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This John Wayne Movie May Have Caused Dozens of Deaths – My Blog

“This better be worth it.” It’s almost an internal threat, sometimes it’s more about the journey than the destination, but when it’s a journey through hell, you hope the destination will make up for what you’ve been put through. The same question can be asked in the history of film production, from the golden age to now, because we all know about the movies that were “cursed.” So many films had disastrous productions, with overblown budgets, delay upon delay, and worst of all, casualties among the cast and crew, from psychological distress to, unfortunately, deaths.Are Strenuous Film Productions Worth It?So, you ask: Was it all worth it? Sometimes, all the agony and disasters end up with a final product that is truly special, even world-changing, such as The Wizard of Oz. Sometimes, a movie is still good or even great, but you wonder if it was worth all the cast and crew endured and if the movie would still succeed without it. Other times, like in Waterworld’s case, a really difficult and expensive shoot wasn’t worth it critically or financially. And in certain, horrible cases, not only did the final product fail miserably, but the bad decisions of those on top, and the long-term effects it wrought on the cast and crew, made it never worth the risk at all.It was the late 1950s, and everyone was all about the big, expensive sword-and-sandals epics. Throw a bunch of A-Listers, thousands of unnamed extras, and a bunch of horses in the middle of the desert and adapt a classic story of historical, mythological, or biblical proportions. This really kicked off in the early 1960s with films such as Spartacus and Cleopatra, but in 1956, the world was graced with one of the best in the genre, The Ten Commandments, and the very same year gave us one of the worst.

The Conqueror 1956Image Via RKO Radio Pictures
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‘The Conqueror’s Casting Was the First Sign of DisasterThe Conqueror, directed by Dick Powell and produced by Howard Hughes, follows the origin story of the infamous Mongol emperor, Genghis Khan, then called Temüjin. Such a significant figure in history would require the perfect man to play him, the man chosen was John Wayne. Yes, The Duke, the eternal cowboy, playing Genghis Khan. This is the fact that people don’t believe when first hearing it, having white actors in offensive makeup play Asian characters wasn’t new, just an unfortunate reality of film history, but… John Wayne, really? That was considered a horrible miscast even back then. Marlon Brando, another actor with a staggeringly distinct look and voice, was originally slated for the role but backed out of the project. A much better choice, East-Russian-born Yul Brynner, had a more promising movie to do (The Ten Commandments), and they were both incredibly lucky they missed out.The Conqueror is considered the worst film of the 1950s. At least Plan 9 From Outer Space is fun, and mercifully short, but The Conqueror is nearly two glacial hours long and takes itself deadly seriously. It is insulting and historically inaccurate – and just overall embarrassing. So, Howard Hughes blew $6 million (that’s $65,993,382.35 today) on a terrible movie, big deal. Bigger budgets have been spent on worse movies, and it made that money back. However, a bad movie would become the least of the cast and crew’s worries.

