Four short clips make up this compilation.
1. The first is from the 1951 film ‘Malek al Petrol’ and it puts many of today’s revealing costumes to shame.
2. The dancer in the second clip is Abeer Kamal.
3. No name so far for the dancer in the third scene whose performance turns into an onstage brawl.
4. The dancer in the final clip is Nadia al Jundi.
Thank you to simozimo09 for the dancer ID for Abeer.
Monthly Archives: June 2014
Samia Gamal and Farid al Atrache
Katy (1953) كيتي
A short clip of Egyptian dancer Katy from the 1953 film ‘Ibn Thawat’. Katy (her name is also spelt Kitty, Keti and Katie) was born in Alexandria to a Greek father and Egyptian mother. She appeared in many movies from the 1950s through to the mid-1960s but left Egypt in mysterious circumstances after being implicated in a spy plot.
The film title is also spelt “Ibn Zawat” and means ‘Son of the Privileged’ though some sites call it ‘Gilded Youth’ or ‘Son of Nobles’. Anyway you get the gist. The film starred Ismail Yassin and like many of Yassin’s movies, it was written by Abo El Seoud El Ebiary. Ismail Yassin plays a wealthy young man living the high life in Cairo. His uncle decides he should marry and chooses a suitable girl to be the young man’s bride. When the uncle asks the girl to marry his nephew she tells him she can’t because she’s already in love with another man but her father refuses to let her marry her intended. Eventually the uncle finds out that the man in question is his nephew. The girl’s father relents and everyone lives happily ever after. The term ‘ibn zawat’ is used by awlad baladi almost as an insult, meaning a person who is soft and cares only about outward appearances.
Nagwa Fouad (1967) فؤاد نجوى
From the 1967 film “Shantat hamza” which starred Suhair al Murshidi, A’min al Hinidi, Mahmoud al Meliji and Lebleba.
Egyptian golden era bellydancer Katy كيتي
Samia Gamal (1952) سامية جمال
Video
Samia Gamal dances in a scene from the film ‘Al khad al gamil’ (The Beauty’s Cheek خد الجميل). The singer is Abdel Aziz Mahmoud (عبدالعزيز محمود). The film was released in December 1951 and starred Samia Gamal and Abdel Aziz Mahmoud (of course) along with Zomoroda, Mahmoud Shekuku, Mary Munib, Omar al Gizawy and Suad Mekawi.
Nagwa Fouad (1963) فؤاد نجوى
Nagwa Fouad in a scene from ‘Gawaz fi khatar’ (Marriage in Danger) a 1963 film starring Nadia Lutfi, Ahmad Ramzi and Abdel Meneim Ibrahim.
Egyptian dancers (1982)
Dancing in ‘civies’ from the 1982 film ‘Ana mish haramia’ (I’m not a thief).
Shamadan
A shamadan (candelabra) performance. This clip is from an old VHS tape that’s been copied so many times that by the time I bought a copy the colour was completely gone leaving only black and white but I believe the dancer was wearing blue. Still, for us dancers, its invaluable as a archive piece. If anyone can ID the dancer I’d be very grateful too.
Egyptian bellydancer from the 1960s
Video
I have no info at all on this clip. A film scene with a young Farid Shawki. Any IDs on the dancer please?