of course and everyone know the story of this one . the original plan from the brain trust at rko be to borrow marlon brando from 20th century fox and have him star in this one . when fox refuse to cooperate and howard hughes apparently remember that john wayne still have one more picture leave on the rko contract he sign back in 1939. and so and one of the most dubious casting decision in hollywood history be make . it deserve it spot in the 50 bad film of all time list . this one be for wayne completests and die hard bad film junky only . this be the one film john wayne make that be truly terrible . all the others ( even the less one ) at least have something to recommend them . but the thing that set the conqueror apart from all the rest be how extremely pedestrian everything be . let start with the script and which be the override problem throughout the whole film . it write in a sort of mock shakespearian lingo and be fill with dialogue that anyone on earth would have a hard time say with a straight face . next we have the casting . john wayne and susan hayward and both at their career peak and be cast in this one . neither one look the least bit asian ( hayward doesn not even try to ) . you get the feeling throughout that both of them know this thing be a joke and and they be both just try to make it through . wayne drawl his way through the role of genghis khan and while hayward be alternately dumb or boring a bortai and his red headed wife . even the low bill actor look uncomfortable in gaudy costume that look like they be borrow from a high school play . of course and we can not forget the music . victor young ( the quiet man ) write some of the great score in hollywood history and but this one certainly rank a one of his bad . here he seem to be repeat the same few bar of the melodramatic theme over and over again throughout the film with little to no variation . next we come to the cinematography . this be the one thing that could have make the film worthwhile . it do not . while the on location battle scene be well suit to the cinemascope photography and too much of the film take place inside tent and palace ( i. e. on soundstages ) and give it a cluster phobic look at time . most of the action take place in the middle of the frame and the director doesn not even come close to tap the full potential of the widescreen technology he be work with . other wayne film from around the same time ( the high and the mighty and the sea chase and blood alley ) make much good use of cinemascope photography . last we have the direction by dick powell . this be just the second film powell direct ( the first be split second and a 1953 noir film also for rko that star stephen mcnally and jan sterling ) and and it show . in all fairness and he be saddle with a impossible script and a meddling bos ( hughes ) . powell would later go on to direct some good war movie over at fox with robert mitchum ( the enemy below and the hunter ) . i guess powell learn his lesson with this one and stick to twentieth century war after this and leave the ancient history alone . of course there be other problem during shoot ( sue erratic and irrational affection for duke ) and the cancer case that occur later be an unintentional tragedy of this film . hughes personally buy back the right to this film ( along with jet pilot ) when he sell rko in the late 50 . legend have it that in his last day and he watch this film over and over while in bed . maybe his strange behavior before his death be the result of see a little too much of the the conqueror . viewer and beware .