"Ahl al-fann: Mary Munib" ["Artists: Mary Munib"], by Salih
Jawdat, Al-Kawakib no. 66, November 4, 1952, p. 7.
Ahl al-fann was a regular column in al-Kawakib that gave short
biographies of different artists in each issue. This article featured Mary
Munib and the text reads: Picture and Arabic Text
"God blessed people, because when He wrote hardship on earth-to the wisdom of His name-he sent a group
concerned with lightening pain and wiping tears and returning smiles to frowning faces…and at the top of this group of
people…is the actress Mary Munib. The difference between this lady and other comediennes in Egypt is that…if you
met her on the street and you remembered her roles with the dear and familiar Rihani troop-the spinster looking for a
husband, or the mother-in law that drives her son-in law crazy, or other roles-you would really laugh. Yet you would
feel something else for this woman in addition to that laughter. For it would be laughter linked with admiration and
respect.
This is the art of Mary Munib. This is what all comediennes and all actors in Egypt should know that the authentic artist
is not one who forces people to laugh or cry but one who can make people laugh and cry in a way linked to respect!
They say that the special artist is a king of people and this is true although the life of the artist is without doubt one full
of light and shadows. Mary Munib comes from an old generation of actors…she escaped the maliciousness and
rancor of today's actors, her secret is that she is a woman who respects herself and so her colleagues and the public
respect her. She is an authentic actress of the kind that can be said "follows her own footsteps." She imitates no one
and no one can imitate her. Thus, she has her own special roles that she competes with no one over.
More importantly, Mary Munib lived in the center of fame and never for one day forgot that she was the precious wife
of a precious husband and the ideal housewife. She meets her obligations at home completely. She meets her artistic
obligations completely. She did not let one interfere with the other. This is what today's actors and actresses are
incapable of doing.
I can say that the first bases of the Rihani troop, after the death of its basic element Najib al-Rihani, was Badi' Khayri
….The three most important bases after him were Mimi Shakib, Mary Munib, and 'Abd al-Fatah al-Qasari. These are
the three main bases, but I don't mean to block out the value of the other sources of support such as Zuzu Shakib,
Zaynat Sidqi, Kamal al-Misri, Sayyid Sulayman, and Muhammad al-Dib.
I would like to return to the three main bases of support…if any of them withdraw it would shake the stage, but the
withdrawal of Mary Munib-God protect her-would cause more than a shake. It could destroy the whole structure in one
throw!
And thus we can see the magnitude of the actress Mary Munib. We can smell in this lady the scent of al-Rihani, in
each of her movements, and each of her words we can see that she is still addressing Najib. She stands next to Najib,
and we can do nothing but laugh yet in our hearts we feel despair for Najib!
And one of the signs of the authentic artistry of Mary Munib is that if you meet her in life, and speak to her, you would
find the same accent, facial expressions, and reactions that you see in her when she stands on stage. She follows her
own track, she isn't affected or imitative. And this is the secret of every talented artist."
Jawdat, Al-Kawakib no. 66, November 4, 1952, p. 7.
Ahl al-fann was a regular column in al-Kawakib that gave short
biographies of different artists in each issue. This article featured Mary
Munib and the text reads: Picture and Arabic Text
"God blessed people, because when He wrote hardship on earth-to the wisdom of His name-he sent a group
concerned with lightening pain and wiping tears and returning smiles to frowning faces…and at the top of this group of
people…is the actress Mary Munib. The difference between this lady and other comediennes in Egypt is that…if you
met her on the street and you remembered her roles with the dear and familiar Rihani troop-the spinster looking for a
husband, or the mother-in law that drives her son-in law crazy, or other roles-you would really laugh. Yet you would
feel something else for this woman in addition to that laughter. For it would be laughter linked with admiration and
respect.
This is the art of Mary Munib. This is what all comediennes and all actors in Egypt should know that the authentic artist
is not one who forces people to laugh or cry but one who can make people laugh and cry in a way linked to respect!
They say that the special artist is a king of people and this is true although the life of the artist is without doubt one full
of light and shadows. Mary Munib comes from an old generation of actors…she escaped the maliciousness and
rancor of today's actors, her secret is that she is a woman who respects herself and so her colleagues and the public
respect her. She is an authentic actress of the kind that can be said "follows her own footsteps." She imitates no one
and no one can imitate her. Thus, she has her own special roles that she competes with no one over.
More importantly, Mary Munib lived in the center of fame and never for one day forgot that she was the precious wife
of a precious husband and the ideal housewife. She meets her obligations at home completely. She meets her artistic
obligations completely. She did not let one interfere with the other. This is what today's actors and actresses are
incapable of doing.
I can say that the first bases of the Rihani troop, after the death of its basic element Najib al-Rihani, was Badi' Khayri
….The three most important bases after him were Mimi Shakib, Mary Munib, and 'Abd al-Fatah al-Qasari. These are
the three main bases, but I don't mean to block out the value of the other sources of support such as Zuzu Shakib,
Zaynat Sidqi, Kamal al-Misri, Sayyid Sulayman, and Muhammad al-Dib.
I would like to return to the three main bases of support…if any of them withdraw it would shake the stage, but the
withdrawal of Mary Munib-God protect her-would cause more than a shake. It could destroy the whole structure in one
throw!
And thus we can see the magnitude of the actress Mary Munib. We can smell in this lady the scent of al-Rihani, in
each of her movements, and each of her words we can see that she is still addressing Najib. She stands next to Najib,
and we can do nothing but laugh yet in our hearts we feel despair for Najib!
And one of the signs of the authentic artistry of Mary Munib is that if you meet her in life, and speak to her, you would
find the same accent, facial expressions, and reactions that you see in her when she stands on stage. She follows her
own track, she isn't affected or imitative. And this is the secret of every talented artist."
