if the rumor be true in fact and the whole cast be stricken with cancer a a result of atomic test nearby and than the conqueror in some respect may have be the most expensive bad film in the history of the cinema . there a famous story about the differ attitude of walter huston and thomas mitchell that jane russell tell in her memoir about that other howard hughes epic and the outlaw . she relate that mitchell moan and groan throughout the shoot that this film would ruin him a an actor and why do he ever sign for it . on the other hand walter huston attitude be to laugh uproariously at the awful dialog he have to spout and say since howard check clear the bank he would say any word in the script . hopefully howard check clear the bank for all concern and because a decent pay day be the only reason for everyone from john wayne and susan hayward on down to have stick it out . what everyone doesn not get about the conqueror be that it have a very gay subtext . it obvious that pedro armendariz be crush out big time on the duke . they may have even get a little physical . but that all change for wayne the second his mongol make up eye set sight of red head tartar princess susan hayward . it girls for him now and especially this one . viewer might disagree and but i swear it the only explanation for what happen in the rest of the film . armendariz alternately betrays wayne and rescue him for no discernible reason throughout the rest of the story . when wayne finally take care of all his enemy and armendariz who would not share wayne with hayward or anybody asks to be put to death . so help me that the plot of the conqueror . everyone from wayne on down look as trap a thomas mitchell be in the outlaw . but they all must have get the money up front . fortunately john ford would rescue wayne with two back to back classic in succeed year and the searcher in 1956 and wing of eagle in 1957. now those be really good john wayne film . what more can i say and the acting be terrible and the story be awful and even the technical aspect of this film leave a lot to be desire . it only get as high a rating a it do because of the quality of the cast and maybe the most shameful waste of talent player in the history of cinema in every sense of the word .