Studio Misr (Eng: "Egypt Studio"), also known as Studios Misr, is a film studio established in Giza, Egypt, in 1935 by the economist Talaat Harb. Owned and staffed by Egyptians, it is known as "The Studio of Egypt". For three decades, it was the Egyptian equivalent to Hollywood's major studios.[1]
 | |
Native name | ستوديو مصر |
|---|---|
| Company type | Film studio |
| Industry | Film production |
| Founded | 7 March 1935 |
| Founder | Talaat Harb |
| Headquarters | |
Area served | North Africa • Middle East |
| Products | Films |
| Owner | Egyptian Acting and Cinema Company |
| Parent | Banque Misr |
History
editBackground
editEconomist and financier Talaat Harb, realised the cultural and economic impact of cinema, as films began to be made in the 1920s. At a time when feature films were being made in a few very basic film studios established first in Alexandria and then Cairo, he created the Misr Company for Acting and Cinema (MCAC), also known as Egyptian Acting and Cinema Company, which produced documentaries to promoted the Egyptian film industry.[2]
After realising that feature films were the future of the industry, he laid the groundwork for a studio which would to provide facilities for local filmmakers to shoot and edit feature films in Egypt. He first sent four young men (Ahmed Badrakhan, Maurice Kassab, Mohamed Abdel Azim, and Hassan Mourad) to study in Germany, which then led the world in film production. Harb then recruited experts in various aspects of filmmaking, employed director Fritz Kramp, and purchased the latest equipment. He built a state-of-the-art auditorium, Cinema Studio Misr, to help finance further equipment needed for the new studio. The luxurious new cinema was located in Emad al-Din Street, replacing an old cinema.[2]
Opening and success
editThe new studio, known as Studio Misr, or Studios Misr according to the signage outside the building, was officially opened on 12 October 1935.[2]
Studio Misr's first film was Weddad (1936), the first film to star the singer Umm Kulthum.[3]
In 1939 Studio Misr made four films, including The Will (1939), out of a total of fifteen Egyptian films. Facing difficulty raising capital in the 1940s, Studio Misr reduced its emphasis on direct film production, increasingly renting out its development, printing and editing facilities to other Arab filmmakers.[4]
World War II
editDuring World War II, many poor-quality but commercially successful films were created by people wanting to earn profit, and the studio was affected by this type of competition.[2]
In 1946, Studio Misr made three films - including Black Market (1946) - out of a total of 52 Egyptian films.[4]
Nationalisation
editIn 1960, the studio was nationalised by the government of Gamal Abdel Nasser.[5]
Demise
editThe studio later changed hands several times, but it never regained its former success, and eventually fell into disrepair and later closed.[2]
Significance and impact
editSeveral other studios were founded in Cairo in the wake of the success of Misr, including Al-Ahram,[2] Nassibian[6] (incorrectly spelt Nassabian[2] or Nasabian[7] in some sources), Galal, and Nahhas, although none attained the same stature.[2]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Darwish, Mustafa, Dream Makers on the Nile: A Portrait of Egyptian Cinema, The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo, 1998, pp. 12–13.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Ramzy, Kamal (2018). "The Dream Factory: The Story of Studio Misr". Rawi. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
This article was first published in print in RAWI's Issue 9, 2018
- ^ Terri Ginsberg; Chris Lippard (2010). Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema. Scarecrow Press. p. 42. ISBN 978-0-8108-6090-2.
- ^ a b Armbrust, Walter (2004). "Egyptian cinema on screen and off". In Andrew Shryock (ed.). Off Stage/on Display: Intimacy and Ethnography in the Age of Public Culture. Stanford University Press. pp. 79–84. ISBN 978-0-8047-5007-3.
- ^ Determann, J.M. (2020). Islam, Science Fiction and Extraterrestrial Life: The Culture of Astrobiology in the Muslim World. Bloomsbury Publishing. p. 87. ISBN 978-0-7556-0130-1. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ Salama, Samir (3 November 2021). "Egypt: Fire guts iconic Nassibian Studio Theatre". Mena – Gulf News. Retrieved 21 March 2024.
- ^ "Revolution in Iran". Middle East Review. Special Studies. 12 (4). American Academic Association for Peace in the Middle East: 29. 1980. Retrieved 21 March 2024.