Did Nuclear Fallout Kill Hollywood's Biggest Star?

TL;DR

Nuclear fallout has not been shown to have killed John Wayne or caused the reported cancers among The Conqueror’s cast and crew; the connection remains debated, and the cited scientific evidence suggests fallout was not a significant cause. The production nevertheless spent six weeks filming 220 kilometers downwind of the Nevada Test Site and later shipped 120,000 kilograms of Utah earth to California, making the evidence worth examining closely.

Transcript

foreign 1953 a first of its kind nuclear artillery shell detonates at the U.S government's Nevada test site with the same yield as the bomb that obliterated Hiroshima Japan eight years earlier a mushroom cloud of vaporized material and radioactive particles Fallout Rises into the skies directly behind where I'm standing right now the blast part of ... Read More

Key Insights

• 😓 The Conqueror, a Hollywood film shot near a nuclear test site, is believed by some to have caused cancer in its cast and crew.
• ☠️ The connection between the film and cancer rates has been heavily debated, with scientific evidence suggesting that nuclear fallout was not a significant cause.
• 🧑‍⚕️ The Downwinders, individuals living near nuclear testing sites, fought for compensation and recognition of their alleged radiation-induced health issues.

Questions & Answers

Q: Did nuclear fallout from The Conqueror kill John Wayne?

The available evidence does not establish that fallout from filming The Conqueror caused John Wayne’s stomach cancer or death in 1979. Although the Utah set was demonstrably radioactive and the reported cancer cases prompted suspicion, the connection remains debated, with scientific evidence suggesting fallout was not a significant cause.

Q: Where was The Conqueror filmed in relation to the Nevada Test Site?

Outdoor scenes were filmed in the Escalante Desert near Saint George, Utah, about 220 kilometers downwind of the Nevada Test Site. Saint George was described as the populated area that received the most significant dusting of fallout from the explosions conducted there.

Q: How long did The Conqueror cast and crew film at the Utah location?

Hundreds of cast and crew members spent six weeks filming in the dust and sand near Saint George, Utah. During production, horses kicked up dust and actors tussled in the sand.

Q: Did The Conqueror’s filmmakers know the location had received nuclear fallout?

The filmmakers knew about Saint George’s troubling distinction before arriving. John Wayne even took his sons on surveys with a Geiger counter, but the production was assured that the location was very safe.

Q: Was radioactive Utah soil brought to California for The Conqueror reshoots?

Yes. After location filming ended, one of the producers had 120,000 kilograms of the same Utah earth shipped to sound stages in California for reshoots.

Q: Which stars and crew members from The Conqueror later died of cancer?

Director Dick Powell died of cancer seven years after the film premiered, and supporting actor Pedro Armendáriz was diagnosed with kidney cancer in 1960 before killing himself in June 1963. Agnes Moorehead died in 1974, Susan Hayward in 1975, and John Wayne died of stomach cancer in 1979.

Q: What is nuclear fallout?

Nuclear fallout is contaminated soot, ash, dust, and earth produced after a nuclear explosion. It contains radioactive fission products, unfissioned atoms, and vaporized bomb material, and its persistence depends on the half-lives of the atoms involved.

Q: Who were the Downwinders?

Downwinders were Nevada Test Site workers, farmers, and other people in communities near nuclear testing in Nevada, Washington, Idaho, New Mexico, and Arizona. From the 1950s through the 1970s, they organized to seek government attention for ailments, cancers, livestock losses, and other damage they believed fallout caused.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The Conqueror, a Hollywood film shot in Utah deserts near a nuclear test site, is known for being one of the worst films ever made.

• Many cast and crew members of The Conqueror developed cancer, leading to speculation that the film's shooting location was radioactive.

• The connection between the film and cancer rates has been heavily debated, with scientific evidence suggesting that nuclear fallout was not a significant cause.