Khaberni - Kitty, the retired artist and star of Ismail Yassin's movies from the 1950s, who played the leading role opposite him in the movie "Ismail Yassin's Afreet", has passed away in her home in Athens, Greece, at the age of 96.
Yesterday (Friday), Manolis Tasoulas, a Greek doctor and writer, and a close friend of dancer Kitty Foutsaki, announced her death after a long life filled with artistic achievements, where she was one of the most prominent stars of Egyptian cinema during the forties and fifties of the last century.
It is worth mentioning that the movie "Ismail Yassin's Afreet" revolves around Kitty, a nightclub dancer. A conspiracy is hatched against her by her gambling manager with the help of one of his friends in an attempt to kill her to claim her life insurance money to settle his debts. After her death, her spirit remains, and she chooses Ismail to help her find her killer and seek revenge, which leads him into a series of comedic incidents with his fiancée's family.
The film starred a group of prominent artists including Ismail Yassin, Kitty, Farid Shawqi, Mohamed Kamal El-Masri, was written by Abu El-Saoud El-Ibiary, and directed by Hassan El-Seify.
Who is Kitty Foutsaki?
Kitty Foutsaki, the Oriental dancer and artist, was born in April 1927 in Alexandria, Egypt, to Greek parents. She began her artistic career by learning belly dancing, where she proved her expertise before moving to cinema.
Throughout her career, Kitty presented approximately 69 films in less than twenty years, with her most notable works being the films she participated in with artist Ismail Yassin. She also appeared with Hassan Fayek, Tawfiq El-Dakn, and Madiha Kamel in her last movie “El-Aql Wa El-Mal” in 1965 before suddenly disappearing from the artistic scene.
Kitty worked for a period with Badiaa Masabni, as well as with Baba Ezz El-Din in the famous Casino Opera, in addition to her ten years at Casino Shahrzad Theatre in Cairo.
In 1965, she left Egypt after her residency expired, traveling to Greece, where she returned to work under her real name, Kitty Foutsaki, and participated in a Greek TV series, continuing her artistic career away from the Egyptian limelight.
