Leon Angel

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Leon Angel (Chalom)
Born(1900-05-15)15 May 1900
Alexandria, Egypt
Died12 July 1973(1973-07-12) (aged 73)
Box Hill, Australia
Occupation(s)Actor, film director

Leon Angel (1900-1973) ليون أنجل was an Egyptian Jewish actor and filmmaker from Alexandria, Egypt. Angel was best known by his screen name, Chalom (Shalom; شالوم; שלום). In the 1930s, Angel appeared in a series of Muslim-Jewish buddy films in which he played a comic Jewish character—also named “Chalom.” While other Jews of Egypt were involved in the Egyptian cinema industry, Angel was the only Jewish star to headline an Egyptian movie playing a Jewish character. Angel later immigrated to Australia, where he participated in founding the first Sephardic synagogue in Australia.

Early life[edit]

Leon Victor Angel was born on May 15, 1900, in Alexandria, Egypt to Olga Piperno and Victor Angelou.[1] His father smuggled hashish along the Nile, and left his family impoverished, so Leon had to work to support his family from a young age.[2] He studied civil engineering through a correspondence course in France. He married fellow Alexandria native, Esther Cohen.[3]

Cinema career[edit]

Angel had no prior stage or screen experience when he began collaborating with Togo Mizrahi in 1930 on a script for a feature film about the dangers of drug use.[4] Angel drew on his family's experience in writing the script. The film Cocaine, The Abyss premiered in Alexandria, Egypt on November 19, 1930.

Angel debuted his signature character, Chalom, in the silent film 05001 (1932), directed by Mizrahi. Chalom was Jewish and poor—trying to make ends meet with itinerant jobs, such as selling lottery tickets or operating a food cart. The characterization of Chalom as a member of the working classes appealed to Egyptian audiences who frequented third tier cinemas.[5] Chalom also represented Egyptian Jewish nativeness at a time of uncertainty for Jews of Egypt.[6]

In The Two Delegates (1934), and Mistreated by Affluence (1937), Chalom bumbled through the farcical plot with a Muslim sidekick named ‘Abdu. Through their depiction of Chalom and 'Abdu's friendship and the close relations depicted between other Jews and Muslims, these films advocated for a culture of coexistence.[7][8] Leon Angel also directed two films in which he reprised his signature role: Chalom the Dragoman (1935), and The Athlete (1937), co-directed with Clément Mizrahi.

Esther Cohen Angel, Leon’s wife, who appeared under the screen name, ‘Adalat, was often cast as Chalom’s love interest.[9]

Filmography[10]
Date English Title Arabic Title Director
1930 Cocaine, The Abyss (silent) الكوكايين الهاوية Togo Mizrahi
1932 05001 (silent) 05001 Togo Mizrahi
1934 The Two Delegates المندوبان Togo Mizrahi
1935 Chalom the Dragoman شالوم الترجمان Leon Angel
1937 Mistreated by Affluence العز بهدلة Togo Mizrahi
1937 The Athlete الرياضى Clément Mizrahi and Leon Angel (credited as L. Nagel)

Later life[edit]

Leon Angel retired from cinema in 1937. He later immigrated to Australia, together with his family. In 1965, Angel was involved in founding the Sephardic Association of Victoria, the first Sephardic Synagogue in Australia.[11] Leon Angel died in Australia on July 12, 1973.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Angel, Leon. "Death Certificate". Births Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, Australia.
  2. ^ Starr, Deborah (2020). Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema. University of California. p. 35. doi:10.1525/luminos.91. ISBN 9780520366206. S2CID 224941664.
  3. ^ Starr, Deborah (2020). Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema. University of California. pp. 119–120. doi:10.1525/luminos.91. ISBN 9780520366206. S2CID 224941664.
  4. ^ Starr, Deborah (2020). Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema. University of California. pp. 34–35. doi:10.1525/luminos.91. ISBN 9780520366206. S2CID 224941664.
  5. ^ Shafik, Viola (2007). Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 29–31. ISBN 9789774160530.
  6. ^ Starr, Deborah (2017). "Chalom and 'Abdu Get Married: Jewishness and Egyptianness in the Films of Togo Mizrahi". Jewish Quarterly Review. 107 (2): 209–230. doi:10.1353/jqr.2017.0007.
  7. ^ Starr, Deborah (2016). Bryant, Rebecca (ed.). In Bed Together: Coexistence in Togo Mizrahi's Alexandria Films (PDF). Berghan Books. pp. 129–131, 143–150.
  8. ^ Shafik, Viola (2007). Popular Egyptian Cinema: Gender, Class, and Nation. American University in Cairo Press. pp. 29–31. ISBN 9789774160530.
  9. ^ Starr, Deborah (2020). Togo Mizrahi and the Making of Egyptian Cinema. University of California. pp. 119–120. doi:10.1525/luminos.91. ISBN 9780520366206. S2CID 224941664.
  10. ^ "Actors: Shalom". Alex Cinema. Bibliotheca Alexandrina.
  11. ^ Aaron, Aaron (1979). The Sephardim of Australia and New Zealand. Waterloo, NSW. p. 34.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  12. ^ Angel, Leon. "Death Certificate". Births Deaths and Marriages, Victoria, Australia.

External links[edit]

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