Remembering legendary Mahmoud el Meliguy

CAIRO - 10 June 2018, Mahmoud el Meliguy, the Egyptian Anthony Quin, passed away on June 6, 1983 while filming his last role in the movie "Ayoub" directed by Hany Lasheen.
Meliguy was born on December 22, 1910 in Cairo's District of El-Darb El-Ahmar and was married to Alwiya Gamal who was an Egyptian actress of Lebanese origins. Meliguy appeared in over 100 films and he was famous for his excellent portrayal of mischievous characters in many films. Meliguy made his acting debut in 1933 in a film called "The Wedding" directed by Fatma Roushdi who discovered his talent in a school performance in Al-Azbakya Theatre. The movie was not successful but that did not stop him from continuing to pursue his passion.

In 1939, Meliguy appeared in his first cinematic role as a villain in "Qays and Laila" directed by Ibrahim Lama and soon he appeared as a star in the movie "Lasto Mallak" (I’m Not An Angel) through which he earned the title "Villain of The Screen" due to his incredible capability of portraying this character.

Meliguy initially had a passion for music and singing and attended vocal lessons at school against his father’s will. He then attended boxing lessons which he left behind when he found his passion for acting; his boxing lessons somehow inspired him to perform all these mischievous characters.

Because of the predominance of melancholic movies in this period, Meliguy used to play the villain role in 20 Films per year. However, Meliguy was keen to play different types of characters; he was also able to make an appearance in the action movie "Son of The Devil" directed by Hossam el din Moustafa in 1969 due to his ability to use his physical strength.

In 1952, he portrayed the role of Egyptian leader Moustafa Kamel's brother; he also played the role of a helpless, drunk father in a movie called "Days and Nights" and played the role of a French lawyer in "Djamilah".

One of his most Prominent roles was in the movie "The Land" directed by Youssef Chahine in 1970. In his role in "The Land", Meliguy perfectly portrayed the Egyptian people's suffering under the British occupation. This film earned him the titles "The Ghoul" by his colleagues and "Anthony Quin of the East".

His death ended his life-long career of impressive unforgettable performances. He might not be here with us, but he will always live through his incredible movies and well played characters.