Togo Mizrahi ( arz, توجو مزراحى) (June 2, 1901 – June 5, 1986) was an Egyptian director, actor, producer, and screenwriter. Mizrahi was a prolific filmmaker best known for making popular comedies and musicals. Between 1930 and 1946, he directed 30 Arabic-speaking films and four Greek speaking films, and he produced several films directed by other filmmakers.

Early life

Joseph Elie Mizrahi was born in

Alexandria Alexandria ( or ; ar, ٱلْإِسْكَنْدَرِيَّةُ ; grc-gre, Αλεξάνδρεια, Alexándria) is the second largest city in Egypt, and the largest city on the Mediterranean coast. Founded in by Alexander the Great, Alexandria ...

Egypt Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediter ...

to a

Jew Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""Th ...

ish family with

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

nationality. As a child he adopted the nickname, Togo, after

Admiral Togo Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet ...

, commemorating Japan's victory over Russia in the

Russo-Japanese War The Russo-Japanese War ( ja, 日露戦争, Nichiro sensō, Japanese-Russian War; russian: Ру́сско-япóнская войнá, Rússko-yapónskaya voyná) was fought between the Empire of Japan and the Russian Empire during 1904 and 1 ...

Career

In 1929 Mizrahi established a studio in Alexandria, Egypt, and founded a production company, The Egyptian Films Company. He produced films in Alexandria until 1939, when he moved to Cairo. Over the course of his career, Mizrahi worked with many popular actors and musicians. He made a number of comedies starring Chalom (Leon Angel), Ali al-Kassar, and Fawzi al-Jazayirli. He directed five films starring singer

Leila Mourad Leila Mourad or Layla Morad ( ar, 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 M ...

. His film, ''Sallama''(1945), starring the Egyptian diva,

Umm Kulthum Umm Kulthum ( ar, أم كلثوم, , also spelled ''Oum Kalthoum'' in English; born Fatima Ibrahim es-Sayyid el-Beltagi, ar, فاطمة إبراهيم السيد البلتاجي, Fāṭima ʾIbrāhīm es-Sayyid el-Beltāǧī, link=no; 31 Dece ...

, is thought to be her best performance on screen. He also worked with

Youssef Wahbi Youssef Abdallah Wahbi Qotb ( ar, يوسف عبد الله هديب وهبي قطب) (14 July 1902 – 17 October 1982) was an Egyptian stage and film actor and director, a leading star of the 1930s and 1940s and one of the most prominent ...

Amina Rizk Amina Rizk ( ar, أمينة رزق; April 15, 1910 – August 24, 2003) was a classic Egyptian actress who appeared in around 208 artworks including more than 70 movies between 1928 and 1996. She was calm in her later years, but described as a ...

, and

Anwar Wagdi Anwar Wagdi or Wagdy ( ar, أنور وجدي, ; 11 October 1904 – 14 May 1955), born Anwar Wagdi Yehia El Fattal, was an Egyptian actor, screenwriter, director and producer. Life Anwar was born in the Cairo district of El Daher, Cairo. His ...

. Mizrahi directed actors

Taheyya Kariokka Taheyya Kariokka ( ar, تحية كاريوكا) also Tahiya Carioca (born Badaweya Mohamed Kareem Ali Elnedany), (February 22, 1915 – September 20, 1999) was an Egyptian belly dancer and film actress. Early life Born in the Egyptia ...

and

Ismail Yassine Ismail Yassine (also credited as ''Ismail Yasseen''; ar, إسماعيل ياسين ; 15 September 1912 - 24 May 1972) was an Egyptian comedian actor, and is considered as one of the greatest comedians in Egypt. Personal life Ismail Yassine ha ...

in their screen debuts.

Filmography

Arabic Films

* 1930: Cocaine or The Abyss (el kokaïn) (el Hâwya) * 1932: 5001 (khamsat âlaf wa wâhid) * 1933: Sons of Egypt (Awlâd Misr) * 1934: The Two Delegates (el Mandoubân) * 1935: Doctor Farahat (el Doktor Farhât) * 1935: Shalom the Interpreter (Shalom el tourgmân) * 1935: The Sailor (el bahhâr) * 1936: A Hundred Thousand Pounds (Mit alf guinih) * 1936: The Guard of the Barracks (Khafir el darak) * 1937: Too Much Money is a Nuisance (el ‘Izz bahdalah) * 1937: Shalom the Athlete (Shalom el riyâdî) * 1937: Seven o'clock (el Sâ‘ah Sab‘ah) * 1938: The Telegram (el Telegraf) * 1938: This is my nature! (Anâ tab ī Kidah) * 1939: Osman and Ali (‘Othman wa ‘Ali) * 1939: Lend me Three Pounds (Sallifnî talâtah guinîh) * 1939: A Rainy Night (Laylah moumtirah) * 1940: The Chief Contractor (el Bâchmouqâwil) * 1940: The Heart of a Woman (Qalb imira’ah) * 1941: The Three Musketeers (el Foursân el thalâthah) * 1941: Laila from the Countryside (Layla bint el rif) * 1941: One Thousand and One Nights (Alf Lailah wa Lailah) * 1941: Laila the School Girl (Layla bint el madâris) * 1942: Laila (Layla) * 1942: Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves (‘Ali Bâbâ wa-l-arba'in harâmi) * 1943: The Right Path (el Tariq el moustaqîm) * 1943: Long live Women! (Tahyâ el sittât) * 1944: Laila in the Dark (Layla fi-l-zalâm) * 1944: Lies, Lies! (Kidb fi kidb) * 1944: Nour Eddine and the Three Sailors (Nour Eddine wa-l-bahhârah el thalâthah) * 1945: Sallama (Sallâmah) * 1945: Long live Men! (Tahyâal-riggâlah) *

Greek-Speaking Films

* 1937: Δκρ· Επαμινόνδας Doctor Epaminondas (Doktor Epaminondes) * 1938: Προσφυγοπούλα The Girl Refugee (Prosfigopoula) * 1938: Όταν ο σήζυγος ταξιδυει When the Husband is Absent (Otan o syzygos taxidevi) * 1943: Καπετάνιος Σκορπιός Captain Scorpion (Kapetan Skorpios) *

Arabic Films produced by Togo Mizrahi and directed by others

* 1944: The Son of the Blacksmith (Ibn el haddâd) * 1944: Mohamed Ali Street (Shâri’ Mouhammad ‘Ali) * 1945: Appearances (el Mazâhir) * 1945: The Great Artist (el Fannân el 'azîm) * 1945: Love Story (Qissat gharâm) * 1946: Divine Providence (Yadu Allah) * 1946: Love Train (Express el houbb) * 1946: Beauty Queen (Malikat el gamâl)

End of Career

In 1946, Mizrahi was accused of Zionist collaboration. Although he seemed poised for a comeback in 1949, Mizrahi never made another movie. In 1952, he appointed his brother Alfred Mizrahi to oversee daily operations of the Egyptian Films Company. Mizrahi left Egypt and settled in Rome, where he died on June 5, 1986.

References

External links

*
Togo Mizrahi
on Alex Cinema.
Media related to Togo Mizrahi

Elcinema.comStarr, Deborah. Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema, University of California Press, open access, 2020.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mizrahi, Togo 1901 births 1986 deaths Egyptian Jews Egyptian male film actors Egyptian screenwriters Egyptian film directors People from Alexandria 20th-century Egyptian male actors 20th-century screenwriters