A WILLIAM NUNEZ DOCUMENTARY
THE CONQUEROR HOLLYWOOD FALLOUT THE CONQUEROR
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THE CONQUEROR A WILLIAM NUNEZ DOCUMENTARY
CONTENTS 4 History 5 Synopsis 7 Downwinders 8 Themes| Research - Interview Subjects - Visual 9 Narrator 10 Director’s Statement 11 Writer | Director 12 | 13 Production Companies 15 Executive Producers 16 Post- Production Company 17 Equity 18 | 19 EIS 20 | 21 Perk & Benefits 22 Press and Reference Links
THE HISTORY “IT HAS GONE INTO OUR DNA. I’VE LOST COUNT OF THE FRIENDS I’VE BURIED. I’M NOT PATRIOTIC. MY GOVERNMENT LIED TO ME!” - ST. GEORGE UTAH RESIDENT, 2015
The story of a failed Hollywood epic and the devasting repercussions it had, not only on some of Hollywood’s most iconic stars, but the residents of a desert town in Utah where the film was shot. The 1956 Howard Hughes production, “The Conqueror” was an unmitigated flop despite having major movie stars John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Agnes Moorehead and Pedro Armendariz. The Dick Powell directed film has gone down as not just one of the worst films of the 1950s, but one of the worst ever. The greater claim to infamy however is the question of whether the choice of shooting location, St. George, Utah was responsible for the deaths of some of the most revered actors of Hollywood’s golden era? Did the US Atomic Energy commission which tested an atomic bomb in the area, the year before, which was eight times more powerful than Hiroshima, not only devastate Hollywood but also an entire community, which still suffers the fallout today?
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THE SYNOPSIS
JOHN WAYNE
DICK POWELL
HOWARD HUGHES
When Hollywood legend John Wayne played Genghis Khan in the 1956 film, “The Conqueror”, he quickly secured his place on every “Worst Film of All time List” for the next 50 years as his portrayal was so wooden, and his casting so ill advised, that the film became a cautionary tale against stunt casting.
Howard Hughes (in what would be his final film production) asked the US Atomic Energy Commission if St. George was safe for filming. The Agency assured the world famous producer and aviator that it was safe, and with that assurance moved an entire film company to the desert sands of Utah to film what he believed to be the epics to end all epics.
John Wayne was looking for opportunities to stretch as an actor and show audiences he was more than a cowboy. His personal life was going through changes as his divorce from his wife became final, and was now engaged to his next wife. Susan Hayward had just won an Oscar for Best Actress and wanted to work with the biggest box office draw in the US. She was embroiled in drama herself during shooting as she was in the midst of a divorce and child custody case and had to fly to Los Angeles every other day to attend.
However, the biggest disaster that eventually engulfed “The Conqueror” had nothing to do with the acting. Of the film’s 220 cast and crew members, 91 eventually developed cancer. A year before filming began, on the morning of May 19th 1953, the US government conducted one of the dirtiest atmospheric detonations of all time. The nuclear test released a radioactive cloud that ascended to an elevation of 11,600 feet before topping out and heading east where it showered unsuspecting civilians with radiation up to 170 miles from the test site. The radiation landed right on the unsuspecting residents of St. George, Utah, where “The Conqueror” would film 13 months later.
Production began in Snow Canyon, 12 miles from St. George where the cast and crew set up home base. Producer/Director Dick Powell and location scouts were said to have armed themselves with Geiger counters to test the radiation levels prior to allowing any cast and crew to begin work, but government experts assured them that the location was completely safe, and the levels were within the allowed range. The US government and its scientists knew how to make weapons of mass destruction, but they had little knowledge of any immediate or long-term impact that these weapons would have, especially in the path that the mushroom of fallout travelled after detonation.
The windstorms that interrupted shooting were caked in radioactive materials, but the real problem lay in John Wayne’s performance as Genghis Khan. Accidents and mishaps as well as Ms. Hayward’s volatile behaviour made “The Conqueror” an exercise in patience by Dick Powell. According to some crew and production members, John Wayne never picked up the script until he arrived on location.
