European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 19, 1948, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Cairo Stopover by Betty Luros illustrations by Bill tinker How Hollywood came to the Nile and left again taking what May have been the fairest Flower of the egyptian movie Industry an advertisement in the Cinema Section of a three weeks old Lon Don daily caught my Eye the other Day. Amer egyptian films it read announces the release of its first full length production Cairo nights i technicolor starting monday at the Odeon. Directed by Manning George starring Manning George and Fatima o Malley produced by Manning George while i Felt sure the name Manning George was unfamiliar to London moviegoers or moviegoers anywhere else for that matter it was very familiar to. Me. .1 remembered him As Agi who until an inebriated fling in Cairo six months before had never turned a hand or a camera either in the Cinema world. My mind wandered Backoo that hot afternoon on the Terrace of Shepheard s when i first made Manning sacquaintance.,. I had been quietly sipping my second suffering Bastard a specially of the House designed to counteract the heat and other maladies which grip the White Man in the Middle East an contemplating a Burn posed Arab who looked As if the drink had been named after him when the Accident happened. A native cab sideswiped a hand draw coca cola cart while attempting to avoid a Fleet of Swift footed Sudan paddlers scurrying across the Street. The cart Hauler knocked senseless by Theca s right front wheel which had flown Oft in the collision Lay unattended in the midst of an Oasis of broken bottles Egypt s forgotten Man. Mean while the paddlers anxious not to miss a customer seized the taxi occupant an lifted him bodily Over the debris to the sidewalk where they proceeded to ply their Trade in comparative safety. It was Only then that i noticed that the former cab passenger was not a minor Pasha As i had assumed but strapping Khaki Clad american a rare sight in postwar Egypt Meester America two of the night shirted hawkers chanted in unison buy Nice Black Jack cheap three  two fifty for Good Black Jack Meester clamoured a newcomer in a Fez. Within a few seconds the efforts of the original contingent of sudanese were augmented by friends who produce tables out of nowhere and set up an Oriental Art shop on the pavement two Dollar Black Jack Here Meester America a late Comer announced at which the first two dealers set on him with their three Dollar weapons. I Don t want a Black Jack the american sputtered caught in the midst of battling natives. Raus scram and the paddlers gave Way. Much impressed i jotted Down that last magi word for future reference having Al ready purchased three Lovely hand Woven Black jacks under pressure that very afternoon. Peace was restored and i shifted my attention once More to the suffering Bastard before me. Is this you a new York accent demanded a few moments later pushing typewritten card in my face. It want and i said it want but he sat Down anyway hailed a waiter and said bring the lady two  \ he was Manning George he told me Between gulps. He said he was stationed in Stuttgart and was to have been cruise tourist but had missed the boat and flown instead. He knew Cairo he insisted like the Palm of his hands which he immediately commenced to read. Export import he said and if had nothing better to do we might take a look at native  this we did for several Days and while i have a hazy recollection of writhing belly dancers and Golli Golli men retrieving pet mice from Manning s Eto jacket my memories of Egypt Are More con fined to the few hours to spent on Cairo s movie sets. Manning had met a fellow Amer ican on the desert bus from Alex Andria to Cairo who was coaching the egyptian hockey team for . That had Given him the idea for the americanization of Egypt by american Talent. Much of our time was spent in typical tourist pursuits such As viewing the pyramids Sphinx Royal museum the mosques and the  so the word got around and we were usually accompanied by a retinue of men of letters government function Aries and professional men All anxious for consultation at Manning s convenience. Using the Sphinx As a hitching Post Manning would Call a conference every afternoon at precisely four while formulating grandiose schemes for the betterment of Egypt. I t was Only by Chance that Abraham our faithful Dragoman much impressed with these goings on mentioned that a brother of his was a lesser wheel in a Cairo movie studio. The next afternoon fortified with several Tum Bler Fuls of native Aqua Vitae we sped off through the desert for the studio in hired Carriage. Moses brother of Abe had been warned of our coming an had gathered together the bulk of Egypt s film notables in the main tent All enthusiastic about meeting the recently arrived american film magnate. Manning convinced most of the that he was a ambassador without portfolio making a Good will tour on behalf of the american film  there were