Despite the stature of the cast and a respectable box office performance, the film was a critical flop; it is often ranked as one of the worst films of the 1950s and one of the worst ever. Wayne, who was at the height of his career, had lobbied for the role after reading the script and was widely believed to have been grossly miscast. "The Conqueror" was listed in the 1978 book "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time". Wayne was posthumously named a "winner" of a Golden Turkey Award for his performance in the film.