Since its inception, a good observer of Egyptian cinema notes that it used to quote most of its films from foreign films, as filmmakers reproduce foreign films after adding the Egyptian spirit to them, in line with the nature, customs, and traditions of Arab society. So let’s be surprised by hundreds of films adapted, some of which were successfully Egyptianized and witnessed great success, while others failed miserably.
While the makers of the adaptations justify this as similarity of ideas, the citations are evident in some of the works to the extent that they match the basic idea of the film, the execution of the scenes, the dialogue between the heroes, and may even reach the movie poster as well. Thus, we find that the majority of the owners of the quoted works refuse to refer in their works to the original source of the idea as it is supposed from a literary point of view, but rather deliberately ignore that, hoping that no one will notice this similarity, which does not respect the mentality of the viewer, who may see that refraining from mentioning that the film is quoted is Complete theft crime.
Although the audience and critics do not reject the adaptation in its entirety, they object to the reproduction of scenes and dialogue. This matter is closer to facilitation, public theft, and abuse of intellectual property rights, for which there is no justification other than the intellectual bankruptcy and creative poverty of authors and screenwriters. In this article, we will review with you the most prominent Egyptian films quoted from foreign films.
A day in my life 1961
One Day of My Life is based on the 1953 American movie Roman Holiday. The two films discussed the story of a journalist who wants to conduct a dialogue with an important figure while meeting another simple girl and helping her, not knowing that she is the same famous character. While that character in the foreign version was a princess, she toured several European cities until she reached Rome. In the Egyptian version, we find her the daughter of a businessman coming from Switzerland after an absence of 5 years. “Nadia” flees from the airport after learning of her stepmother’s desire to marry her. “Salah” meets the journalist and his friend “Younes,” the photographer, and spends the night with them. The feelings of love grow between “Nadia” and “Salah”, who discovers in the morning that she is the daughter of the fugitive millionaire, who commissioned him the editor-in-chief wrote a press report about it. It is worth noting that the film stars Zubeida Tharwat, Abdel Haim Hafez and Abdel Salam Al Nabulsi.
Thieves but cute 1968
Thieves but Cute, based on the 1955 American movie The Lady Killers. The two films revolve around a gang trying to steal a house by entering it from another house. We meet Ahmed Mazhar and Adel Imam, or the thieves “Hamed” and “Ismail” who want to rob a jewelry store by digging in the floor of the apartment above the shop, in which a young couple lives. However, they meet “Madame Chucho”, the annoying neighbor who thinks they are the brother of the owner of the apartment, and there are many funny situations between them, before the police can arrest the thief while stealing the jewels.
The pursuit for a scandal 1973
The movie the pursuit for a scandal is an adaptation of the American movie Guide for The Married Man that was produced in 1967 The general theme of the two films is similar in that a person who turns to a polyamorous friend for advice gets into a lot of trouble. Where Adel Imam presented the story of the engineer “Magdy” who came from Upper Egypt to Cairo to receive a new job, and works to implement his father’s advice to search for a beautiful wife to improve the family line. Magdy turns to his friend Sami, who has long experience in female relations, to help him reach the heart of Hanan, the beautiful girl he saw in the club. In a comic context, “Sami” gives his advice to his friend and supports it with previous experiences of his friends, so “Magdy” falls into many embarrassing situations.
The world of children 1976
The world of children is an adaptation of the American Movie Yours, Mine and Ours that was produced in 1968 The idea of the two films revolves around a man and a woman who each have a large number of children from previous marriages, who fall in love with each other amid their suffering from the children’s differences. In the Egyptian version, we find the hero “Helmy Abdel-Qadir”, a widowed petroleum engineer with eight children, played by Rushdy Abaza, and “Samia”, the widow and mother of six children, played by Samira Ahmed. The two meet by chance and fall in love and decide to marry, and the couple moves with the children to live in one house, to meet many funny problems due to the large number of children and the differences between them .
