Rushdy Saeed Baghdadi Abaza (; 3 August 1926 – 27 July 1980) was an Egyptian film and television actor. He was considered one of the most charming actors in the Egyptian film industry and is one of the most famous. He died of brain cancer at the age of 53.
Rushdy Abaza is "widely considered one of the greatest names in the history of Arab cinema", with no less than 150 movies to his name.
Family Rushdy Abaza was born in Sharqia, Egypt, to an Italian mother, Teresa Luigi, and an Egyptian father, Saïd Abaza, belonging to one of Egypt's most well-known families, the Abaza family, who are of maternal-Circassian heritage. He had difficulty at the start because "[acting] was not allowed in ...[his] aristocratic family...and his father and the entire Abaza family strongly objected ...[but] he insisted."
He is the best known Abaza family member and a household name in the Arab world due to the number of films he acted in that remain popular throughout the Arab world.
Rushdy attended school at Collège Saint Marc in Alexandria. Through his father's side he had three half-sisters, Ragaa, Mounira, Zeinab and one half-brother, Fekri (an actor). Through his mother's side, he had one half-brother, Hamed. His only child is a daughter, Qismat (Eismat).
Marriages Tahiya Karioka, Egyptian actress and dancer Barbara, American mother of his only child, Qismat Samia Gamal, famous Egyptian dancer (his longest marriage) Sabah, famous Lebanese singer Nabila Abaza
Filmography
He appeared in more than 100 films from 1948 until 1980; the year of his death., English Article titled “Who is Najat Al Saghira? “, 2015, Accessed 2015/08/28.
1948 El-Millionaira El-Saghira (also known as The Small Millionaire)
1949 Zou El-Waghein (a.k.a. The Man with Two Faces)
1950 Emraa Menn Nar (a.k.a. A Woman of Fire)
1951 Awlad El shareh Amina
1952 El-Osta Hassan (a.k.a. Hassan the Craftsman) El-Montasser (a.k.a. The Conqueror) Awladi (a.k.a. My Children)
1953 Shamm El-Nesseem (a.k.a. The Spring Festival) Mouamara (a.k.a. Conspiracy)
1954 Valley of the Kings - Robed Man (uncredited) Gaaluni Mogremann (a.k.a. They Made Me a Murderer) Erham Domouie
1955 Fortune carrée (a.k.a. Square Fortune) Enni Rahhela (a.k.a. I Depart) Hayah Aw Moot (a.k.a. Life or Death) Bahr Elgharam (a.k.a. "Sea of Love'"') Arayess Fel-Mazad (a.k.a. Brides for Auction)
1956 Mawed Gharam The Ten Commandments Dalila Mann al-Qattel? (a.k.a. Who Is the Murderer?) Ezzay Ansak (a.k.a. How Would I Forget You) Ismaeel Yassin fel-Boliss (a.k.a. Ismaeel Yassin in the Police) Bahr al-Gharam (a.k.a. Sea of Love)
1957 Tamr Henna (a.k.a. Tamarind) - Hassan Rodda Qalbi La Anam - Samir Port Said Lan Abki Abadan (a.k.a. I Shall Never Weep)
1958 Jamila, the Algerian (a.k.a. Jamila Buhreid) - Bigeard Toggar al-Moat (a.k.a. Death Merchants) - Ra'oof Tareeq al-Ammal Soultan (1958) Emraa fel-Tareeq (a.k.a. A Woman on the Road) Qoloob al-Azara (a.k.a. Hearts of the Virgins)
1959 El rajul el thani Seraa Fel-Nil Samraa Sina (a.k.a. The Brunette of Sinai) Rehla ilal kamar Maleesh Gherak (a.k.a. I Have None But You) - Fathi Katia tarik Bafakkar Felli Nassini (a.k.a. Thinking of Who Forgot Me) Ana Baree'a (a.k.a. I am Innocent) Qatte' Tareeq (a.k.a. The Highwayman)
1960 Malaak wa Shaytan (a.k.a. Angel and Devil) - Ezzat Ana wa Ommi (a.k.a. My Mother and I) Al-Moraheqat - Adel Ya Habeebi (a.k.a. My Beloved) Nehayat al-Tareeq (a.k.a. End of the Road) Mufattesh al-Mabaheth (a.k.a. The Police Inspector) Leqaa Fil-Ghoroob (a.k.a. Meeting at Sunset) Kholkhal Habeebi (a.k.a. My Love's Bugle) Al-Raggol al-Thani (a.k.a. The Second Man)
