This is an undated rerelease Egyptian poster made to promote the 1948
Anwar Wagdi 123-minute black-and-white film Amber [anbar]
starring Laila Mourad as Amber based on a story by Mohamed Kamel
Hassan with screenplay and dialogue by Anwar Wagdi and cinematography
by Abdelhalim Nasr. Plot summary: Reshwan Basha [Abdel Waress Assar]
is on a sickbed surrounded by family members. They are treating him
quite harshly and refusing to give him water. They have his only
daughter Amber [Laila Mourad] locked in the mansion bedroom. They are
doing these things to force the Basha to tell them where he has hidden
his wealth, which they desire. Anwar [Anwar Wagdi], owner of the Gold
Star Casino, arrives with his attorney Hassan [Hassan Fayek]. While
they are waiting to see the Basha, Anwar suddenly hears a sweet
melodious voice coming from the bedroom. He looks through a panel in
the door and sees Amber singing. After a short conversation with her,
he finds himself surrounded by the members of the gang that wants
Reshwan Basha's wealth. He tells them that he and his attorney Hassan
have come to buy the clothing of Reshwan Basha's late wife. The gang
agrees to sell him the clothing. These garments include a dress Amber
once wore. After Anwar and Hassan leave the gang members take Amber
and her sick old nanny to the bedside of Reshwan Basha, who is about
to die. They leave Amber with her father according to his wishes.
The Basha tells his secret to his daughter while the men in the gang
are eavesdropping outside. The Basha tells his daughter Amber he
married her mother against the wishes of his family, who fought him
throughout the years of the marriage; he was sure they were going to
fight his daughter after he died. This unhappy situation had led him
to sell all of his property and use the money to buy jewelry. He put
the jewels in a chest and hid it. He drew a map to its location and
sewed the map into the collar of a black silk evening dress, the same
dress Amber used to wear when she sang, and the same one Anwar has
purchased. Amber collapses in tears as the members of the gang rush
to the Gold Star Casino, which is a westernized nightclub where the
orchestra, led by Anwar as its trumpet player, plays jazz standards
such as Benny Goodman's I Found a New Baby. These melodies are
mixed with performances by Laila Mourad and others of show tunes
composed by Mohamed Abdel Wahab, some in the style of Western jazz,
others with Egyptian scales and rhythms. Anwar tries to persuade
Horia [Zeinat Sedki], a woman singer in his troupe, to wear the dress
he has purchased, but she vehemently refuses. During the argument the
hidden map comes out of the collar of the dress; Anwar gives it to
Hassan, not knowing its value. After he learns what it is, he and
Amber evade the gang, eventually make their way back to the mansion
and find the hidden chest of jewels. This discovery is followed by a
fight with the covetous gang, then a gala celebratory marriage between
Anwar and Amber.
