''Allah maana'' (, lit. “God Is on Our Side”) is an Egyptian film released in 1955. Premiering on November 14 of that year, it was directed by

Ahmed Badrakhan Ahmed Badrakhan (18 September 1909 – 26 August 1969) was an Egyptian film director and screenwriter of Iraqi Kurdish origin. He directed 41 films between 1936 and 1968. He is famous for his 1952 romantic drama '' A Night of Love'' starri ...

with a screenplay co-written by him and Ihsan Abdel Quddous and an all-star cast including

Faten Hamama Faten Ahmed Hamama (, ; 27 May 1931 – 17 January 2015) was an Egyptian film and television actress and film producer. She made her screen debut in 1939, when she was only seven years old. Her earliest roles were minor, but her activity an ...

Emad Hamdy Emad Hamdy (, ; November 25, 1909 – January 28, 1984) also known as Imad Hamdi, was an Egyptians, Egyptian actor. He was married to the Egyptian actress Shadia between 1953 and 1956. And between 1962 and 1975 he was married to the Egyptian a ...

Magda al-Sabahi Magda el-Sabbahi, commonly known as Magda,(; 6 May 1931 – 16 January 2020) was an Egyptian film actress and producer notable for her roles from 1949 to 1994. Life and career Afaf Ali Kamel Sabbahi was born on 6 May 1931 in Tanta, Gharbia G ...

, and

Mahmoud el-Meliguy Mahmoud el-Meligy (, ; 22 December 1910 – 6 June 1983) was an Egyptian screenwriter and an actor of film, theater, and television. He started his career playing minor roles but achieved stardom in the late 1930s. A popular and award-winnin ...

. The film was censored to the point of almost preventing release, according to film critic and historian Aly Abou Shadi, over the portrayal of 1952 coup leader Mohammed Naguib. It was saved by

Gamal Abdel Nasser Gamal Abdel Nasser Hussein (15 January 1918 – 28 September 1970) was an Egyptian military officer and revolutionary who served as the second president of Egypt from 1954 until his death in 1970. Nasser led the Egyptian revolution of 1952 a ...

’s approval, underlined by his attending the premiere at the Rivoli Cinema.

Synopsis

After the

Israeli Declaration of Independence The Israeli Declaration of Independence, formally the Declaration of the Establishment of the State of Israel (), was proclaimed on 14 May 1948 (5 Iyar 5708), at the end of the 1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, civil war phase and ...

in 1948, the Egyptian army prepares to invade and starts a draft. Yuzbashi (

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

Ahmed Jamal (

) enlists at the behest of his cousin Nadia (

) despite offers by his rich uncle Abdel Aziz Pasha (

) to help get out of it. Ahmed finds shoddy imported ordinance and bands together with fellow officers to reveal the true sources of the corruption. Abdel Aziz Pasha is no help as the main arms dealer, and

King King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an Absolute monarchy, absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted Government, governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a Constitutional monarchy, ...

Farouk Farooq (also transliterated as Farouk, Faruqi, Farook, Faruk, Faroeq, Faruq, or Farouq, Farooqi, Faruque or Farooqui; ) is a common Arabic given and family name. ''Al-Fārūq'' literally means "the one who distinguishes between right and wrong." ...

and his chief of staff Madkour Pasha (

Hussein Riad Hussein Mohamed Shafiq (, more commonly known by his stage name Hussein Riad (, (1897–1965)) was an Egyptian actor, who mainly played "dad roles". His career spanned about 46 years and he appeared in approximately 320 films, 240 theater plays, a ...

are in firm control of all political forces, including the executive, the

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

, the

Army An army, ground force or land force is an armed force that fights primarily on land. In the broadest sense, it is the land-based military branch, service branch or armed service of a nation or country. It may also include aviation assets by ...

, the National Police, and the ruling and opposition parties the powers that be keep squabbling with one another. The Free Officers reach out to Shahid Pasha, the opposition leader (Ahmed Allam), but the latter was dissuaded by Madkour's threats from helping. A journalist named Mohsen (

Shoukry Sarhan Mohamed Shoukry El Husseiny Sarhan (13 March 1925 – 19 March 1997, ), better known as Shoukry Sarhan (), was an Egyptian actor. He is regarded as one of the greatest Egyptian actors of all time. Life and career Sarhan was born in El Sha ...

) raises the issue in his newspaper and brings it to Parliament's attention, earning the representatives who bring it up dismissal. Belly dancer Sonia Sharbat Amira Amir, entertainer of royalty, reveals Abdel Aziz Pasha as the culprit for the faulty weapons to Mohsen and warns of an impending Navy shipment, so Ahmed, Mohsen, and Nadia sneak into Abdel Aziz's (her father) treasury to reprint the damning publications. The Pasha betrays his nephew to the Police, who tried as they had before with Mohsen to assassinate Ahmed and then to arrest the group, but the Revolution's July 1952 outbreak stops them and the King is expelled with his six-month-old son

Fuad II Fuad II (, full name: Ahmed Fuad bin Farouk bin Ahmed Fuad bin Ismail bin Ibrahim bin Muhammad Ali; born 16 January 1952), or alternatively Ahmed Fuad II (), is a member of the Egyptian Muhammad Ali dynasty. As an infant, he formally reigned as ...