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THE SYNOPSIS
PEDRO ARMENDARIZ
SUSAN HAYWARD
AGNES MOOREHEAD
When he finally read the script, he became concerned about the difficult dialogue he had to learn for that of a 12th Century warrior from Mongolia. It was too late to rewrite the script but more the 50% would be revised during production.
tons of the radioactive sand shipped back to Los Angeles thus endangering more crew and staff. After filming, John Wayne and Susan Hayward moved on to other projects and quickly forgot about the Conqueror.
Susan Hayward knew the script was bad and the casting ridiculous.
The critics had a field day when the film finally premiered. Time Magazine said it best in their review of the picture, “No one comes out of this train wreck holding their head up.”
his outlook more dire. John Wayne was diagnosed in 1965, he had a lung and part of his rib cage removed, but true to his legendary status would continue working even winning an Oscar in 1969 for “True Grit” before dying in 1979. Agnes Moorehead passed away from uterine cancer in 1974 followed by Susan Hayward in 1975 of brain cancer.
She would hurl insults in the front of everyone, and yell out, “A red hair Tartar! Did an Irishman stop off on the road to Old Cathay!” Red hair aside, red contaminated sand kept whipping around the set not to mention the heavy costumes that the cast had to wear in 120 degrees! For 2nd Unit shooting back at RKO studios, Powell had 60
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Then the illnesses came. Dick Powell was diagnosed with cancer and succumbed to it in 1963. Pedro Armendariz was given a terminal diagnosis in 1962, after he got a supporting role in the James Bond film “From Russia with Love” and committed suicide once filming was complete and
Howard Hughes pulled The Conqueror out of circulation shortly after it was released and it has been said he spent his final days watching the film in the darkness of his screening room. Perhaps regret at greenlighting a terrible project or remorse at the human toll the film took on the filmmaking community.
THE DOWNWINDERS
The residents of St. George, Utah were forgotten about as soon as the production wrapped, and everyone departed back to Los Angeles. In the 1960s, studies found that the leukemia rate in children in the St. George region was about 6.03 for every 100,000. Death of children in the region from leukemia totalled 32 in the first 10 years after the blast. Army personnel involved with the test were speaking up against the high incidents of cancers among army personnel and appealed for disability payments. Residents who took up the cause were named “The Downwinders” because of the trajectory of the wind from the test site to their communities. The Downwinders initiated a lawsuit against the US government, and today are activists against nuclear testing. There are archive interviews from residents as well as actors such as Jeanne Gerson who played Bortai’s nurse in the picture. She filed a class action suit against the US government, alleging that she had contracted skin and breast cancer as a result of radioactive exposure during filming. Between 1986 and 1994, there were more than 500 demonstrations at the Nevada testing site culminating in 15,740 reported arrests. The tests continued however well into the 1990s and only in 2007, a scheduled test for the same region was cancelled due to massive protests. Congress held hearings into the correlation between the tests in the Nevada/Utah region and the incidents of cancer from residents in both states. After decades of misinformation and claims there was no danger or health issues due to nuclear fallout, the US government finally acknowledged it made mistakes and awarded the residents of St. George, Utah a $2 billion dollar settlement. THE CONQUEROR
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THEMES | RESEARCH 1. Deep dive into the Atomic Energy Commission and the nuclear testing program. 2. Why make “The Conqueror” and a history of the production from concept to premiere. 3. The impact and legacy of nuclear testing near civilian populations. denial and 4. G ove r n m e n t concealments reveal that nothing has changed since the 1950’s.
INTERVIEW SUBJECTS 1. Family members of John Wayne, Susan Hayward, June Allyson, Pedro Armendariz, Dick Powell as well as the surviving crew members and or their families to discuss the impact of working on The Conqueror. 2. Interview with Rudolph Herzog, author of “A Short History of Nuclear Folly”. 3. Surviving personnel from the Howard Hughes organisation. 4. St. George Historical society, including fresh interviews with the Downwinders organisation.