Take care of your neighbors 1979
The movie Keep Take Care of Your Neighbors is based on the American movie “Bare Foot in The Park”, which was produced in 1967. The two films share the main theme of the problems that a newlywed young man and girl have with their eccentric neighbors. So we meet the young lawyer, “Ahmed al-Qabouri”, who recently married his bride, “Nawal Mokhtar”, and she rented a furnished apartment. The husband collides with many problems with his neighbors because of their interference in his marital life, and their exploitation of his apartment in unexpected ways. The wife begins to neglect her home and her husband, which affects his work greatly, and in the end the husband makes a decisive decision to cut his relations with the neighbors. It is reported that the Egyptian version of the film starring Leblba, Adel Imam and Fouad Al-Mohandes .
Hamada and Tutu gang 1982
The movie Hamada and Toto gang is based on the American movie “Fun with Dick and Jane”, which was produced in 1977. The two films review the story of a couple who together form a gang of theft, after they face financial hardship as a result of the husband being fired from work. Where the hero of the Egyptian version, Adel Imam or “Hamada”, loses his job, after his manager “Hassan Balbaa” stole his idea for a new project to develop the company and attributed it to himself. “Hamada” and his wife “Toto” or Lebleba, succeed in establishing their own company and become major businessmen, and decide to take revenge on the manager and steal him, until the arrest of the couple after several months.
Five door 1983
Five Doors is based on the 1963 American movie Irma La Deuce. The two films take place in a neighborhood famous for practicing prostitution, where a police officer falls in love with one of the girls of the night. Where Adel Imam, who presents the character of the officer “Mansour”, tries to resist corruption and immoral acts, he is caught after setting up an accusation against him, which causes him to be dismissed from his job. Mansour has a love affair with the night girl, Taraji, who is forced by her son’s illness to work in prostitution after her husband’s death. “Abbas”, the pimp and thug with whom Taraji works, gets angry about her relationship with “Mansour”, so he enters into a long conflict with him and kidnaps Taraji’s son to pressure her to return to work with him.
Tit for tat 1984
Tit for tat is based on the 1961 American movie Lover Come Back. The two films review the competition and fierce conflict between a young man and a girl who work in the field of advertising. We meet “Salah” and “Maisa”, who work in two competing advertising agencies, and each seeks to win advertising campaigns in his own way. While the heroine insists on legitimate competition, the hero resorts to illegal methods such as alcohol and the exploitation of women. Salah gets involved in an advertising campaign for a fake product called “Al Fankoush”, then uses Dr. Ayoub to manufacture this product to market. At a time when Maisa seeks to prove that he is a swindler, the two heroes meet by chance and Salah introduces himself as Dr. Ayoub. Maysa falls in love with him, and wakes up one day to find herself married to him and discovers that he is her rival at work. It is worth noting that the film stars Mervat Amin Adel Imam.
Farewell my friend 1986
Farewell, my friend, is an adaptation of the French-Italian movie Borsellino, which was produced in 1970. The film, in its foreign and Egyptian versions, highlighted the strong friendship that brought together the two heroes of the film, as they work together in a simple business, but they collide with major businessmen. Where “Marzouk”, played by Adel Imam, and “Barakat”, played by Saeed Saleh, began to trade watermelons in partnership with “Duck”, whom the two friends fall in love with, and “Marzouk” gives up his love to take into account the feelings of his friend who proposed to her, and one night Wedding “Barakat” is killed by one of the competing merchants, so Marzouk avenges the death of his friend, by killing the competing merchant and his gang members.
