I Was an A-Bomb Baby

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8. Las Vegas

Come for the Mushroom Cloud

Stay for the Fallout

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John Wayne filmed the 1956 movie The Conqueror near St. George, Utah, which was heavily contaminated by fallout from1950s nuclear tests at the nearby Nevada Test Site. Over 90 cast and crew members developed cancer, including Wayne, leading to claims that inhaled radioactive dust caused the illnesses.

Key Details Regarding the Site and Film:

Location: The filming took place in 1954 in the Snow Canyon area of Utah, roughly 137 miles downwind from the Nevada National Security Site (formerly Nevada Test Site).
Contamination Source: The area was heavily affected by fallout from the 1953 "Harry" nuclear test nicknamed Dirty Harry.

Health Impact: Of the 220 people involved in the production, roughly 91 developed cancer, and 46 died from it, including stars John Wayne and Susan Hayward.
Production Context: The movie was produced by Howard Hughes, who reportedly ordered 60 tons of the "hot" dirt to be transported back to Hollywood for studio reshoots.

Note: The first atomic test site is the Trinity Site in New Mexico, which is distinct from the Nevada site responsible for the fallout in Utah.

Susan Hayward

https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001333/?ref_=tt_cst_t_2

Born - June 30, 1917
Died - March 14, 1975 (57)

Trivia

Was diagnosed with brain cancer, allegedly the result of being exposed to dangerous radioactive toxins on location in Utah while making The Conqueror (1956). All the leads; John Wayne, Agnes Moorehead, John Hoyt, Pedro Armendáriz, Hayward, and director Dick Powell, died of cancer. The case is still a scandal.