, all parties dissolved, and the corrupt arrested. Abdel Aziz Pasha is killed trying to throw a hand grenade at his pursuers, since said grenade explodes prematurely.

Controversy

As soon as editing began, President Gamal Abdel Nasser heard the rumor that Mohammed Naguib's role in the July 23 Revolution would be highlighted. He had it suspended for two years, but director Ihsan Abdel Quddous asked Nasser to wait to watch to make up his mind. The local entertainment blotter

Rose al-Yūsuf Rose al Yusuf or Rose al-Yūsuf may refer to: * Rose al Yusuf (journalist) (1898–1958), a Lebanese born journalist and stage-actress * ''Rose al Yusuf'' (magazine), an Arabic weekly political magazine {{disambiguation ...

reported in 1955 that the President had agreed on condition that scenes with Naguib played by Zaki Tulaimat by deleted, ultimately showing up to the premiere in person. The film was also rumored to be banned for fear of public sympathy for King Farouk.

Staff

Story: Ihsan Abdel Quddous Dialogue: Sami Daoud Direction and screenplay:

Production company:

Studio Misr Studio Misr (Eng: "Egypt Studio"), also known as Studios Misr, is a film studio established in Giza, Egypt, in 1935 by the economist Talaat Harb. Owned and staffed by Egyptians, it is known as "The Studio of Egypt". For three decades, it was the ...

Cast: *

Alwiya Gamil Alwiya Gamil () was an Egyptian actress of Lebanese origin whose real name was Elisabeth Khalil Majdalani. She was born in Lebanon on December 15, 1910 and immigrated with her parents to Egypt. Career Gamil began her career at the age of 15 when ...

Seraj Munir Serag Munir (1901–1957) was an Egyptian film actor. He appeared in 46 films between 1930 and 1957. Selected filmography * ''The Leech (1956 film), The Leech'' (1956) * ''Al-Malak al-Zalem'' (1954) * ''Wafaa (1953 film), Wafaa'' (1953) * ''La ...

* Amira Amir *

* Sayed Abu Bakr *

Stephan Rosti Stephan Rosti ( ) (16 November 1891 – 22 May 1964) was an Egyptian actor and film director who lived and worked in Egypt. Personal Rosti's mother was an Italian Egyptian dancer. She was performing in Egypt when she met Rosti's father, t ...

* Ahmed Allam * Othman Abaza *

Widad Hamdi Wedad Hamdi () was an Egyptian actress. She starred in over 600 films during her lifetime, and almost all her roles were as a servant or maid. Early life Wedad Mehammad Elsawi Zaraarah was born on 7 March 1924 in Kafr El-Sheikh. She studied at ...

* Mohamed Al-Toukhi * Muhammad Alwan * Mahmoud Ismail *

Samiha Ayoub Samiha Ayoub (; 8 March 1932 – 3 June 2025) was an Egyptian actress known for her work on stage, in film and on television. In 2015, she received the Nile Award in the Arts, and in the same year, the large hall in the National Theater was name ...

* Mohammad Attia * Mai Medawar *

Adly Kasseb Adly Kasseb عدلى كاسب (full name: Adly Abdel Hamid Kasseb) (April 21, 1918 – September 13, 1978) was an Egyptian actor An actor (masculine/gender-neutral), or actress (feminine), is a person who portrays a character in a product ...

* Malak El Gamal * Zaki Ibrahim * Amina Sharif * Fatima Al-Selhadar * Mona Fouad * Lola Abdo * Lys and Lyn Gamal * Rashad Hamed * Anwar Zaki * Abdel Halim Khattab * Mutawa Owais * Said Khalil * Aly Reda * Mohamed Sobeih * Ahmed Loxer * Hermine * Ellen Diato * Gomaa Edriss * Fahmy Omar * Abbas Al-Dali *

Fouad el-Mohandes Fouad Zaki El Mohandes ; known as Fouad El Mohandes (or Fuad el-Mohandess; ; September 6, 1924 – September 16, 2006) was an Egyptian stage and screen actor, and star from the 1950s specializing mostly in comedy roles in dozens of theater, ci ...

* Shaladimo *

Abdel Mona'em Saoudi Abdul (also transliterated as Abdal, Abdel, Abdil, Abdol, Abdool, or Abdoul; , ) is the most frequent transliteration of the combination of the Arabic word '' Abd'' (, meaning "Servant") and the definite prefix '' al / el'' (, meaning "the"). It ...

* Mahmoud El-Sabbaa *

Toson Moatamed Toson may refer to: * Tōson Shimazaki (1872-1943), a Japanese author * Tosǒn (826-898), also romanized as Doseon Doseon Guksa (a.k.a. Yogong Seonsa, Yeongi Doseon) was a Koreans, Korean Buddhist monk (826-898) who lived during the decline of th ...

* Ibrahim Hechmat * Lotfi Al-Hakim * Mahmoud Azmy * Hussein Azar

References

{{reflist Films directed by Ahmed Badrakhan 1955 films Egyptian black-and-white films 1950s Egyptian films