The Conquerer’s Downwind DisasterThe Conqueror is considered a cursed movie by many, and it has the regular pitfalls of any film given that description, going over budget, getting delayed, and conflicts between, well, mostly Hughes and everyone else. But this film is considered more cursed than most; the effects being far-reaching and lasting many, many years. This was no curse brought on by higher powers like, allegedly, the production of The Exorcist. This wasn’t some product of supernatural meddling, because this film didn’t just have a toxic working environment, it had an irradiated one.If a dysentery-stricken Harrison Ford, the million-dollar insurance policies of The Mummy, and the testimony of many, many actors can teach us anything, it’s that shooting in a desert anywhere in the world sucks. Nature is out to get you in the middle of nowhere, you have to fight with the blistering heat, potentially dangerous animals, all while dealing with the regular stressors that pop up on a film set. Nature doesn’t compromise, nature doesn’t cooperate, and nature doesn’t care about your movie, why should it? According to Harry and Michael Medved’s book, Hollywood Hall of Shame, The Conqueror made for a grueling shoot for that reason alone, water sources dried up, and people fainted from heatstroke, but it was pushed over the edge from grueling to genuinely dangerous by the particular desert they decided to use for filming.
John Wayne and Susan Hayward in The Conqueror (1956)Image Via RKO Radio Pictures
The Conqueror, while set in The Gobi Desert, was filmed primarily in the plains of Utah, Snow Valley, Pine Valley, Leeds, Harrisburg, with the outdoor scenes being shot in the Escalante Desert. The outdoor scenes, as in any desert shoot, were the most dangerous, but 137 miles downwind from where the cameras were rolling was the Nevada National Security Site, otherwise known as The Nevada Test Site. It was the 1950s, the Cold War was quickly heating up, and this site was a prime location for testing nuclear weapons of mass destruction. According to John G. Fuller’s book, The Day We Bombed Utah, the health effects of nuclear fallout, no matter how small the exposure, is devastating, with many “down-winders”, particularly from the city of St. George, suffering from cancer because of it. The filmmakers knew about these tests, 11 of them occurring in 1953, the shoot beginning only a year later, but were assured by the government that they were safe to continue the production
The Fallout of The ConquerorOut of the 220 cast and crew members counted, 91 of them ended up developing a wide range of cancers in the next couple of decades, and 46 of them ended up succumbing to the disease. Among the fatalities were Powell, Wayne, and stars Susan Hayward and Pedro Armendáriz. This number does not account for the primarily Native American extras in the film, which likely means the number of humans affected was much higher, but the many animals in the film were also not safe. There are, naturally, other reasons that one would get cancer in the 1950s, everyone really, really liked to smoke back then for example, but having almost half the cast and crew of the same film all succumbing to a disease that is caused by nuclear fallout seems like a pretty big coincidence. All of them spent months downwind of a nuclear test site, breathing the air, drinking the water, and touching the dirt not only there, but in re-shoots when Hughes insisted it is imported in.Shockingly, no one got served for this horrific and damaging misstep, not Hughes, not Powell, not RKO Radio Pictures, not the government. According to Darwin Porter’s book, Howard Hughes: Hell’s Angel​​​​​​, that guilt really set in for Howard Hughes, and when he began to spiral into obsessive compulsiveness, he hoarded every print of The Conqueror, one of the films he’d watch repeatedly until his death in 1976. There is far more of this story to tell and is told in books such as Killing John Wayne: The Making of The Conqueror, which is worth its own movie, and reading it is far more worth your time.

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MILEY CYRUS STUNNED IN A VERY CHIC GUCCI DRESS WITH A DARING LEG SLIT THAT WENT ALL THE WAY TO HER WAIST DURING HER GRAMMY ACCEPTANCE SPEECH AND APPARENTLY SHE ‘WASN’T WEARING ANY UɴᴅᴇƦᴡᴇᴀƦ’

Miley Cyrus had the crowd roaring when she closed out her Grammys acceptance speech with a cheeky remark about ‘forgetting’ her underwear.
She did so while rocking a very racy Gucci dress with a daring leg slit that climbed to her waist.But now the singer, 31 — who is now a two-time Grammy winner — is insisting that it was only a joke.Miley took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to write: ‘PS I was only kidding…. I had on matching custom @gucci panties [HEART-EMOJI]’She then thanked Gucci’s creative director Sabato De Sarno for the ‘head to toe chocolate custom couture’ that’s earned her a ton of attention online.In the same X post, Miley fawned over Mariah Carey, Meryl Streep and Mark Ronson — the trio of stars who presented her with her first-ever Grammys on Sunday night.

Miley Cyrus had the crowd roaring when she closed out her Grammys acceptance speech with a cheeky remark about ‘forgetting’ her underwear – and now she’s clarifying that it was just a joke.

Miley took to X (formerly Twitter) on Monday to write: ‘PS I was only kidding…. I had on matching custom @gucci panties’

While accepting the Record Of The Year trophy, Miley rocked a very racy Gucci dress with a daring leg slit that climbed to her waistShe included photos from the show that showed Meryl handing Miley her Record Of The Year trophy as well as Miley hugging her team, who joined her on stage.

She wrote that the third photo in her post ‘sums up’ her relationship with her Flowers co-writer Michael Pollack and producers Kid Harpoon and Tyler Johnson ‘perfectly.’The image showed Miley in front of the mic accepting their award while Pollack, Harpoon and Johnson stood idly behind her.‘You 3 wanting me to do all the talking until I start talking….’ she teased.Miley was one of the biggest winners of the night as she earned the coveted Record Of The Year and Best Pop Solo Performance for her hit track Flowers.Along with setting social media ablaze with her underwear joke, Miley also got fans talking about her father Billy Ray Cyrus, who she left out of her Record Of The Year acceptance speech.”This award is amazing,’ she began. ‘But I really hope that it doesn’t change anything because my life was beautiful yesterday. Not everyone in the world will get a Grammy, but everyone in this world is spectacular…

‘So please don’t think that this is important, even though it’s very important, right guys? ‘[I want to thank] everyone that’s standing on this stage right now Tom, Tyler, Michael and Greg.

