COUNT LOUIS DE LESSEPS

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LXXII, 22 December 1938, Page 3

COUNT LOUIS DE LESSEPS

| HORRIFIED BY “SUEZ” FILM CONFERENCE TO CONSIDER ACTION iliv Aii Mail-Special Cor respond** m i LONDON. 3rd December. ! Count Louis de Lesseps. great-grand- j son of the Suez Canal builder, was horrified when he saw the film "Suez” in n London cinema this week. He described the film from his family’s point of view as “an outrage.” A family conference. to which all branches of the ! family will be invited, is to be held in : Paris, to discuss what can be done about ! the film which, the Count alleges, brings I "shame” on the family name. "The film is absurd.” the Count said. "Only one part is historically true. That !is the friendship between my great- | grandfather, Ferdinand de Lesseps and the Egyptian Viceroy. When building the Canal, Ferdinand de Lesseps is represented as a young man of about 25. In fact, he was between 50 and <SO and | i had at least three children. "The Empress Eugenie admired and ! encouraged her cousin. Ferdinand de i Lesseps. in his great work. Hollywood ) | fancy turned this friendly relationship into a love affair offensive to the memory of two great persons. The Empress : was a perfect wife and mother. She is I shown in a light indecent to her memI orv. But I suppose they must have a | love affair, even if false, in a film. "The name de Lesseps is an- honoured ( one in France to-day. This film is bared on falsity and crude fancy.”