​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​
​​​​​​​

Ginger's Susan Hayward Message Board: To reach If You Knew Susie by Trish Sharp, click the profile photo at www.facebook.com/susanhaywardclassicfilmstar and you will see the link.

Ginger's Susan Hayward Message Board
Start a New Topic 
Author
Comment
Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

FOR TIM BARKER AND THE REST OF THIS BOARD WHO NEVER READ THIS 30 YEAR OLD 'PEOPLE MAG' ARTICLE ON THE WORRIES OF THE CHILDREN, WHOSE PARENTS WORKED ON 'NUCLEAR SET'- ('THE CONQUERER')


Tim Barker (who may have read more about this than he can bear) and Board members, who still feel helpless anger, but wish to learn old but still pertinent 1980 facts of how it was possible that the choice of a Utah setting for 1956's film "The Conquerer", years later proved to be the cancerous 'conquerer' of stars Susan Hayward, John Wayne and countless other affected actors and set workers, might want to read this copy of Nov 10th, 1980's PEOPLE magazine, which discussed the information that was known as that time about nuclear effects. And--how the workers' children might be affected. (Remembering that 30 years have passed since this issue.)

In 1980, PEOPLE seemed still capable of researching and relaying news beyond Lindsay Lohan's 4th appearance in court for DUI!! So, you may find it worth reading--I learned some new information.

And when you read Tim Barker's anguished description of his mother's long suffering, and horrific end, you will not easily forget it. He is my age (I have a twin sister!), and the thought of what he and his brother went through trying to cope with all their conflicted, mixed emotions must still haunt them.

I'm sorry I do not have the website but Google must, as old issues of PEOPLE WERE kept. It's too long an article to just insert in this post, But the exact date was November 10, 1980.

Just thought I should mention it, in case no one had ever read this article and might wish to. It does summon up very sad memories, though.

My best to all, Lynn

Re: Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

Lynn,

I am familiar with this story. The author of the PEOPLE MAG. piece, Karen Jackovich, was a friend of mine with whom I did a lot of stories and covers on my celebrity clients. She is the one that called and asked me to participate in this story. A group of us including Dick Powell Jr., Patrick Wayne and Pedro Armendáriz's son, went up to that area for a photo shoot.

Greg and I lived in St. George, UT for about 3 months while the majority of the film was shot. They trucked back to LA, a bunch of the dirt, from the location site, to use on their set shots. When they finished shooting, the dirt was dumped out in Simi Valley, where my daughter Ally lives...

Here is the link:

http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20077825,00.html


Tim

Re: Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

As I have posted on here, many times...and most people will say.."oh there he goes again..saying the same things about this"...Sorry, but it still haunts me each time I would go out to be in a show at the outdoor theater Tuacahn, because it is the 'very site'..(going on the road up to that theater)..where they filmed that movie. It always brings back the memories of the actors and others in the St. George area, who were stricken with the cancer, that would later on, end their lives.

It is a beautiful area, as Tim can tell you, but within all that beauty was the 'death' for many...because of that government testing blast in the nearby Nevada desert.

A constant reminder..when you live right here, where it happened.

Re: Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

Hi, Tim,

Rereading the 1980 PEOPLE article you were part of, only reinforces the anger with the gov and military who had knowledge of what devastation that radiation might do--yet made the choice that whether celebrity or local citizen--you were all expendable. And, sadly, I'm not sure that over 32 years ago, since that 1980 story, much has changed.

In a short video on this subject, "Bound by the Wind", produced and direct by David L. Brown, it implies that even the International Comprehensive Test Ban--AGREED TO-- many years ago has even been actually signed after all those years. (I don't know for sure,here.)

Geesh--to think that when my twin and I, at ten years old, in 1956, were taken along for all the NY marches by my activist Aunt, who wrote for 'Ban the Bomb---and then realize that the old gov and military lies are still being contested, it hardly seems possible to believe. We were even given, in second grade, identification photos on short chains, just in 'case' an atomic bomb 'changed our appearance' and we needed to 'be found'!! (My Mom had a real wry smile on her face when we asked her "but how will we identify YOU?!")

What made me sickest in the Brown documentary, was that we are STILL expendable. At what generation, will families be able to stop worrying about subsequent generations. So glad that you and your beautiful family are fine.

Oh--and tho' the scenery and colorful flying trout sure awakens my love of nature--I've got to award second prize (possibly first) for the plate of rare NY steak, creamed spinach, etc, sitting in your favorite restaurant!!

My twin and I live in NYC on the Upper West Side--and we both welcome Michael and Aimee to our city, next month! If they crave MORE platters of NY steaks, spinach, mashed potatoes,etc.-----or have any questions about nice walks, etc (We're a block from the Hudson River and a few more to Central Park, The Museum of Natural History and lots of fun spots that most visitors rarely even know about! (For no charge, down by the Hudson River, you can take out a kayak and paddle around!!)--we'll be happy to share any info, that might help them out!

Lynn

Re: Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

Lynn...just so you will know...this kind of thing is still going on, for sure, since during the George W. Bush administration, they 'once again' tried to use our very area as a 'dump' for nuclear waste, until the people of this area band together and resisted the government on 'using our area' as 'the most unnecessary place in the USA' and put us through this all again.

They wanted to use the area east of St. George and Washington, Utah to dump this 'stuff', but the people had had enough, remembering the horror that they went through during that '50's blast which took many lives, including the cast/crew from this film.

It has only been (maybe a year and a half?) since they, once again, did one of their blasts in the Nevada desert..(under protest from both Utah and Nevada) but told the people it would not 'harm them' this time, because it would be done 'underground'. We still do not know what might happen, in the future, from this blast. It took 'years' for people to start dying from what they did in the late 50's.

So...it still goes on..and what can you do? You are the peon citizens..They are the government!

Re: Worthwhile Nov. 1980 "People Mag"- Children of 'The Conquerer' Speak

Hi, Errol,

Yes, Ive pretty much given up that much will change--they don't even want to change the area! Just the altitude--'under the ground'--not on TOP of it. I have very little hope that what they 'knew'in the 1950's, will really 'wow' us in THIS century!

A woman from some town in the 1950's got ahold of a military lettter actually counting the people of that town as 'expendable'.

And just as sickening to me are the documentaries I've watched on Hiroshima--in THOSE areas where the people don't even 'look enough like us' for the gov. to get too hot and bothered to even TRY to come up with some great rationalizations!

Sorry, I know that my reation to reading the PEOPLE mag of 1980,.....and watching all the older documentaries of the time in Japan is definitely off topic for this Board, but I do get disturbed when even THIKING OF how little we've advanced!

Here's to a better, safer, kinder world!
Lynn