| merihan waly |
An Egyptian actor, writer, and producer, born in Bab Al Shaareia neighborhood, Cairo, Egypt. He is one of the most prominent pioneers of theater and cinema in the Arab world. His father was an Iraqi Mosul named Elias Rayhana, who worked in horse trading. He traveled to Egypt and settled in Cairo, where he married an Egyptian Coptic woman, with whom he had three children, including Naguib El Rehany.
He received his education at the French School of Frères in Cairo, and became famous for reciting Arabic poetry. After completing his basic studies, he began working as an employee at the Agricultural Bank, then worked as an employee at a sugar production company in Upper Egypt, and moved between Cairo and Upper Egypt.
He joined the George Abiad troupe, and the first play in which he appeared was "Salah Al-Din Al-Ayyubi". Then he formed a comedy troupe with Aziz Eid, but soon separated from him. In 1916, he joined the Abbaye des Roses cabaret on Al Alfi Street, and there he created the character Kechkech Bey, which became a distinctive trademark for him. It was a great success with the audience, so he set out to establish his own troupe.
With his friend Badie Khairy, he founded a comedy theater troupe that translated most of the French comedies into the Arabic language, and he was called "the leader of comic theater". In the period from 1920 - 1926, he presented many show operettas in which he relied on novels from A Thousand and One Nights.
He founded the modern Egyptian comedy theatre, and presented works that reflected society's problems in a satirical and classy style. Among his most famous plays are: Reign of Qaraqoush, Egyptian Pound, and When Life Smiles. His notable film credits include Salama Is Safe, Mr. Omar, and The Flirtation of Girls, which is considered his last film, and was released posthumously.
He was distinguished by his unique combination of comedy and tragedy, as he was able to make the audience laugh and cry at the same time, which earned him the nickname “The Tragicomic.”
He married the multi-talented artist Badiaa Masabny, then they separated, then he married a German woman named Lucie de Vernay, with whom he had their only daughter. He passed away on June 8, 1949, immediately after he finished filming The Flirtation of Girls, due to his infection with typhoid disease.
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