The memoirs of the Egyptian artist Youssef Wehbe (1898-1982), nicknamed “The Dean of Arab Theater” and “The People’s Artist,” received attention on the 41st anniversary of his death, on October 17, 1982, because of the ironies it contains that some described as “shocking” and “shocking.” Bold”. Among the most prominent features of it are confessions about his addiction to drugs. He suffered financial hardship when he traveled to Italy as a young man, and he did not go to sleep until after taking a drug injection. He also became addicted to gambling, which robbed him of “tens of thousands of pounds,” according to him, which was considered huge wealth at that time.
Youssef Wehbe in his last years (Bibliotheca Alexandria)
The veteran artist spoke about his bankruptcy as a result of his relationship with a dancer and his spending on her at another stage in his life, so he was forced to live on the roofs of buildings and escape from being chased by his creditors, even though he is the descendant of a wealthy family. The author of the memoir says about his many female relationships: “I do not claim to be a saint, a monk in a shrine, a Sufi, or infallible from mistakes and desires.”
Youssef Wehbe was a comprehensive artist who worked in acting, writing, directing and producing. Among his most famous cinematic works are: “Love and Revenge” (1944), “Life or Death” (1954), “Cairo 30” (1966), “Miramar” (1969), “The Choice” (1971); These are the five films that appeared on the Critics’ Choice list of the 100 best films in the history of Egyptian cinema. He was also famous for his phrases, including: “Wow,” and “The world is nothing but a big stage.”
Cover of the book: Youssef Wehbe’s Memoirs (Dar Al Maaref)
In turn, Saeed Abdo, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Dar Al Maaref, the journalistic newspaper that issued the memoirs, told Asharq Al-Awsat that “the House issued the work for the first time in the seventies under the title (I Lived a Thousand Years – Memoirs of the People’s Artist Youssef Wehbe) in 3 parts, then We issued it again two years ago in one volume,” noting that “the publishing house did not interfere in his bold confessions by deleting or amending, but rather left it as it is out of publishing integrity and responsibility, as it is a historical document and a testimony to an entire time.”
Youssef Wehbe in his youth (archive)
As for the Egyptian art critic Tareq El-Shenawy, he believes that “Wehbe’s confessions should be viewed in the context of the culture of disclosure that prevailed in Egypt in previous eras, especially the first half of the twentieth century, when society did not violently exercise the power to pass judgment on people and force them to lie and embellish themselves as a means of Social hypocrisy.
In a statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, he gave several examples of similar bold confessions by other artists, such as Naguib Al-Rihani (1889-1949), who admitted in his memoirs that he “was expelled from theaters because of his relationships with women.” And Badie Khairy (1893-1966), who told in his memoirs how he passed by a nightclub in central Cairo and drank two drinks to gain the necessary courage before his fateful meeting with Najib Al-Rihani. To Ismail Yassin (1912-1972), who admitted that he had to steal money that his grandmother was hiding in her bed in order to come to Cairo and realize his artistic dream.
Youssef Wehbe in a rare photo session (Bibliotheca Alexandria)
Farid Shawqi (1920-1998) also confirmed, according to El-Shenawy, that he used to drink 4 glasses of wine daily, and would not abstain from that unless he was committed to photographing a work of art. Among the female characters is the artist Tahia Karioka (1915-1999), who corrected common information regarding the number of her marriages, which was 14, and confirmed that she was in fact married 17 times.
Al-Shennawi concludes that “Youssef Wehbe’s confessions were not the only ones in their boldness, but rather came within a prevailing public climate that allowed freedom to talk about the scenes, but perhaps his memoirs were the most diverse in terms of the number of facts he narrated in this context.”
