Moviecut—Suez

source: Suez

Probably one of the least accurate historical dramas done by the old Hollywood Studio System is Suez with Tyrone Power cast as Ferdinand DeLesseps, the builder of the Suez Canal. Any resemblance to the facts involving the canal and its construction are purely coincidental, in fact both English and French history gets badly skewered in Suez. Ferdinand DeLesseps should only have been as dashing and as handsome as Tyrone Power, he probably wishes he was. He was never involved in any romantic way with the Empress Eugene of France played by Loretta Young. As for the character that Annabella who was Mrs. Tyrone Power at the time plays, we've sure got no basis in fact for what she does to save Power and the canal itself. Take my word it's quite the sacrifice. The film has DeLesseps taking over the assignment his father had as consul general for France to Egypt. While there DeLesseps conceives the idea of rebuilding the ancient canal over the isthmus of Suez. And as the film's story unfolds he sacrifices everything to get it. Of course it's all fiction. The name of Benjamin Disraeli is as linked in history to the Suez Canal as DeLesseps. But how he got involved is also complete fiction. It took place after the canal was complete and while quite a coup for the British at the time, it was hardly anything heroic. Miles Mander plays Disraeli without quite the same flair as George Arliss did nor even Ian McShane in the acclaimed BBC series in the Seventies. But if you like historical romance than Suez is definitely the film for you.

This is a very solid 20th Century Fox/Tyrone Power epic film. While not the best Power ever did, it is still very good and worth seeing. Plus, it gives people a chance to see the real-life Mrs. Power, actress Annabella. Rarely do you get a chance to see actors starring with their wives. The film score, sets, direction and script are all very good--though perhaps a little too much emphasis is placed on romance. Oh well, perhaps that's what you get for putting your wife in the film (just kidding). After you see this film, you might also then try watching the movie DISRAELI, so you can find out that just a few years after the French almost single-handedly built the canal, the British swooped in and obtained a 50% interest! Now that's cheeky!

Director Allan Dwan evidently had a good work ethic, with over 400 screen credits to his name! On reviewing those credits, nothing really jumps out and impresses you. The same can be said for this biopic; workmanlike and though it has its moments, not particularly engaging. Leading man, Tyrone Power is likeable but lacks a certain je ne sais quoi, perhaps charisma? The film suggests the sweep of history when we are introduced to the likes of Napoleon III, Disraeli, Victor Hugo and Franz Liszt but doesn't offer much dimension in the person of Ferdinand De Lesseps, who's brainchild the Suez Canal was. And the script is to blame here as much as Power. His 'love' interests are portrayed by Loretta Young and Annabella and there is more chemistry between him and the latter, undoubtedly due to their marriage in real life. But she also brings a sensual cheekiness and a zest to her role and we miss her after her demise, which makes her voiceover at the end of the picture even more poignant. For my money, she steals the show. The other major plus point is the special effects, particularly in the devil wind that wreaks havoc amongst the protagonist and his workers and nearly scuppers the plans for the titular canal. The supporting cast has a number of major character names of the period such as Nigel Bruce, Henry Stephenson and George Zucco but they are given little opportunity or material with which to shine. Faring slightly better are Sig Ruman in an amusing turn as an army sergeant trying to keep his greying hair under control with dye and Miles Mander as the foxy, aforementioned Disraeli.

This is very interesting since it is all historical. Ferdinand de Lesseps (Tyrone Power) is sent on a diplomatic mission to Egypt, leaving behind his sweetheart Eugenie de Montijo (Loretta Young) to marry Napoleon III, while another sweetheart is following him to Egypt (Annabella) who happens to inspire him to dig the ditch of the Suez Canal, a grand idealistic project of uniting the west with the east. Many oppose the project, however, especially the British under the government of Gladstone, and Napoleon III who believes his engineers when they tell him the waters of the Indian Ocean will drown all the Mediterranean, if the canal is realised. However, his beautiful wife Eugenie, Ferdinand's former sweetheart, persuades her imperial husband to sanction the project, and in England by chance Disraeli takes over the government and makes Queen Victoria a partner in the project. It's a great and interesting story, the actors are all doing well, while perhaps Annabella makes the best impression ending up as Mrs Tyrone Power. There are no objections against the film, no blatant historical inaccuracies, Loretta Young's dresses are magnificent, and in spite of many democratic objections against Napoleon III, including those of Victor Hugo, he actually did well for France for two decades, while his great uncle, Napoleon the Great, only stayed in power for 15 years and ruined France in the bargain by the wars he kept enforcing, while Napoleon III at least kept his peace as long as he could.

The history and the practical solutions for the building of the Suez Canal are brought to light in this lavish production of Suez. Tyrone Power is perfect casting for this role, and his romantic interest is the Canal, itself. The rest of the cast, however, does a very good job supporting Power. The Egyptian Prince who is a real softie, befriends Power and eventually gets him permission to build the Canal in Egypt. The only sticking point are the Ottoman Turks, who oppose the building of the Canal for political reasons. A good biopic for late at night.