VISUALS 1. Movie clips from “The Conqueror” as well as clips from the actors other films. 2. Files and archives from the Academy of Motion Pictures Arts and Sciences as well as the estates of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Howard Hughes. 3. Photographic stills of the principals. 4. Newsreels of Hollywood of the 1950s which include both glamour and nuclear test footage. 8
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NARRATOR The intention is to secure a voiceover from a contemporary Hollywood legend. Other possible narration devices will come from the residents of St. George, Utah and archival interviews from the cast and crew of The Conqueror.
POTENTIAL NARRATORS
SACHA BARON COHEN
JANE FONDA
MORGAN FREEMAN
ALEC BALDWIN
GLENN CLOSE
ED HARRIS
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DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT
Successful documentaries, like their fiction counterparts, tell a good story and have engaging characters, narrative tension as well as an integrated point of view. These elements are fundamental to all stories and are present in myth, legend, sagas, and folk tales. The Conqueror is a project wrapped around these themes of humankind’s organised elements. After learning about “The Conqueror” and the cancer rates amongst the cast and crew as well as the victims of St. George, Utah, I knew this is a story I want to tell in an original way by giving the victims a voice in telling their stories of the making of the film as well the residents who stayed behind. The film’s style will take care of itself. It is far more important to make the conflicts and stakes clear and justifiable. A documentary shares a way of seeing and evoking feelings. 10
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My job in “The Conqueror” is to invite the audience to weigh the evidence and judge human values. A good documentary is good drama and shows people in a struggle to right the wrongs that others or governments impose. The motifs and devices I will use will include interviews with living participants and their relatives, reenactment of an ailing Howard Hughes isolated and in the dark watching “The Conqueror” over and over as well as showing his OCD traits of his final years. I will also use cross cutting between the development and prep of the film alongside of the prep and detonation of the “Dirty Harry” bomb in Nevada whose radiation fallout travelled downwind to Utah. My main task in “The Conqueror” will be to point out the superficial and reveal deeper truths. At the same time, I must show these truths in human life and uncover the ambiguities and contradictions
in the characters of Hollywood and our governments. Of course, there can be no film without access to people and their lives so I aspire to set up a partnership like the “poet as witness” that Seamus Heaney describes in his discussion of World War I poets. As the poet TS Eliot said, ‘it is the function of all art to give us some perception of an order in life by imposing an order on it.’ As a filmmaker, I have an ardent respect for the integrity of the actual, for the primacy of the truth in the lives of real people both great and small. The mission of this film is not to change or evade destiny but rather embrace it, to speak passionately of its presence in history and to examine the choices available for making a more humane and generous society for the future. WILLIAM NUNEZ, NEW YORK 2021
WRITER|DIRECTOR
WILLIAM NUNEZ William Nunez is a writer/ director of award-winning te l ev i s i o n p ro g ra m m e s , commercials, and short subjects now making feature films. Mr. Nunez is a principal at North End Pictures, the production company that has produced much of his work. In 2020, Mr. Nunez produced and directed the feature film, “The Laureate”, a story based on the life of British poet Robert Graves. “The Laureate” stars Tom Hughes, Dianna Agron, Laura Haddock, and Julian Glover. Mr. Nunez also wrote the screenplay. He is currently in development on the feature film projects, “Death Benefits” and Carnaval”.
has also directed presidential debates during every election cycle from 2000-2016.
“Fear Of Man” won the Golden Hugo Award at the Chicago Film Festival.
Mr. Nunez has directed over 100 commercials for clients such as Sony, Amtrak, New York Institute of Photography, Crest Toothpaste and Philippe Patek. He also worked as a director and show runner for news stations CNN and NBC where he has won the prestigious journalism prizes Peabody Award (twice) and Dupont Award. Mr. Nunez
In 2020, he was nominated for an Emmy Award in the News/ Documentary category for Best Live Interview.
All of his shorts have been screened in 24 countries and played to festivals such as Marbella, Rio de Janiero Film Festival, Ghent, Denver amongst others.
