In some alternative universe - a universe, perhaps, which was spared the deadening effects of Islamism on Arab culture - it would be no surprise that this clip is from an Egyptian film from 1955:
The film is A Glass and a Cigarette, "a captivating classic from the golden age of Egyptian cinema":
The film features several of the era’s brightest stars, including the illustrious Samia Gamal as Hoda, a famous dancer who gives up the spotlight to marry and start a family with Mamdouh, a handsome young doctor who is just beginning his career. When Mamdouh’s scheming Italian head nurse Yolanda (played with gusto by the radiant Dalida) sets her sights on Mamdouh, Hoda’s jealousy drives her to drink, ultimately endangering everything she holds dear.
The "radiant Dalida", seen here doing her Rita Hayworth bit while the host couple exchange meaningful looks, moved to Paris and became something of a star before taking an overdose of barbiturates in 1987 at the age of 54 - "La vie m'est insupportable... Pardonnez-moi". Tragedy, indeed, seems to have followed her around:
Her first husband, Lucien Morisse, committed suicide several years after her divorce. Two of her lovers, Luigi Tenco and Richard Chanfray also took their own lives.
But back to the film...
This is great: sultry chanteuse Kouka holds forth, armed with the eponymous glass and cigarette, while Samia Gamal gyrates with a kind of belly-dance laced with a hint of tango and a dash of Hollywood.
Sadly, they don't make them like that any more.
If you want more Samia Gamal - and why wouldn't you? - try this.
Enjoyed this. Would not have found it myself. Thanks for posting.
Posted by: Animal | June 28, 2011 at 09:41 PM