Badia Masabni's Casino Opera in 1944

In September 1944, a soldier in the U. S. Army Air Corps named Captain Charles M. Cook went to Egypt with some of his friends for eight days of R&R (rest and recuperation). They flew into Alexandria, then traveled to Cairo. One of the places Cook and his friends visited while in Cairo was Badia Masabni's famed club, the Casino Opera. By 1944, the Casino Opera was well established, having opened 4 years earlier. The types of shows it offered at that point included musical revues, Oriental dance performances, and stand-up comedy acts. The photo to the right was taken by Charles Cook during this 1944 visit, and preserved by his son Doug with the rest of his war memorabilia. Click on the image to see more detail. For more information about Captain Charles Cook and his military career, see the web site his son Doug has built to honor him.

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