[post_page_title]The fake hail [/post_page_title]
While not all of the ten plagues are shown on screen, the audience does see the plague of hail. Soon after Moses and Ramses argue, fiery balls of hail come raining down from the sky covering the ground and pelting Ramses.
What you may not know, is that they used popcorn as the pieces of hail, with the idea that it was soft enough to avoid injuring the actors, plus it was easy to clean up and reuse. The fire seen in the finished product was an animated effected added on in the post production.
[post_page_title]Casting Nefretiri[/post_page_title]
Cecil B. DeMille originally had Audrey Hepburn in mind for the role of Nefretiri. Her star was on the rise after her starring role in the popular film Roman Holiday, so she seemed like she could be an ideal candidate.
However, after further evaluation, DeMille decided that she was too slender for the Nefretiri he envisioned and he wanted someone a little more buxom. The role ultimately went to Anne Baxter, and today it would be hard to imagine anyone else as the beautiful Egyptian princess!