Pictured is a 27" x 39" Egyptian promotional poster designed by Hassan
Mazhar Gasour to promote the 1953 101-minute Youssef Wahby
black-and-white musical comedy The Marital Obedience Dwelling [beyt
al-ta'a] starring Youssef Wahby based on story and screenplay by
Youssef Wahby with cinematography by Mostafa Hassan. Plot summary: In
this domestic battle of the sexes comedy there is harsh bickering
between husband Gamil Rushdy [Youssef Wahby] and wife Fekiya [Hoda
Soltan]. The husband insults his wife and their life becomes such an
unbearable hell that the husband uses an obedience cane on his wife.
This only makes matters worse so they go to a judge. The wife demands
a divorce and the husband demands that she live with him in a marital
obedience dwelling. The judge sides with the husband and orders the
wife to obey her husband and live in a special obedience dwelling
where she must do as he directs. The wife complies and goes to the
obedience dwelling (a special apartment that has been rented and
furnished for the purpose with such things as signs that read
"relatives are scorpions" and "down with my mother-in-law") with her
mother, [Marie Munib] who was the reason for most of the
arguing. The husband works on refining his wife and his
mother-in-law learns not to interfere in her daughter's affairs. Peace
is restored, the disagreements between them disappear and love and
happiness replace the disputes that were ruining their lives.
