awards and decorations

Farid al-Atrash received many honors and decorations throughout his life in honor of his artistic career, numbering 15 medals and necklaces, the most important of which is the Gold Eternity Medal as an international musician from France. The Jordanian Planet Medal, rank of Knight, from King Hussein in 1955. Independence Medal of the First Order. President Gamal Abdel Nasser gave him the Order of Merit, first class, in 1970.

Farid al-Atrash won the State Appreciation Award for Science and Arts from Egypt. The Oud King Award for the greatest oud player in the world was awarded in 1962 by Turkey. In addition to the Lebanese Independence Medal, the Lebanese Cedar Tree Medal, the Collar of the Lebanese Republic, the Morocco Medal from King Mohammed V, the Morocco Medal from King Hassan II, and the Kuwaiti Independence Medal. He also received many decorations from various Arab countries, including Sudan, Algeria, Tunisia, the Emirates, Bahrain, Yemen and Saudi Arabia.

Illness and death

In 1957 Farid al-Atrash had a coronary artery clot, which made many doctors expect his death within five years at most, but he lived after his injury for 17 years. He suffered from a deteriorating health condition years before his death, due to his refusal to be advised by doctors to rest and avoid making any effort, especially after he had a blockage in the arteries and an enlarged heart muscle. The King of Oud left our world on December 26, 1974. His death in Lebanon came after he had a sudden heart attack, after which he was taken to the hospital, but he died at the age of 64. His body was transferred to Cairo, to be buried next to his late sister Asmahan, as he had recommended.

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On the birthday of Abdel Moneim Ibrahim. Exciting moments in the life of “Charlie Chaplin of Arab”

December 24 is the birthday of the late artist Abdel Moneim Ibrahim. One of the most important comedy stars competed with laughter giants in cinema and theater. With his distinctive smile and lightness of shadow, he managed to capture the audience’s hearts and bring a smile to viewers’ faces through his prominent roles that influenced Egyptian cinema. Even the audience called him “Charlie Chaplin of the Arabs,” and critics called him the “Knight of Comedy.” To celebrate his birthday, we show you some exciting stations in his artistic career and personal life in the following report, which were tragic and sad, unlike his funny comedic roles.

His Birth & Early Life

His full name is Abdel Moneim Ibrahim Mohamed Hassan Al-Dogbashi. He was born on December 24, 1924, in the city of Beni Suef, to a family that traces its origins to the village of Mit Badr Halawa in the city of Samanoud, Gharbia Governorate. His first chance at acting came when he was in the third grade of primary school when an Arabic language teacher chose him to play the role of a girl in a musical called “The Suez Canal,” as it was forbidden for school theater to hire female students from other schools. The play was broadcast on the radio, as was the custom of schools at the time. 

After that, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim joined a mechanical industrial school in Bulaq. During his studies, he established a representative troupe with Ramses Naguib, Atef Salem, and Adly Kasab. In 1941, he joined the band formed by Abdel Moneim Madbouly at Shubra School under the name “The Amateur Band.” He performed several plays on the Azbakeya theater with him, including “The Victim, Awlad Al-Saffah, A Bird in the Cage.”

Early Works

After obtaining a diploma in craftsmanship, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim was appointed to the Ministry of Finance. Still, he left work to enter the world of art. He joined the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts and obtained a bachelor’s degree in 1949. After he was a student at the hands of the great artist Zaki Tulaimat, who joined him after graduating from the Modern Theater Troupe, which he founded from among the institute’s graduates. To present successful plays with him, such as “Set al-Banat, Mismar Juha,” and then joined the National Theater, and presented distinguished plays such as The Battle of Port Said, on the wing of Tabrizi, The Lost Discourse, Ma`ruf Al-Iskafi, Wife Killing Society, Dirty Hands, Safety Rail, Baghdad Barber, Bab Al-Futuh. He also joined the Ismail Yassin Troupe in 1955. Still, he did not adapt to the nature of commercial performances offered by the private sector.

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, in his early years, also turned to the radio and was one of the comedy stars who launched the famous radio program “An Hour for Your Heart.”

His cinematic beginnings came when director Ezz El-Din Ibrahim assigned him a small role in “The Emergence of Islam.” Still, the audience did not know him despite his radio fame. Then director Hassan El-Imam assigned him a prominent role in the movie “Wahez,” which earned him fame and made the audience recognize him.