Biopic upon Ferdinand de Lesseps : Tyrone Power who built the famous canal from Port Said to Suez . It is inspired by real events, being freely adapted by screenwriter Philip Dunne taking some actual facts here and there. It deals with Lesseps , his lovers : Loretta Young , Annabella , and his relationship with historical people as Napoleon III : Leon Ames , Benjamin Disraeli : Miles Mander , Gladstone : George Zucco, Egyptian Sultan : J Edward Bromberg, among others . He changed the map of the World! This is a stirring and interesting saga about one of the world's most astonishing engineering achievements , dealing with a brave Man of two loves and one mighty deed . Well handling the human drama along with historic happenings , though director is partially unable -undeed unwiling- to combine both strands of his story in contrast to filmmakers as William Wyler , Raoul Walsh , King Vidor or Anthony Mann. In fact , Suez is a series of moving events and unfortunate incidents unconnected by dramatic urgency . In the film appears various historical characters , being well played , such as : Napoleon III : Leon Ames , his wife the Spanish Eugenia de Montijo : Loretta Young , Prime Ministers Gladstone : George Zucco and Benjamin Disraeli : Miles Mander. Adding other notorious secondaries and familiar faces : Nigel Bruce , J Edward Bromberg , Joseph Schildkraut , Henry Stephenson , Sidney Blackmer, Rafaela Ottiano and Sig Ruman . The action/disaster sequences are competently assured without ever going over the top. They are some impressive escenarios, as well as spectacular set pieces , including rocks falling, catastrophes , wild thunders causing destruction , wreck havoc and chaos on the monumental construction that are the highlights of the movie , but marred by excessive matte-painting. The motion picture was well directed by Allan Dwan, it has virtues and some flaws, too. In his films Allan Dawn is compellingly concerned with the modest virtues of fairness and honesty , he was a prolific artisan, shooting all kinds of genres with penchant for western and adventure, such as : Enchanted island, The Restless Breed , Escape to Burma , Pearl of the South Pacific , Tennesse's Partner , Cattle Queen Montana , Passion , Silver Lode , Montana Belle , Northwest Outpost , Around the World, Young People, The Gorilla, The Three Musketeers , Heidi , Manhandled , The Iron Mask, Robin Hood , and many others . Rating 6.5/10 , decent historical/adventure/drama .

There are three reasons why you'd rent Suez: if you think Tyrone Power is the most handsome classic actor ever, if you want to see the chemistry between him and Annabella, whom he married the next year, or if you like special effects movies and want to see an epic sandstorm. Ty, as exquisitely handsome as he usually is, starts the movie in love with Loretta Young, whom I normally can't stand and still can't, even after watching this movie. She wants to wear a crown, so she becomes engaged to Emperor Napoleon III, played by Leon Ames, instead. To mend his broken heart, and to feed his masculine ambition, Ty becomes involved in architecture, eventually leading him to Suez, where he plans to build a canal. The supporting cast of this movie is huge, with Joseph Schildkraut playing Ty's steadfast friend, Henry Stephenson playing Ty's father, Sig Ruman playing Annabella's father, Nigel Bruce, Sidney Blackmer, Rafaela Ottiano, and Miles Mander as Benjamin Disraeli. While there is a lot to keep you entertained, with all the familiar faces, this movie isn't as well remembered as other special effects epics, like The Rains Came and The Hurricane. Compared against those, Suez does fall short, since the love triangle is hardly entertaining, even with the knowledge that there was a backstage romance going on, and until Ty starts building the canal, his career path is a little boring. Annabella may have snagged herself the leading man in the film, but she didn't snag herself a very good part. Her character is so irritating, it's no wonder Ty keeps holding a torch for Loretta! With her hair cropped like a boy and most of her costumes as shirts and britches, she appears to be very masculine, as compared to Loretta's gorgeous gowns, jewels, styled hair, and poise amidst royalty. In Annabella's entrance scene, she's bathing, and the filmmakers were able to sneak in a bit of nudity despite the watchful eye of the Hays Code. She's portrayed as illiterate, unfeminine, rude, obnoxious, and pushy, and yet she thinks she can win Tyrone Power over? In real life she did, so check this movie out if you want to see how she did it.

SUEZ is a stodgy romantic drama, a highly fictionalized biographical account of the builder of the Suez canal. It's got some nice costuming (for Loretta Young especially), some decent performances (Tyrone Power does nicely in the leading role and Annabella has a certain exotic charm), and the big storm scene is extremely well done as far as special effects go. Power and Young were both at the height of their physical appeal and their close-ups are as stunning as Miss Young's wardrobe. But it struggles to stay alive through the first few reels and it takes an interminable time for the plot to be resolved. It goes on and on at great length without making any sort of impression as a reasonably faithful biography of the man. The romance between Power, Young and Annabella seems no more than a cardboard romantic triangle such as the kind Hollywood often invented for biographies. (As, for example, in the Bronte biography, DEVOTION). As historical drama, it's flimsy. Only the most faithful fans of Power and Loretta Young (both of whom are attractively photographed for maximum glamor) will really be satisfied with this one. All of the production elements are there, but the end result is not quite what audiences expected. Most satisfying element is the great cast of supporting actors--Henry Stephenson, Joseph Schildkraut, J. Edgar Bromberg, Miles Mander, Nigel Bruce and George Zucco. Only standout flaw in casting is Leon Ames as Napoleon (before he became MGM's favorite father figure in "Little Women" and "Meet Me In St. Louis"). He just seems out of place. The sandstorm is magnificent but comes too late to save the film.