The production of 20th Century Fox’s romantic historical epic Suez (1938) is legendary in classic Hollywood lore. For the French actress Annabella (born Suzanne Georgette Charpentier, July 14 1907 – September 18, 1996), the film was a massive career turning point. Playing the fiercely devoted, tomboyish “Toni Pellerin,” she stole both the spotlight and the heart of her leading man, Tyrone Power, under incredibly grueling physical conditions.
When Annabella arrived on the set of Suez, her co-star Tyrone Power was Hollywood’s premier young romantic lead, and 20th Century Fox’s head Darryl F. Zanuck kept a highly protective eye on him. Though Power was initially linked with other actresses, he and Annabella fell deeply in love almost immediately during filming. Their passionate off-screen romance did not please Zanuck. Fearing his top male star's appeal would wane if he married, Zanuck actively tried to disrupt their relationship, even offering Annabella film roles overseas to separate them. Undeterred, the couple married in April 1939, leading a spiteful Zanuck to quietly sideline Annabella’s Hollywood career.
The film’s climax features a monumental, highly destructive desert sandstorm. To bring this sequence to life, director Allan Dwan and special effects artist Fred Sersen utilized an incredibly harsh, low-tech methodology. The crew lined up roughly 100 massive, roaring airplane propellers to blast wind across the set. Initially, the crew used actual sand. However, Dwan quickly realized that real sand pelted at high velocities would literally strip the skin off the actors. Instead, they substituted tons of ground-up bran cereal.
The actors had to push through this blinding, high-speed cereal blizzard for days. Annabella earned immense respect from the crew for her stoicism and professionalism during the grueling shoot. For the dramatic scene where Toni is swept away and killed by the storm, crew members rigged Annabella to a wire harness and physically flung her through the air amidst the roaring wind machine debris.
The production was also marked by a legendary, polite cold war between Annabella and her co-star, Loretta Young (who played Empress Eugénie). Young was frustrated that her historical character was relegated to what she felt was glorified “set dressing,” while Annabella’s tomboyish character had the meatier, more emotionally resonant arc. Determined to command attention, Young worked with costume designer Royer to ensure she wore the most lavish, expansive hoop skirts possible. Her dresses became so incredibly wide that the studio’s stage carpenters literally had to widen the doorways on the set so Young could pass through. In contrast, Annabella spent much of the film in casual, modern-styled outdoor gear and riding habits, emphasizing her character's rugged, down-to-earth appeal.
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