His film career

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim was known for his mastery and proficiency in pronunciation in Classical Arabic. This was evident in the theatrical works on the national stage, including “Baghdad’s Barber, Ma’ruf Al-Shubaiq, I Want a Millionaire.” In addition to his prominent roles in the most famous comedy films, including the role of “Sheikh Abdel Bar Abdel Wahid,” a conscript in the navy, in the movie “Ismail Yassin in the Fleet,” and “Professor Hakam,” an Arabic language teacher in the movie “Al-Safira Aziza” and “Sheikh Moneim” in the movie “Passport is in Danger,” “Sheikh Mahran,” the Arabic language teacher in the movie “The Artistic Director,” “Professor Younes” the Arabic language teacher in the movie “The Mirrors,” and “Sheikh Sanusi” in the movie “The Revenge.”

Fluency in Standard Arabic

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim was known for his mastery and proficiency in pronunciation in Classical Arabic. This was evident in the theatrical works on the national stage, including “Baghdad’s Barber, Ma’ruf Al-Shubaiq, I Want a Millionaire.” In addition to his prominent roles in the most famous comedy films, including the role of “Sheikh Abdel Bar Abdel Wahid,” a conscript in the navy, in the movie “Ismail Yassin in the Fleet,” and “Professor Hakam,” an Arabic language teacher in the movie “Al-Safira Aziza” and “Sheikh Moneim” in the movie “Passport is in Danger,” “Sheikh Mahran,” the Arabic language teacher in the movie “The Artistic Director,” “Professor Younes” the Arabic language teacher in the movie “The Mirrors,” and “Sheikh Sanusi” in the movie “The Revenge.”

Awards and Honors

During his artistic career, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim won several awards and honors. He won the gold medal and the State Appreciation Award for the movie “Sukar Hanim” in 1963. He won the Gold Medal for “The Road of Tears” the following year. He also received the Medal of Science and Arts, first-class, in 1983. In addition, he received the Golden National Theater shield in 1986 in the golden jubilee of its establishment.

A life that is full of action and violence and work, wonder.

Despite the comic roles presented by Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, with which he could draw a smile on viewers’ faces, his life was full of tragedies and sad situations. The first shock of his life was the death of his mother while he was undergoing entrance exams at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Art, yet he passed all the exams. Years later, specifically in 1958, while participating in the play “The Dougari Family,” he received the news of his father’s death, so he went to receive condolences and had to return on the same day to complete filming his scenes.

Shocks continued in Abdel Moneim Ibrahim’s life after he learned that his first wife and mother of his children had malignant disease. He was filming one of his films in Athens when doctors told him that his wife was dying and wanted to see him. And when he tried to travel to Cairo, the plane broke down for 17 hours. When he finally arrived, the doctor told him that his wife would only live a few months, so his wife left in 1961, leaving him four sons, the oldest of whom is eight and the youngest is a year and a half.

Two years later, that is, in 1968, his older brother, who was taking care of their brothers after the death of their father, died, leaving his wife and six children in the care of Abdel Moneim Ibrahim, who was forced again to leave the play “Silqa Al Salama” in which he was participating to attend his brother’s funeral and condolences, and then return To complete the presentation of the play. Shortly after, his third wife, Aida Talhoum, died of spleen cancer. What hurts him the most was the death of his son, Tariq, after suffering from cancer when he was 37 years old, which made Abdel Moneim Ibrahim enter into a new shock.

The story of his marriage to two sisters

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim married several times. The first marriage was in 1950, where he married a woman and had three daughters and a son: “Salwa, Suhair, Sumaya and Tariq” and after 11 years of marriage, his wife died while their youngest son was only two years old. Two years later, Abdel Moneim Ibrahim’s brother died, leaving him with six children and their mother, only to find himself responsible for a family of 11. Some advised him to marry his first wife’s sister to help him raise them. However, she looked very similar to his late wife. He could not bear the memories, so the divorce occurred between them after a few days of marriage. Then, to marry for the third time, the Lebanese woman, Aida Talhoum, with whom he had his fourth daughter, Nevin. Then he married for the fourth time to the artist Kawthar Al-Assal, and their marriage lasted 20 years.

His Death

Abdel Moneim Ibrahim suffered from water on his lung, and he suffered from a weak heart muscle. After being transferred to the hospital, he refused to enter the intensive care and was determined to leave despite the doctors’ refusal because he was linked to filming appointments. Because of his insistence, his sons had to bring the doctor to give him injections for treatment during the filming until his health improved. A month later, while preparing to go to the Peace Theater to perform the final rehearsals for the play “5 Stars”, he had a heart attack in his garage and died while being transported to the hospital. Abdel Moneim Ibrahim passed away on November 17, 1987, at 62. His funeral started at the National Theater, as he had recommended before his death. He was buried in the village of Mit Badr Halawa, next to his father, mother, and brother.