Devil’s Island 1990
Devil’s Island is based on the 1984 American movie Wet Gold. Both films dealt with the story of a girl who goes on a journey to find a treasure of gold submerged in the sea. Where “Fatima” finds a map showing the location of the sunken ship near Devil’s Island in Horchata, and she agrees with her neighbor to finance the search trip in return for part of the treasure. And she resorts to “Jalal” to train them to dive until they extract the gold. She confesses to him the story of the sinking ship and the treasure inside. Once they succeed in reaching the place of gold, a gang chases them to get the treasure. It forces them to extract all the gold, and when the gang kills them, “Jalal” manages to blow up the boat sank gold for the second time. It is reported that the film stars Yusra, Adel Imam, Ahmed Ratib, and Mostafa Metwally.
The Emperor 1990
The Emperor is based on the 1983 American movie Scarface. The two films review the journey of a young man’s rise in the world of drugs. The Egyptian version succeeded greatly in presenting the idea in an Egyptian way, staring Ahmed Zaki, who played the role of Al Pacino from the foreign version, where the events revolve around the young “Zeinhom” who escapes from Upper Egypt to Cairo in search of a livelihood He gets involved in the world of drug trade until he becomes the largest dealer in the market after getting rid of the drug dealer he used to work for at the beginning. After that, Zeinhom falls into the trap of addiction and begins to get rid of everyone who stands in his way, even killing his best friend because he suspects his wife is cheating on him.
Shams Al-Zanati 1991
Shams El-Zanati is based on the 1960 American movie The Magnificent Seven. It is in turn adapted from the Japanese movie Seven Samurai, which was released in 1954. The film presented the story of an oasis village under attack by an armed gang led by Marshal Borai. Sheikh “Atman,” the sheik of the tribe, travels to Cairo to buy weapons to confront the gang, and he hires a person named “Shams Al-Zanati” to help him defend the village. Shams Al-Zanati gathers six of his old friends to help the villagers, but as a result of the betrayal of one of the villagers, Marshal Borai overpowers them, seizes their weapons, and expels them. On their way back to Cairo, they succeed in stealing a car loaded with weapons, so they return to the village to continue the battle. Five of them are martyred, but they win in the end, and the town gets rid of the armed gang and its leader. The film stars Sawsan Badr, Adel Imam and Mahmoud Hamida.
A Message to the Governor 1998
A message to the Governor is based on the 1993 French film Les Visiteurs. The main idea of the two films revolves around time travel. The difference between them is that the one who transported the hero to the future in the foreign version was a flying saucer. In contrast, in the Egyptian version, a magician lives in the cave that the hero Adel Imam entered, who presents the character “Harfoush bin Barquq al-Rakdar” to hide from the soldiers of the Fraser campaign. “Harfoush” moves from the nineteenth century to the twentieth century, when he suffers a cultural shock and fails to deal with the changes of the era, especially after he is arrested and placed in a mental hospital. And she smuggled him.
The following memo has just come through.
“The following memo has just come through” is based on the 1994 American movie I Love Trouble. The two films presented the story of the professional competition and struggle between two journalists. And the Egyptian version of the film starring Hanan Turk and Mohamed Henedy, and they play the role of journalist “Nader Seif El-Din” and journalist “Effat El-Sherbiny.” They work for a satellite channel and discover a dangerous secret behind a dairy factory owned by a famous businessman. The factory sells milk containing raw materials. Carcinogenic; Nader and Effat leave their differences aside and vow to reveal the truth to the public. Instead, they are exposed to a series of dramatic events.
Prince of Darkness 2002
The Prince of Darkness is based on the 1992 American movie Scent of a Woman. The two films share the general theme of a former soldier who lost his sight while serving the country. The military pilot, Saeed Al-Masry, lost his sight in the October war. Still, he refuses to admit his helplessness because of his love for life and passion for adventure. Saeed lives in a home for the blind, has a loving and respectful relationship with his fellow blind people, and strives to make them happy and teach them the meaning of optimism and love of life. The Egyptian film dealt with its idea in a satirical comedy framework. At the same time, the American version presented it tragically and dramatically. It is worth mentioning that the Egyptian version of the film starring Leblba, Adel Imam, and Fouad Al-Mohandes.