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Woman Who Claimed To ‘Marry Her Stepdad’ Clears The Air On Their Relationship

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Woman Who Claimed to Marry Her Stepfather Clears the Air on Their Relationship

The internet thrives on shocking stories, but one recent claim left social media users in disbelief. A woman allegedly married her stepfather, sparking outrage, curiosity, and a flood of reactions online. Now, she’s speaking out to set the record straight and clarify the truth behind her controversial statement.

The story first gained traction when a video went viral, showing the woman with her stepfather, leading to accusations of an inappropriate relationship. The online frenzy was fueled by speculation, memes, and heated debates about family boundaries. For weeks, critics and supporters alike dissected the story, with some condemning the alleged union and others calling it a matter of personal freedom.

In a recent interview, the woman addressed the situation head-on, debunking the rumors that she married her stepdad. She explained that her initial claim was misunderstood, blown out of proportion, and taken out of context. According to her, the relationship has been misrepresented, and while they do share a close bond, it is far from what people assumed.

“It’s crazy how quickly the internet twists things. People love drama, but this isn’t what they think it is,” she said. She revealed that her stepfather has been a supportive figure in her life, and their connection is built on mutual respect and care—not romance.

Despite her clarification, the backlash hasn’t entirely subsided. Critics question why she made the claim in the first place, while some accuse her of seeking attention. Others, however, have come to her defense, emphasizing the importance of verifying facts before jumping to conclusions.

Psychologists have weighed in on the situation, highlighting how social media amplifies controversies without context. “In today’s digital age, a misunderstood statement can snowball into a viral sensation within hours,” said one expert.

The woman admits that she didn’t anticipate the uproar her comments would create but hopes that her explanation will put the matter to rest. “I want people to stop judging without knowing the full story,” she added.

The saga serves as a reminder of how quickly stories can spiral out of control online. It also raises questions about privacy and the consequences of sharing personal details in the public eye.

As the dust begins to settle, one thing is clear: the internet never forgets. Whether this will be a lesson learned or just another fleeting viral moment remains to be seen.

What’s your take on this bizarre story? Was it just a misunderstanding, or is there more to it? Share your thoughts below!

 

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Michael Bublé breaks down in tears over son Noah’s health issues

Michael Bublé Breaks Down in Tears Over Son Noah’s Health Issues

Michael Bublé, the beloved Canadian crooner known for his smooth voice and charming stage presence, recently opened up about one of the most challenging chapters of his life. In an emotional interview, Bublé shared his heartache over his son Noah’s battle with liver cancer, a health struggle that shook his family to its core.

Bublé, who is known for keeping his personal life relatively private, revealed the toll that Noah’s illness took on him, his wife, Luisana Lopilato, and their entire family. Noah, now 10, was diagnosed with hepatoblastoma, a rare form of liver cancer, in 2016 when he was just three years old. The news was devastating, forcing the singer to put his flourishing career on hold to focus entirely on his son’s treatment and recovery.

In the candid conversation, Bublé broke down in tears while recounting the moment he first learned of Noah’s diagnosis. “I felt like my world had ended,” he admitted. “As a parent, you think you can protect your kids from anything, but something like this… it changes everything.”

The Grammy-winning artist described the sleepless nights and the rollercoaster of emotions that accompanied Noah’s treatment, which included surgery and chemotherapy. Bublé and Lopilato stayed by their son’s side every step of the way, drawing strength from their love for their family and their faith.

Bublé credits his son’s resilience and the support of loved ones for helping them endure the ordeal. He also expressed gratitude for the medical team that treated Noah, calling them “angels” for their dedication and care.

Thankfully, after months of treatment, Noah went into remission, a moment Bublé described as “the greatest miracle of my life.” While the experience left emotional scars, it also deepened Bublé’s appreciation for life and the things that truly matter.

The ordeal profoundly impacted the way Bublé approaches his music and career. He admitted that he once prioritized professional success but now places his family above all else. “Fame and fortune mean nothing compared to the health and happiness of my children,” he said.

Today, Noah is a thriving and happy young boy, and Bublé continues to use his platform to raise awareness about pediatric cancer. He hopes his story will inspire other families facing similar struggles to stay hopeful and strong.

Michael Bublé’s vulnerability in sharing his family’s journey has endeared him even more to his fans, reminding the world that behind the music is a devoted father who would do anything for his children.

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