Zeinat Sedki (May 4, 1912 - March 2, 1978) was an Egyptian actress and comedian. She was one of the female comedy pioneers in the Egyptian cinema along with Mary Mounib and

Widad Hamdi Widad Hamdi ( ar, وداد حمدى) was an Egyptian actress. She starred in over 600 films during her lifetime, and almost all her roles were as a servant or maid. Early life and career Hamdi was born on March 7, 1924, in Kafr El-Sheikh, Egypt. ...

Biography

Zeinat Zedki was born Zeinab Mohamed Mosaad the May 4, 1912 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. She married a much older man at the age of 15 after her father forced her to drop out of school. She divorced a year later. after the death of her father, she began her career as a belly dancer, and joined an association of artists in the early 1930s. She ran away from home and joined a comedy theater troupe formed by

Naguib el-Rihani Naguib el-Rihani ( ar, نجيب الريحاني; January 21, 1889 in Cairo – June 8, 1949 in Alexandria) was an Egyptian film and stage actor. Biography Born in Bab El Shereya, Cairo to a middle class family. His father, a Christian who wor ...

where she performed a range of successful plays, among which was The Egyptian Pound (el Guineih el Masrî) in 1931. El-Rihani gave her the stage name Zeinat Sedki instead of her birth name Zeinab Mohamed Saad. She made her film debut in 1934 film by Mario Volpe ''The Accusation''. she credited her breakthrough to the movie “His Highness Wants to Marry” (1936). In this film, she plays the role of a maid of rural origin. She will later resume the same role on the boards in a theatrical adaptation written by Naguib el-Rihani and Badie Khairy. At the end of her career, she started having financial problems and started to sell her furniture in order to cover her expenses. In 1976, former Egyptian President Mohamed Anwar el-Sadat gave her an award at The Art Feast and granted her an exceptional pension.

Filmography

* 1934 : ''Al-ittihâm'' ' The Accusation '' film by Mario Volpe. * 1936 : ''Bisalamtouh ‘âwiz yitgawwiz'' ' Monsieur wants to get married '' film by Alexandre Farkache. * 1949 : ''’Ifrîtah hânim'' ' Madam the Devil '' film by

Henry Barakat Henry Antoun Barakat ( ar, هنري أنطون بركات, 11 June 1914, Cairo – 27 May 1997, Cairo) was a well known Egyptian film director. He was born in Shubra to a Melkite Greek Catholic father of Syro-Lebanese descent, and a Syro-Leb ...

. * 1950 : ''al-Batal'' ' The Hero '' film by

Helmy Rafla Helmy Rafla (May 15, 1909 – April 22, 1978; ar, حلمي رفلة) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, film producer, and make-up artist. He is considered one the most prominent Egyptian filmmakers. Biography Helmy Rafla was born ...

. * 1950 : ''al-Millionnaire'' The Millionaire ''">The Millionaire (1950 film)">The Millionaire '' film by Helmy Rafla. * 1952 : '' The Sweetness of Love'' * 1953 : ''Zalamounî al-habâyib'' ' Those I love have wronged me '' film by Helmy Rafla. * 1953 : ''Maw’id ma’ al-hayâh'' ' Rendezvous with life '' film by

Ezz El-Dine Zulficar Ezz El-Dine Ahmed Mourad Zulficar (Egyptian Arabic: عز الدين ذو الفقار, ; October 28, 1919 – July 1, 1963) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, actor and producer known for his distinctive style, which blends romance and ...

. * 1953 : ''Dahab'', film d’Anwar Wagdi. * 1954 : ''Qouloub al-nâs'' ' Human hearts '' film by

Hassan al-Imam Hassan al-Imam ( ar, حسن الإمام; March 6, 1919 in Mansoura, Egypt – January 29, 1988) was a prominent Egyptian film director. He was nicknamed the Box-office King, made three films listed in the Top 100 Egyptian films list. Early life ...

. * 1954 : ''al-Ânissah Hanafi'' ' Miss Hanafi ''">Miss_Hanafi.html" ;"title="' Miss Hanafi">' Miss Hanafi '' film by Fatin Abdel Wahab. * 1954 : ''al Malâk al-zâlim'' ['' The Unjust Angel ''], film by Hassan al-Imam. * 1954 : ''Innîh râhilah'' ['' I'm leaving ''], film by

. * 1955 : ''Madrasat al-banât'' ' The School for Girls '' film by Kamel el-Telmissany. * 1956: ''Al-Qalb louh ahkâm'' ' The heart has its reasons '' film by

Helmy Halim Helmy Halim, also Hilmi Halim ( ar, link=no, حلمي حليم; 1916 – 1971) was an Egyptian film director, screenwriter, and producer. He has worked with many stars like Omar Sharif, Salah Zulfikar, Ahmed Ramzy, Faten Hamama and Abdel Halim Ha ...

. * 1957 : ''Ibn Hamido'' ' Hamido's son ''">Hamido's_son.html" ;"title="' Hamido's son">' Hamido's son '' film by Fatin Abdel Wahab. * 1958 : ''Châri’ al-houbb'' ['' The Street of Love ''] film by Ezz El-Dine Zulficar. * 1960 : ''Hallâq al-sayyidât'' ['' Hairdresser for ladies ''], film by Fatin Abdel Wahab. * 1962: ''Gamâeyat Qatl al-Zawgât'' [''Wife Killing Society''], film by Hassan El-Seify. * 1975 : ''Bint ismouhâ Mahmoud'' ' A girl called Mahmoud '' film de

Niazi Mostafa Niazi Mostafa ( arz, نيازي مصطفى) was an Egyptian film director. Egyptian Cinema Egyptian movie critic Samīr Farīd wrote that Mostafa was one of " e most important directors in the history of Egyptian cinema". In 1936, he directed s ...

References

{{Authority control 1912 births 1978 deaths Egyptian actresses 20th-century Egyptian actresses