A groom from a security agency 2004
Based on the American movie “Father of The Bride, ” a groom from a security agency,” produced in 1991. In a comic framework, the two films review the story of a father who is very attached to his only daughter and his reaction when his daughter grows up and wants to marry. In the Egyptian version, Adel Imam presented the character of “Khattab al-Najari,” the father who is jealous of his only daughter, “Habiba,” and rejects all the men who propose to her, until the daughter fell in love with Major “Tariq Abdel Jalil,” who works in an important security agency. Then, the father begins to put obstacles in front of the groom to disrupt the marriage, which takes place under heavy security. Even after the wedding is completed, the father tries to keep the husband away from his wife so that he can take possession of his daughter, so he seeks to transfer “Tariq” from Cairo to Aswan, but “Habiba” decides to leave her father and travel from her husband.
Tito 2004
The movie “Tito” is adapted from the French movie Lèon: The Professional, produced in 1994. It tells the story of a professional gangster who decided to leave his life of crime, become a good human being and find the girl of his dreams. The hero of the Egyptian version is Ahmed El-Sakka, who plays the role of “Taher Abdel-Hay Suleiman” or “Tito,” who is a street child and has been stealing from his childhood, which led to him entering the reformatory. After his release, he worked for a person impersonating the name “Ramzi.” At the same time, he is a corrupt police officer named “Refaat.” diabetes.” After making a fortune, Tito decides to start a new life away from crime and theft. He meets a young businessman, Faris, to become friends and open a restaurant together. Fares gets to know Fares’s cousin, Nour, an expert on street children’s issues, and they fall in love. Ramsey returns to ask Tito for the last operation to get rid of a rival officer who wants to trap him. Still, Tito refuses to participate, so the corrupt policeman decides to destroy his life in all ways, even plotting a cunning ploy to kill him for fear of exposure.
Seventh sense...2005
The Seventh Sense is based on the 2000 American movie What Women Want. The two films deal with the idea of being able to listen to the ideas of others, and while the hero of the foreign version, Mel Gibson, exploited his ability to understand the nature of women and their inner desires so that he could promote their own advertising products, the hero of the Egyptian version, Ahmed El-Fishawy, exploited his ability to excel in the sport of kung fu, and to overcome his opponents, As well as getting close to the girl I love. And that is through the character of “Yahya Al-Masry,” the introverted young man who seeks to achieve fame by defeating the world champion in kung fu. Still, in return, he loses his family, friends, and girlfriend. Hence, he decides to give up that ability in exchange for restoring his normal life.
Shall we dance 2006
The movie Shall We Dance is based on the American movie Shall We Dance, produced in 2004. However, in the Egyptian version, the events were changed for Yousra to play the role of artist Richard Gere. The story revolves around a middle-aged woman named “Salwa” who suffers from apathy and monotony in her married life and lacks a sense of happiness. Still, she finds in learning to dance an outlet that helps her overcome life’s adversities. Still, she faces a problem in society’s acceptance of this matter, especially her husband, who doubted her behavior and accused her of adultery and divorced her, to finally discover his wife’s sincerity, so he learns to dance and participates with her in a competition, and returns her to his infallibility after dancing restores happiness in their lives.
The Tourbini 2007
The Emperor is based on the 1988 American movie Scarface. The two films tell the story of two brothers, one of whom has autism, while the other seeks to obtain his inheritance. Where Ahmed Rizk plays the role of “Mohsen,” a young man with autism, whose older brother, “Karim” or Sherif Mounir, covets to obtain his share of their father’s inheritance after his death to pay off his accumulated debts by filing a lawsuit to obtain the wills of his brother, so he seeks to prove His autism makes his brother unable to manage his money on his own, so he can sell his share of his father’s farm. However, “Karim” makes up for his mistake, especially after he gets close to his brother and enters his innocent world, so he retracts the sale of the land, sells all his property to pay off the debts, and asks his brother to live together on the farm and use it to grow orange trees that Mohsen loves.