Leila Mourad
Leila Mourad or Layla Morad (Arabic: ليلى مراد; February 17, 1918 – November 21, 1995) was an Egyptian singer and actress, and one of the most prominent superstars in Egypt and the entire Arab world in her era. Born Lilian Zaki Ibrahim Mourad to an Egyptian Jewish family, known for their patriotism in 1918 in the El Daher District in Cairo, she later changed her name to Leila Mourad as a stage-name. She made her first stage appearance, aged nine, at the Saalat Badi'a, one of Cairo's most successful Music Halls. The theatre had been founded in 1926 by the actress and dancer Badia Masabni, who became Mourad's patron. Her first film appearance, aged fifteen, was in the 1932 " Al-Dahaaya " (The Victims) which had originally been made as a silent film. Her song, The Day of Departure, was added as part of the transformation of the production into a "talkie". She was trained by her father and Dawood Hosni, who was also Jewish. Hosni had composed the first operetta in the Arabic language, and he composed two songs for Leila: Hairana Leh Bein El-Eloub (Why can't you choose from among lovers), and Howa el dala'a ya'ani khessam (Does daliance mean avoiding me?). Further success came when the prominent Egyptian composer Mohammed Abdel Wahab heard her singing and gave her a role in his film Yahia el Hob (Viva Love!) in 1938. In the six years following the success of Yahia el Hob she made five best selling films with director Togo Mizrahi, becoming Egypt's top actress. In 1945 she made Layla Bint al-Fuqara ("Layla, daughter of the poor") directed by Anwar Wagdi whom she married shortly after. She went on to make a further 20 films of which the most outstanding is Ghazel el-Banat ("The Flirtation of Girls"), also directed and co-starring Wagdi. It also featured Nagib al-Rihani and Abdel Wahab in their last appearances on film. In 1953, she was selected as the official singer of the Egyptian revolution. Shortly thereafter, a rumor that Mourad had visited Israel and donated money to its military raised suspicions of spying and caused some Arab radio stations to boycott her. She denied these allegations, no proof was found; and the charges against the singer were eventually dropped. Her decision to retire, aged 38, came with the failure of her last film, Al Habib al Majhoul (The Unknown Lover), the banning of her song, With Unity, Order, and Work, praising the Free Officers 1952 revolution and the outbreak of the 1956 war. Despite the immense popularity of her films, her singing career was over-shadowed by Um Kulthum who dominated Egypt's musical landscape. Leila Mourad made a few brief reappearances during Ramadan in 1970, when she was scheduled to read Salah Jaheen's "Fawazeer Ramadan" (Ramadan' puzzles), a daily traditional radio program held during the Holy month of Ramadan. Leila Mourad died in a Cairo hospital in 1995.
The Flirtation of Girls
as ليلى بنت الباشاHamam is a poor Arabic language teacher who gets sacked from a girls' elementary school for not...
Movie pageThe Lady on the Train
as Fekreyya Fawzy / Nadia Farid / ZakeyyaFikria is a singer who's married to Farid ,the gambling addict. When she's traveling by train,...
Movie pageLong Live Love!
as Nadia Mohammed Pasha TaherMohamed Fathy rents a new apartment facing the palace of Taher Pasha, Nadia's father. A...
Movie pageBent Al-Akaber
as LaylaLaila is a beautiful and delicate woman. She lives with her grandfather in the Grand Palace, and...
Movie pageLeila, Daughter of the Poor
as LailaLaila lives in the Sayeda Zeinab district. A woman invites her to her palace and introduces her...
Movie pageSolomon's Ring
as Layla El SharkawyMusical from the Egyptian Golden Age of cinema.
Movie pageLove and Youth
as MisbahSameer is an unemployed young man. His father forces him to work in a shop. He meets Misbah, a...
Movie pageLayla the Country Girl
as ليلىLaila is a rich rural girl raised by her aunt who succeeds in marrying her off to her son, a...
Movie pageFlowers of Love
as ElhamLatif, Abdul-Ghani’s son, asks to marry Elham, Tayseer’s daughter. Elham refuses this marriage....
Movie pageLeila, ghadet el camelia
as ليلىA night film adapted from the story of Ghada al-Kamiliya produced in 1942 and directed by Togo...
Movie pageHabib el-Rooh
as LeilaThe famous artist Youssef Fahmy discovers Laila's talent for singing. He encourages her to sing...
Movie pageLayla The Schoolgirl
as ليلىThe strict lawyer Yusuf receives his orphan cousin Laila at his place after she finishes her...
Movie pageLayla in the dark
as ليلىHussein and Laila are children who pledge to love. Circumstances separate them and they meet...
Movie pageLife is Love
as LaylaLayla is a volunteer nurse at the red crescent helping the injured in Palestinian war. She falls...
Movie pageThe Victims
as uncreditedGalal is a policeman who devotes his time to his job. He loves his cousin Bahiga, but she cannot...
Movie pageEl Habeb El Maghool
as LaylaLaila falls for Dr. Hussein who decides to marry her so that he could take on the responsibility...
Movie pageLayla, Daughter of the Rich
as Laila/FarhanaLaila is a wealthy girl, with a father who has no will and a domineering wife. Her stepmother...
Movie pageVictims of Love
as Wafaa Al-JazzarTwo teenagers fall in love, but their feuding families and fate itself cause the relationship to...
Movie pageAnbar
as AnbarVim Anbar is a lyrical comedy film starring Laila Murad and Anwar Wagdy with a group of stars...
Movie pageAdam and Eve
as FatimaTwo friends, Sami, a journalist, and Mukhtar, a businessman, marry two sisters, Fatima and Azza,...
Movie pageShore of Love
as uncreditedLeila Mourad one of the Orient's Divas stars in this classic musical romance as a poor girl who...
Movie pageMen Al-Qalb Lel Qalb
as HudaLatfa works in cabarets and earns money by hunting and deceiving customers. Sherif Bey, a friend...
Movie pageSinger of the Valley
as uncreditedAfter the artist Wahid Fakhry travels around the world, he returns to Egypt to search for new...
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