Local & Sweet


Local & Sweet is an Egyptian musical drama film released on April 2, 1950. The film is directed by Hussein Fawzi, features a screenplay co-written by Fawzi and Hassan Tawfiq, and stars Naima Akef and Saad Abdel Wahab. The heroine, Hanuma, tries to escape poverty by any means despite her engagement to the penniless Mahrous. Khaled enters their lives and helps Mahrous move ahead in his career, presumably easing the potential couple's progress, but Khaled falls in love with Hanuma.

Cast

Synopsis

Obscure singer-songwriter Mahrous lives in the al-Hana al-Shifa neighborhood of Cairo, performing and selling fresh produce for a living in the café run by Umm Zaaabal and Mishmish. Mahrous and his girlfriend Hanuma agree to marry, and he tries to make ends meet by performing for one pound per gathering. Satan himself tries to separate the couple but is resisted by an angel.
At a party where he performs, Mahrous impresses a singer named Habayeb, who invites him to interview with the film studio run by her lover Khaled Bey. The director, Sherif, likes his music and agrees with Khaled to produce a musical film vehicle starring Mahrous. Khaled Bey meets and tries to seduce Hanuma with an invitation to an upper-crust party, and when she refuses, Satan persuades her to go anyway to counter Mahrous's ostensible intention to cheat with Habayeb. Hanuma changes into upper-class outfits and sings and dances, angering Mahrous and Mishmish, who let Umm Zaabal and Hanuma's own mother in on Hanuma's putting on airs. Umm Hanuma beats her and Satan goads her to flee to Khaled Bey, who teaches the ingénue Hanuma all the secrets of dance, singing, dress, and drink. The angel apprises her of Khaled's sinister intentions and informs her of her mother's falling ill over her daughter's leaving as well as Mahrous's missing her, thus helping Hanuma escape.
Hanuma returns to work at the produce stand and to her mother's good graces, while Mahrous leaves a disappointed Khaled Bey, who calls her the most honorable and talented dancer he has ever known. Khaled considers her talented but marries Habayeb, who is turned down for the lead role in the operetta. Mahrous insists that Khaled cast Hanuma, so the impresario goes to al-Hana al-Shifa to convince Umm Hanuma and Umm Zaabal of the wisdom of Hanuma going into pictures. The musical film, in which Hanuma dances and sings to tunes written by Mahrous, is a hit, and the couple marries with the proceeds.

Songs

In one scene, Saad Abdel Wahab raises the adhan, noted in the e-zine Masrawy as asking the question:
Is working in the arts haram? Or so asked the late Saad Abdel Wahab in his fourth film, Local & Sweet, released in 1950, where he was the first actor in Egypt to raise the adhan on film.