Mr. Nunez has also directed, wrote, and co-produced two award winning short subjects “Full Metal Racket” and “Fear Of Man”. “Full Metal Racket” was in competition at the Cannes Film Festival and
William splits his time between New Jersey and Spain with his family, he also enjoys reading, walks, his guitars and working away on his projects. THE CONQUEROR
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PRODUCTION COMPANY
North End Pictures produces commercials, television programming, feature as well as short films, and consult for media companies looking to launch or expand their media operations. Principals William Nunez and Douglas Waller have run North End Pictures since 2000 and the company has been moving from strength to strength. North End Pictures has produced the short films, “Full Metal Racket”, “Fear of Man”, “Around the World in 90 Seconds” and “Boxing Day”. Each short film has screened in prestigious film festivals such as Cannes, Montreal, Chicago, Ghent, Melbourne, and Cinequest film festivals. They have been shown in 24 countries. Committed to developing and producing a variety of genres, “The Laureate” which stars Tom Hughes, Dianna Agron, and Laura Haddock will be released in 2021. CAA and Metro International are handling sales and has been invited to the Barcelona Indie Film Festival. Other projects on North End’s slate are “Carnaval”, “The Conqueror”, “Death Benefits” and “Press Your Luck” which are in various stages of development.
I watched The Laureate last night and thoroughly enjoyed it, seriously, it’s a superb piece of work and I can’t imagine. anyone not getting caught up in the story.
I wanted to congratulate you on finishing the project under very trying conditions. The movie is extremely engaging and an obvious hit. You have extracted very strong performances. The music is enchanting and very complimentary to the visuals. Overall top marks. My sincere compliments to you, the cast and the crew. 12
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RED ROCK ENTERTAINMENT’S INVESTOR’S EXCLUSIVE DIGITAL SCREENING A GREAT SUCCESS!
I loved it, such an insight into some remarkable people, the power struggle in relationships and c r e a t i ve ex p r e s s i o n . Amazing story.
PRODUCTION COMPANY
SALON PICTURES Salon is a dynamic, modern day, multi-disciplinary Creator and Producer of Feature Film, Documentary, TV and Branded Content. Award-winning and BAFTA nominated producers Nick Taussig and Paul Van Carter founded Salon in 2013. With a focus on exceptional material, Salon is committed to a close creative relationship with talent, to develop and produce a portfolio of intelligent, unique films and documentaries and manage this library in the marketplace. Salon’s latest production, “Stardust”, a feature film which chronicles the young David Bowie’s first visit to the US in 1971, a trip that inspired the invention of his iconic alter ego Ziggy Stardust, world premiered at Tribeca and was released by IFC in November 2020. The feature documentary, “Audrey” about the life & work of Hollywood and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn was released by Netflix and Universal internationally in November 2020. Salon is currently in production on “Lioness” an Amazon original about the life of boxer Nicola Adams, and “A Space in Time”, a candid, lyrical, intimate portrait of one family’s struggle to transcend a merciless disease. It’s latest feature documentary, “The Spy Who Fell to Earth” is on Netflix. Salon’s productions include the feature films, “Churchill”, “My Name is Lenny” and “Lek & The Dogs”. As well as feature documentaries, “McQueen”, “Billion Dollar Game”, “Chasing Perfect”, “Fred”, “Gascoigne” and “The Challenge”.
