This classic musical melodrama launched the film career of one of Egypt’s greatest singers and composers, Mohamed Abdel-Wahhab. Galal Effendi, the son of an impoverished aristocrat, is forced to leave his studies to seek employment. After a short stint as a clerk, however, Galal discovers his musical talents and finds success as a popular singer. Through its story of upward mobility based on merit rather than influence, the film examines the emergence of Egyptian middle-class identity.