a few doubters however until Manning offered to help with any technical difficulties and offer Sug-4  the chief director a Hun Garian named Maggi displaced by the War took him at his word first showing us around the set. Pretty Crummy said Manning viewing the equipment with the Jaun diced Eye of a professional. What Doe the King think of All this his majesty made an inspection tour three years ago piped up a tar Boc shed under director and he seemed most  it s a Good thing the King does thave to work for a living Manning said. This junk predates Keystone an Mack  Maggi the top director meditated a bit and then confided that he had worked with far better stuff in Budapest and Berlin but the sub director took affront at the slight to the King and went off to a far Comer to sulk. Junk this stuff Manning  modern up to Date equipment and clean up this rat trap. Build conveyors to carry the used film directly from the camera to automatic developing tanks where it can be processed in a matter of minutes and then conveyed to projector for immediate  Maggi was so fired by the idea that recalled a meeting of his technical advisers and studio engineers so that the might draw up plans for the proposed conveyor on the spot Anning equally fired by this Chance idea of his went still further. Tell you what i m going to do he claimed. Ill Cable Eric John son tonight and get him to sponsor the outfit. If he s not game Well wire mar shall and get him to propose to Congress that egyptian films get Erp  by this time Maggi was so elated that the studio doctor was called in to take his blood pressure. I can envision Cairo As the world s up and coming film  Manning went on carried away by his own enthusiasm and oblivion to Maggi s condition the focal Point to which Thimot Ammeda n world will turn in place of Mecca. It will be the Renaissance of ancient Egypt an Egypt to which the great pharaohs of old would be proud to  All of this verbal by play had been going on a voluptuous Redhea lurked in the background. She was presented to Manning As Fatima o Mal Ley half egyptian half Irish and the reigning Star of Egypt. Manning eyed her appraising by. Not bad but can she act he wanted to know As if it mattered. Fatima furiously blinking her heavily Masca Raed cat Seyes asked if she might have a few words with him in private. Manning waved the directors and Crew aside and the Star and the Soldier sat Downside by Side in two studio chairs. A native appeared with two cokes and some  was obviously peeved that Manning did t offer the usual you should be in Hollywood routine. That what All the americans Tell me she said. Instead she had to broach the subject , Little girl Manning commenced bags like you Are a dime dozen where i come  Fatima brushed away a few tears and Manning went on. Be satisfied with being the Queen Bee in Egypt he said. Here your name is a household word they Tell me or at least in Stag  Abe who had been playing a fast game of Gin with his brother interrupted the Tete a Tete to Tell Manning that Maggi. Was about to shoot and Fatima had better get undressed. The cast was assembled cameras adjusted and the lights  yelled Maggi through an antiquated megaphone. Pronto Chor. Used the actors stage managers camera men and technical advisers. Lights action bellowed Maggi a quaint phrase he had lifted bodily from an american movie he had seen. Halt shouted Manning for no apparent reason. He had been slumped pathetically in a deck chair while the signals were being flashed. Then drawing himself up to his full height he stalked Over to the assemble actors Drew new positions on the studio floor. Now listen Manning growled we shoot it both ways. She Dies or she Don t die. Then we preview it for the King and he can take his  with. That he sat Down. Jonce again the scene was shot. It was supposed to be in a dimly lighted smoke filled cabaret one of Cairo s j Lush spots. Dancing girls be jangled and scantily Clad took their places ready to " begin the dance. Extras hired As cab Aret customers craned their necks realistically and drops of perspiration stood out on their brows. It was Damn hot. Fatima emerged through a Back drop of Silken curtains and made Herway silently past the dancing Giris. He costume consisted mainly of a cloth of Gold findings and she began to sing a seductive Oriental song. Suddenly the music was stilled by the sound of a single shot and Fatima quietly and care fully slipped to the  yelled George. Fats he " called lets show a Little emotion. Emo Tion. Emote. Make like Cleopatra. Places everybody. Once  he went into huddle with Fatima. I warned him that he had a boat to catch the next Day an took a cab myself Back to Shepheard s. I saw Manning for the last time atthe customs the next Day in Alexandria trying to smuggle one very Large Mummy. Now mummies May be bought in Egypt but it is another trick to get them out and Manning was threatening to take the matter up with Farouk. Nojir i realize what must have been inside 4 Fatima o Malley. 14 weekend junk 19. If