Abdel Ghani Qamar
(1921–1981)
Abdel Ghani Qamar began his career in theatre and radio working with a number of amateur and professional troupes in Alexandria and Cairo before studying at The Higher Institute of Acting in Cairo. He graduated in 1950 and made his acting debut the following year in The Flowers of Love (Ward el Gharam).
Qamar joined the Ismail Yassin Theatre troupe and the National Theatre juggling acting with a regular job as an employee at The Alexandria Port Authority. A political militant, he voiced his adversity to the politics of the late President Anwar Sadat and the Camp David Agreement.
He travelled to Iraq, a practice not uncommon as much as reserved to the more politically oriented of Egyptian artists who saw in Baghdad a capital of the arts worthy of the heritage. There he took part mainly in radio productions.
As an actor, he was known mainly for his portrayal of the rogue and swindling villain to which his physique lent itself. A versatile talent, he took part in television productions and directed one film for cinema in 1957, The Fisherman’s Daughter (Bent el Sayyad), never repeating the experience.
Filmography:
1951: The Flowers of Love (Ward el Gharam)
1952: From Heart to Heart (Min el qalb lel qalb)
1952: I Believe in God (Âmint bellah)
1951: The Spring Festival (Cham el nasîm)
1953: The Conspiracy (el Mou’âmarah)
1953: The Judgement of Fate (Houkim el zamân)
1953: The Love of Bossayna (Gharâm Bossaynah)
1953: Do-gooder (Fa’l khayer)
1954: The Adventures of Ismail Yassin (Moughamarât Ismâ’îl Yasîn)
1954: The Blazing Sun (Sirâ’ fi-l-wâdî)
1954: Mr. Charaf (el Ostâz Charaf)
1954: Daughters of Eve (Banât Hawwâ)
1954: The Beast (el Wahsh)
1954: The Demon of the Desert (Chaytân el Saharâ)
1955: My Heart Loves You (Qalbi yehwwâk)
1955: Fools’ Alley (Dab el mahâbîl)
1955: The Hopes of my Lifetime (Amânî el ‘omr)
1956: Ismail Yassin in the Waxworks Museum (Ismâ’îl Yasîn fî mathâf el cham’)
1956: The Inspector General (el Moufatish el ‘âm)
1957: The Fisherman’s Daughter (Bent el Sayyad)
1958: Bewildered Life (Hayâh ha’irah)
1958: Midnight Driver (Swâq nos el layl)
1958: Sultan (Soultân)
1958: A Woman on the Road (Imra’ah fil tarîq)
1958: Jamila the Algerian (Gamîlah)
1959: The Return of Life (‘Awdat el hayyâh)
1959: We are the Students (Ihnâ el talâmzah)
1959: Meeting with the Unknown (Maw’id ma’a el maghoul)
1960: Love and Deprivation (Houbb wa hermân)
1960: Farewell Love (Wadâ’n ya houbb)
1960: The Call of Lovers (Nidâ el ‘oshaq)
1961: Life and Hope (Hayyah wa amal)
1961: My Daughters and I (Ana we banâtî)
1961: Zizit (Zîzit)
1961: The Swindler (el Nasâb)
1963: Rabaa el Adawiya (Rabi’ah el ‘adawiyyah)
1963: The Princess of the Arabs (Amîrat el ‘arab)
1965: The Three Adventurers (el Moughameroun el Thalâthah)
1966: Treasures (Konouz)
1966: The Three Friends (el Asdiqâ el thalâthah)
1966: 30 Jours in Prison (Thalâthîn youm fî el sign)
1966: Adam’s Apple (Toufahit Âdam)
1968: It Happened in Egypt (Hadath fî Misr)
1968: The Postman (el Boustagî)