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EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS
WALKING WITH
ELEPHANTS THE ULTIMATE DOCUMENTARY
WALKING WITH THE ELEPHANTS
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Red Rock Entertainment is a film-finance company, based at the world famous Elstree Studios, home to some of the biggest TV shows on UK television and the studio of choice for many successful British filmmakers. Working in conjunction with many of the UK’s top production companies to raise equity for film, TV content and film distribution, Red Rock Entertainment offers a number of tax-efficient opportunities to investors. They primarily work on projects that are at an advanced stage and are looking for the final tranche of financing. They focus on film and TV projects that have commercial appeal, an identifiable audience, controllable costs and a sound financial structure. They also require that certain elements are in place before they commit investors to any film or TV venture. As an executive producer, Red Rock Entertainment can arrange for investors to visit sets during filming, appear as extras and attend private screenings. It also regularly arranges seminars at Elstree Studios, at which high-profile corporate and financial specialists offer advice and insight into the various tax advantages of investing in the UK film industry. Executive producers either personally fund or raise the funding for motion pictures or television shows. They essentially act as the financial backer, helping production companies to secure the finances they need to drive their creative projects to the distribution stage. As executive producers, Red Rock Entertainment’s main role during the production process is to ensure that its film and TV projects are progressing according to schedule and budget. Although they have no direct input into a project’s editorial or artistic execution, they do have a say over anything that could affect its timing or marketability.
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POST PRODUCTION COMPANY
LIPSYNC HAS BEEN PROVIDING A COMPLETE RANGE OF POST PRODUCTION SERVICES TO THE FILM AND TELEVISION INDUSTRY FOR NEARLY 25 YEARS.
LIPSYNC Post is an internationally recognised post-house, providing post-production services to the film and television industry for over 30 years. It started out from an office in Barnes doing shortform, such as founder Peter Hampden’s work on the trailer campaigns for Basic Instinct. ‘Part of their job is managing expectations and getting post done on time and on budget’. With regular festival appearances and over 200 major award nominations and wins, LIPSYNC has become one of the UK’s leading production partners. LipSync has one of London’s most highly regarded and versatile boutique VFX houses, producing award-winning visual effects for a wide range of film and TV productions for UK and international clients. Their experienced team brings outstanding artistic talent, ground-breaking technology and thorough planning to every single shot. They find innovative solutions that not only suit each project but also exceed client expectations. Post-production include “The Laureate”, “King Arthur: Legend of the Sword”, “Total Recall”, “Kick Ass”, “Hellboy 2”, “Stardust”, “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street”, “28 Weeks Later”, “Batman Begins”, “Mr Turner” and “The Hurricane Heist”.
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EQUITY
Red Rock Entertainment works in conjunction with numerous UK film companies to raise equity for independent film projects. It focuses on those films that have already been completed or are almost complete, but require a final tranche of funding to cover the distribution costs. Investing in films can offer generous returns. The benefits extend far beyond the sale of box-office tickets: DVD sales, licensing to TV broadcasters and online platforms, and merchandising revenue all count towards a film’s profit and can continue to generate returns for many years after its theatrical release. The chance to be part of the magic of the movie industry is another perk of many film-investment opportunities. In some cases, your investment entitles you to appear in the movie as an extra, attend film premières and red-carpet events, and see your name appear in the credits at the end of the film. As well as the potential for high returns, long-term earnings and a close encounter with show business, investing in the film industry can also offer tax-relief benefits. A range of incentives are available to those who chose to invest in an SEIS or EIS filminvestment scheme.
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EIS The UK has two government-sponsored investment schemes for direct investment in companies: the Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) and the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). Both schemes, which offer generous tax relief, were set up to encourage investment into start-up businesses that are not listed on a stock exchange. Investment in unquoted companies often carries a high risk. The tax relief is intended to offer some compensation for that risk.
Enterprise Investment Scheme The Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) was introduced by the UK government in 1994 with the aim of helping small UK companies to raise capital from private investors. While an EIS investment is not without risk, the incentives for those looking for tax-efficient ways to invest are extremely attractive. These benefits include:
Income Tax Relief Investors can claim a rebate of 30% of the amount invested from income tax paid in the year prior to investment, or on tax that is owed in the tax year of investment. Relief can be claimed on up to a maximum of £1,000,000 invested in shares in EIS-qualifying companies, giving a maximum tax reduction in any one year of £300,000, providing the investor has sufficient income-tax liability to cover it. Shares must be held for at least 3 years. 18
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EIS Capital Gains Tax Deferral If investors have any capital gains tax to pay in the current or next tax year, or if they have paid capital gains tax in the last two to three years, they can claim back or defer tax to the equivalent of up to 20% (or 28% if the gain is on a residential property or for 2015/16) of the capital they have invested in the EIS-qualifying company. If the gain is deferred, when the EIS shares are disposed of then the gain will crystallise at the prevailing rate at that time. The payment of tax on a capital gain can be deferred where the gain is invested in the shares of an EIS-qualifying company. A capital gain can arise from the disposal of any kind of asset, but the investment must be made within a period of one year before or three years after the gain arose. There are no minimum or maximum amounts for deferral, nor is there a minimum period for which the shares must be held. The deferred capital gain is brought back into charge whenever the shares are disposed of, or are deemed to have been disposed of under the EIS legislation.
