Settle down, darlings, for another lesson in the splendour of classic Egyptian films. Today we have the big nightclub number from Ghazal al Binat, a 1949 hit starring the glamourous Laila Mourad, who may seem rather matronly to the modern eye but who was a major sensation in the Arab world. Co-starring with her in this dance is her then-husband, actor and director Anwar Wagdi.
The title is often translated as The Flirtation of Girls, although it's also the name in Egyptian Arabic for cotton candy, which would make just about as good a name for this amusing and feather-light tale of romance and bittersweet love. It provides an evocative glimpse into Cairo nightlife during the elegant postwar days of King Farouk.
Real buffs are advised to keep an eye out at about 1:19 for a special appearance by those inimitable Fabulon favorites, Thing 1 and Thing 2.
I think they wandered in from Madonna's "Erotica" video.
ReplyDelete