More than 90 people who worked on the 1956 John Wayne film “The Conqueror” developed cancer during their lifetimes, and 46 died from the disease, fueling decades of speculation that the production was poisoned by radiation from nearby nuclear weapons tests. The film, a historical drama in which Wayne played Genghis Khan,was shot largely in southern Utah,a region approximately 137 miles downwind from the Nevada National Security Site,where the U. S. government had conducted a series of above-ground nuclear tests.
In 1953, the year the film was shot, eleven nuclear weapons tests were carried out at the site as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole, blanketing the region with radioactive fallout. The filmmakers reportedly knew about the tests,but federal authorities had assured the public that they posed no danger to health. The cast and crew spent weeks filming outside locations such as Snow Canyon, Pine Valley,Leeds,andthe Escalante Desert near St,. George, Utah,.
Produced by Howard Hughes, the production later shipped some 60 tons of dirt back to Hollywood to recreate the Utah terrain for studio reshoots,. Over the following decades, a striking number of people connected to the film developed cancer,,and many died from it at relatively young ages,. Among them was actress Susan Hayward,,who played Börte,and died of brain cancer in1975 at age57,. Agnes Moorehead,,who was known as a non-smoker and health-conscious performer,,died of uterine cancer in1974 at age73,.
Actor Lee Van Cleef,,who had heart disease,,died of a heart attack at age64,,with throat cancer listed asa secondary cause of death,. Director Dick Powell died of cancer in1963 at age58,. Actor John Hoyt died of lung cancer in1991 at age86,,and actor Pedro Armendáriz,who was diagnosed with kidney cancer in1960,,took his own life in1963 after learning his condition had become terminal,. John Wayne himself,who played the title role,died of stomach cancer in1979 at age72,,believing his illness was linked to his heavy smoking habit,.
Several relatives of cast members who visited the set also reportedly had cancer scares,. When the pattern became known,many suspected that the nuclear fallout at the filming locations was to blame,. But experts have pointed out that the cancer rate among the cast and crew is roughly in line with the national average for adults,. The key difference is that they developed cancer at a younger age than average,.
in addition,studies note the odds of developing cancer for American men are about43 percent,and the odds of dying from it are23 percent, very close to the figures seen among the crew,. This has led to ongoing debate over whether the illnesseswere the result of radiation exposure or coincidence,. Howard Hughes reportedly felt guilt over the production decisions,,particularly the choice to film near the hazardous test site,. He bought every print of the film for approximately $12 million and kept it out of circulation for years,,repeatedly watching it and “Ice Station Zebra” during his final years,.
Universal Pictures later purchased the film from his estate in1979,. To this day,the question remains unresolved: cancer curse or coincidence?