Loss Relief
If a loss is made on the disposal of EIS shares then the loss, less the 30% initial relief may be set against income or capital gains for tax purposes.
Key Points EIS investors can place a maximum of £1,000,000 in a single tax year, which can be spread over a number of companies.
Companies seeking i nve s t m e n t must be based in the UK and have a permanent base in the country.
No inheritance tax to be paid after two years. No income tax or capital gains tax to be paid on any profits on disposal.
A company can raise no more than £5,000,000 in total via EIS investment in a 12 month period.
The company’s trade must be no more than seven years old.
Loss relief on any monies lost can be claimed at current tax rate.
Tax relief of 30% can be claimed in the current or previous tax year (from date of share certificate).
Monies must remain in the company for three years to benefit from the above.
Investors have no control over companies that receive their capital and must not hold more than a 30% stake in any company in which they invest.
A capital gains deferral can be claimed against the current tax year. THE CONQUEROR
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PERKS & BENEFITS FILM SET VISITS Patience is a virtue — and never more so than on a film set. Pick your moment to approach an actor carefully; it’s never a good idea to disturb talent when they are shooting a scene, or preparing to shoot one. So be prepared to wait for the right moment to take a picture or ask for an autograph. You will probably be assigned with a ‘runner’ from the production company, whose job it will be to look after you and let you know what’s going on.
APPEARING AS AN EXTRA Being an investor also gives you the opportunity to be cast as a background actor, or extra. This is a performer in a film or television show who appears in a non-speaking capacity, usually in the background to the central action as an audience member, for example, or a passer-by in the street. Punctuality, reliability and the ability to take direction are important if you want to experience the thrill of appearing as an extra in front of the camera.
PRIVATE SCREENINGS Private film screenings form part of a film’s production and release cycle. To show off the film to its best advantage, special preview screenings are routinely held in low seat-count theatres offering high-quality projection and sound equipment. These events, which are usually accompanied by food and drink, also feature commentary from the film’s producers, writers or actors. The guest list for a private screening typically includes VIP media personalities, investors, and key marketing and distribution executives. 20
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PERKS & BENEFITS RED CARPET EVENTS A red-carpet premiere is the highpoint of a film’s release. Attended by its stars, alongside A-list celebrities, industry moguls and the media, they epitomise the Hollywood dream. When one of our films premieres, our investors are invited to join us on the red carpet, and experience the glitz and glamour of showbiz for themselves.
NAME IN THE CREDITS
PHOTOS WITH THE STARS
MEMORABILIA As an investor, if available you will have access to film memorabilia, including autographs, brochures, props, advertising material and scripts. These are not just great keepsakes — if a film goes on to be successful, they can also be valuable in their own right. (below only examples)
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PRESS COVERAGE AND REFERENCES
Click for link
The Conqueror (1956 film)
Click for link
Hollywood and the downwinders still grapple with nuclear fallout
Click for link
The Conqueror: The story of the most toxic movie in Hollywood history
Click for link
The Children of John Wayne, Susan Hayward and Dick Powell Fear That Fallout Killed Their Parents 22
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THE CONQUEROR A WILLIAM NUNEZ DOCUMENTARY
Suite 12 Elstree Studios, Shenley Rd, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1JG, UK Telephone: +44 203 745 5380 www.redrockentertainment.com 24
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