 

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On the anniversary of Mahmoud El-Meligy’s birthday. Learn about the life story of “Anthony Quinn of the East.”

On December 27, the 111th anniversary of the birth of the artist Mahmoud El Meligy. He is one of the most prominent artists in Egypt and the Arab world. He was known for his spontaneity and exceptional talent in embodying different characters, as his roles varied between action, tragic, and comedian. However, what he excelled in the most was the embodiment of evil roles that gave them his character, leaving a distinctive imprint on the audience, who called him “the villain of Egyptian cinema.” Arab critics also called him “Anthony Quinn of the East” because of his skill in embodying his character in the movie “Al Qadisiyah.” It is the same character played by the American artist “Anthony Quinn” in the foreign version of the film. Let us highlight important stations in his life and his distinguished artistic career on his birthday.

His Birth & Early Life

Mahmoud Hassan El-Meligy was born on December 27, 1910, in the Maghribin district of Cairo. The family traces its origins to the village of Melij, Menoufia Governorate. Then he moved with his family to the Helmeya neighborhood. He joined the Khedivial High School and joined the school’s acting troupe, where he was trained by great artists such as George Abyad, Ahmed Allam, and Aziz Eid.

Early Works

Mahmoud El-Meligy’s artistic start came in the early thirties when the artist Fatima Rushdi saw him in a theatrical performance entitled “The Gold” and was impressed by his talent and offered him to join her troupe. He performed with her many artistic performances, where he played small roles at first. Still, he decided to leave school because he could not reconcile studying and working in the theater. Then Fatima Rushdi nominated him to co-star in a movie entitled “Marriage in the Modern Way,” his first appearance in the cinema. However, the film’s failure made him leave the band and join the Ramses band, led by Youssef Wehbe. He later joined the Ismail Yassin Troupe, the Tahia Carioca Troupe, and the New Theater Troupe. To present many successful plays, the most important of which are: Julius Caesar, one day, birth, Ali Bey the Great, the Harafish, Your Majesty, O payment, O imprisonment, the honorable thief, the lesson is over, you idiot, customers of hell.

Mahmoud El-Meligy’s real cinematic debut came in 1936 when he participated in Mrs. Umm Kulthum in the movie “Wedad.” Then director Ibrahim Lama chose him to participate in the movie “Qais and Laila” in 1939.

His film career

Mahmoud El-Meligy is the most involved actor in artistic works in the history of Egyptian art after his works exceeded 700 artworks, ranging from cinema, theater, television, and radio. He participated in nearly 350 films, 21 of which were ranked among the top 100 films in the history of Egyptian cinema. His most famous films are: “Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi, Cleopatra, Love and Revenge, the Ambassador of Hell, Ghazal al-Banat, Prince of Revenge, Raseef Namira 5, Wa Islamiah, al-Nasir Salah al-Din, Sunrise, and Sunrise”. He also presented many successful TV series, including A nose and three eyes, the black cat, the fugitives, the midnight train, the dreams of the flying boy, the days, the fasting of fasting, Amr ibn al-Aas, the mountain genie, the harvest of a lifetime.

Film production and discovery of new talents

Mahmoud El-Meligy entered the world of art through the gateway to acting. However, he also entered the field of film production. He wanted to contribute to the advancement of the public’s public taste, raising the level of artistic production, and fighting naive films. He presented several films of his production, including: “White Angel, Killer Mother, Gun Market, Hello… I am the cat, the city of silence, the terror, the father of the night, the carp.”

In addition, El-Meligy had the talent of writing, so in 1948 he wrote the script, dialogue, and story of the movie “The Adventurer,” which he also produced and co-starred with and was classified as the first police drama film in Egyptian cinema. After that, he made several films of his own, including: “The killer mother, Waad, prisoner of Abu Zaabal, Mabrouk.”

Mahmoud El-Meligy was also known for discovering and developing outstanding talents. He presented many new faces to the cinema, including Tahia Karioka, Farid Shawky, Hassan Youssef, Mohsen Sarhan.