1961 Wa Islamah - Prince Baybars Qalb Fi Zalam (a.k.a. Heart in the Shadows) Hob wa Herman (a.k.a. Love and Deprivation) He Talata - Kamal Fi baitina rajul - Abd El-Hamid Bela Awdah (a.k.a. No Return)
1962 Al zouga talattashar Helwa wa kaddaba Sett el-Banat (a.k.a. The Lady of All Women) Ah Menn Hawwa (a.k.a. Beware of Eve) Shahidat al-Hob al-Elahi (a.k.a. Martyr of Divine Love)
1963 La Waqt lel-Hob (a.k.a. No Time for Love) Aroos al-Nil - Sami Fouad (Engineer) Tareeq al-Shaytan (a.k.a. The Way of the Devil) Al-Saherra al-Saghira (a.k.a. The Young Charming) - Essmat el daramaly Al-Maganin Fi Naeem (a.k.a. The Insane Are in Bliss) Amirat el Arab
1964 Al-Tareeq (a.k.a. The Road) - Saber Fatat shaza Al-Shayatin al-Talata (a.k.a. The Three Devils) - Saadawy Al badawia fi Paris
1965 Ganab al-Safeer (a.k.a. His Excellency the Ambassador) - Ahmed Kanaan
1966 Addow Al-Maraa (a.k.a. Enemy of Women) - Essa Zawga Menn Paris Shaqqet Al-Talabba (a.k.a. The Students' Apartment) - Saad Selim Saghira Ala Al-Hob - Kamal Mabka el oshak Howa wal-Nessaa (a.k.a. He and Women) Guanab el safir Al-Moshagheboon (a.k.a. Troublemakers) - Amin Shaqawet Reggala (a.k.a. Naughty Men) Mawwal (with Sabah the Lebanese Singer (A Ballad))
1967 Gareema fil-Hayy al-Hadi (a.k.a. Crime in the Calm District) - Ahmed Ezzat Endama Nohheb (a.k.a. When We Love) - Ahmed Al-Aib (a.k.a. Shame) - Mohamed El-Guindy Al-Qobla al-Akhira (a.k.a. The Last Kiss) - Samy, The Director
1968 Raw'at el-Hob (a.k.a. The Beauty of Love) - Ahmed Ragab Hawwaa ala al-Tareeq (a.k.a. Eve on The Road) - Khaled Al-Massageen al-Thalatha (a.k.a. The Three Prisoners) - Mr. Joe Baba Ayez Keda (a.k.a. Dad Wants So) - Kamal
1969 El Shoug'an el Thalatha Nos Sa'a Gawaz (a.k.a. half an Hour of marriage)
1970 Ghoroob wa Shorouq (a.k.a. Sunset and Sunrise) - Essam Al-Hob al-Daaie (a.k.a. The Lost Love) Al-Sarab (a.k.a. The Mirage) - Dr.Amin Al-Ashrar (a.k.a. Evil Men) Nar al-Shouq (a.k.a. Flame of Crave) Zawga le-Khamsat Regal (a.k.a. Wife of Five Men)
1971 Shay' fi Sadri (a.k.a. Something in My Heart) Ebnati al-Aziza (a.k.a. My Dear Daughter) - Sherif Emraa wa Raggol (a.k.a. A Woman and A Man)
1972 Emraa le-Koll al-Regal (a.k.a. A Woman for All Men) - Zaki Saaett al-Sefr (a.k.a. Zero Hour) - Hussein
1973 Hekayti Maa Al-Zaman (a.k.a. My Story with Life)
1974 Ayna Aqli (a.k.a. Where is My Mind) - Zohdi
1975 Youm al-Ahad al-Damy (a.k.a. Bloody Sunday) Oreedo Hallan (a.k.a. Seeking A Solution) Hobi al awal wa al akhir Abadan Lann Aaoud (a.k.a. I Shall Never Come Back)
1976 Tawheeda A world of children - Helmi Abdulqader
1977 Al Domo Fe Ouyon Dhahekah Ah Ya Leil Ya Zamman (a.k.a. Oh Night, Oh Life)
1978 Wa Daa al-Omr Ya Waladi (a.k.a. Life Has Gone, My Son) Al-Qadi wal-Gallaad (a.k.a. The Judge)
1979 Le-Mann Toshreq al-Shams (a.k.a. For Whom the Sun Rises?)
1980 Daerrat al-Shakk (a.k.a. Circle of Suspicion) Azkeyaa Lakken Aghbeyaa (a.k.a. Intelligent But Stupid) - Hamdi (final film role)
See also List of Egyptian films of the 1960s The Abaza Family
References
Further reading Daoud, Abd el Ghani. (1997). Madâres el Adâ'’ el Tamthîlî fî târîkh el Cinema el Misreyah. Cairo: el Hay’a el ‘Ama li Qosour el Thaqâfah. Kassem, Mahmoud. Mawsou‘at el Momathel fi-l-Cinema el ‘Arabiya. Cairo. Labib, Fomil. (1973). Nougoum ‘Areftahom. Cairo: Ketab el Helal. Ramzi, Kamal. (1997). Nogoum el Cinema el Misreyah: el Gawhar we-l-Aqni’a. Cairo: The Supreme Council for Culture. Wassef, Magda. (1995). Egypte: 100 ans de Cinéma. Paris: Institut du Monde Arabe (IMA)
External links Rushdi Abaza on Egyptian State Information Service Site