10 Cursed Movie Productions
6. The Conqueror
Some cinematic curses are enough to send a shiver down your spine, or perhaps to give you a chuckle. This one, though, just makes you angry. This Howard Hughes produced 1956 epic The Conqueror is remembered partially as an unmitigated flop - but more importantly, as a reckless and possibly fatal shoot in hazardous surroundings.
Much of the filming took place in an area in Utah downwind of a nuclear facility. The filmmakers were aware of the potential risks inherent to this, but had been provided with assurances by the government that there was nothing to worry about.
Some years down the line, 91 out of the 220 cast and crew members had developed - and many had died from - cancer. There’s debate as to whether the nuclear fallout is to blame, but one expert stated that the numbers involved “could qualify as an epidemic”, with many believing the government knew more about the risks than they let on.
No lawsuits have been raised against the local authorities, but Hughes, out of guilt, bought up every copy of the film he could and kept it out of circulation until his death. Whether or not the nuclear tests were directly responsible for the spate of illness, it certainly wasn’t worth the risk.