El Meligy and Youssef Chahine

In 1970, Mahmoud El-Meligy played the character of the Egyptian farmer “Mohamed Abu Swailem” in the movie “The Land” by director Youssef Chahine, which is a turning point in his artistic life. Youssef Chahine praised El-Meligy’s spontaneity and skill in playing the role, so he was assigned other roles in many films, including: “The Choice, the Sparrow, The Return of the Prodigal Son, Alexandria Les, His Horseshoe is Egyptian.”

Good and evil are merged. Men are both good and evil.

Despite appearing in films as rival enemies, Mahmoud El Meligy and Farid Shawky had a strong friendship. Together, they formed a successful duo that lasted for decades. During which El-Meligy played the role of the villain in most of the films, while Shawky played the role of the brave Tayeb. Among their most famous films together: “Abu al-Dahab, Husseini fatwas, fatwa, gun market, wanted wife immediately, a hero to the end, Ibn al-Hatta, Satan’s gang, Hamido, the trap, half-night driver.”

Al-Meligy caused Farid Shawqi to suffer a permanent disability while filming a scene of a quarrel that he collected in the movie “The Weapon Market” in 1960, where Al-Meligy “merged” in his performance of the scene and Shawky broke his “pinky” finger, and the doctors later tried to convince him to treat him by breaking the finger once. Others to correct the first fraction, but he refused.

Threatening to kill his son

Mahmoud El-Meligy was exposed to a strange and comedic situation at the same time, when he received a threatening letter from an unknown person, asking him to meet him in front of the “Bigal” cinema and pay the sum of 5,000 pounds. Otherwise, he will kidnap and kill his son. Al-Meligy went to the Al-Jazeera police station and wrote a report. He assured the officer that he would not pay the amount, which raised his astonishment out of fear for the son. Then, Al-Miliji told him: “Let them kidnap him.” This response increased the officer’s astonishment, who asked in confusion: “How?” El-Meligy replied, laughing: “I don’t have any children.”

His sister was buried alive

Mahmoud El-Meligy recounted in his memoir one of the shocking situations he faced in his life when he discovered by chance that he had buried his sister alive. His sister had been ill for 20 years and then died, and he buried her himself. Although years later, he went to the cemeteries to bury one of his relatives, he was surprised when he opened the cemetery with his sister’s body in a place other than where he buried her. Then it was confirmed that she was in a coma, and she was alive when he buried her.

His Marriage

Mahmoud El-Meligy was married four times, during which he had no children. The first marriage to artist Alawia Jamil was in 1939, and their marriage lasted until his death. Due to her strong personality, she spoiled any other marriage for him, including his second marriage to Mrs. Fawzia Al-Ansari, who was working in the Umm Kulthum band. Alawia Jamil forced al-Meligy to divorce her on the third day of marriage. The matter was repeated when al-Maliji married for the third time to Mrs. Doria Ahmed, who was working in the Ismail Yassin band, and a month later, Alawia forced him to divorce her. As for the fourth and final marriage, it was in the seventies, when El-Meligy married the artist Sana Younes, and he agreed with her that it would be a secret marriage that no one knew about, out of his desire not to anger Alawiya Jamil. Sana Younes agreed to be called the spinster of the cinema, although she was married in secret in order to preserve her agreement with Mahmoud El-Meligy. Critic Tariq El-Shennawy revealed that she refused to announce the news even after Mahmoud El-Meligy’s death, in order to preserve the feelings of his first wife, and for that, she gave up her inheritance from him. She did not announce her marriage to Mahmoud El-Meligy until after the death of Alawia Jamil.

Awards and Honors

Mahmoud El-Meligy was a member of the National Acting Association, then a member of the National Acting Troupe. He was also appointed as a member of the Shura Council in 1980. He received many awards, including the Medal of Science and Arts in 1946, and the Cedar Medal from Lebanon for his total artwork in the same year. He also received the Gold Medal for Early Pioneers, the State Encouragement Award for Acting in 1972, as well as a Certificate of Appreciation on the Art Day in 1977, in recognition of his efforts and his prominent role in the field of art.

His Death

Mahmoud El-Meligy passed away on June 6, 1983 at the age of 72, following a sudden heart attack when he was preparing to shoot his last scenes in the movie “Ayoub”. Where he sat drinking a cup of coffee with Omar Sharif and a group of studio workers. He started talking about life, death, sleep and waking up, then leaned his head on Omar Sharif’s shoulder as if he had fallen into a deep sleep, and everyone thought that he was performing a scene, and when it took a long time, they tried to wake him from sleep, only to find that he had passed away.