To Kill the Duke (62 page)

Weaver Levy:
Due to his Asian ancestry, he was very active in TV roles. Best known film was
M*A*S*H
in 1970. Cause of death is unknown.

Torben Meyer:
Longtime European character actor who appeared in
The Fly, GI Blues
and
Judgment at Nuremberg
after
The Conqueror
. Died in 1975 of pneumonia.

Norman S. Powell:
Dick Powell’s adopted son. Had a very small role in the film and wasn’t on location that much. Went on to work with his father as a production manager for
Dick Powell Theatre
and also produced TV shows into the early 90’s. Still living.

Ray Spiker:
Didn’t act or do many more stunts after
The Conqueror
. Did appear in
The Birdman of Alcatraz
and
The Manchurian Candidate
. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1962.

George E. Stone:
After
The Conqueror
he made many appearances in minor roles on the
Perry Mason
TV series. Most memorable movie role was as Toothpick Charlie in
Some Like it Hot
. Died from a stroke in 1967.

Ken Terrell:
Career came to a virtual standstill after
The Conqueror
, although he did appear in
The Buccaneer
. Died in 1962 of arteriosclerosis. This was a problem directly related to the thyroid gland. (Remember that nuclear fallout studies done during the bombings, made upwind of the filming, warned of the thyroid gland being most vulnerable).

Carl Vernell:
Disappeared from the Hollywood scene after the filming. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1969.

Michael Wayne:
Oldest child of John Wayne. Had a minor role as a Mongol guard in
The Conqueror
. Soon became a front-line producer at his father’s production company and proved himself to be a very able Hollywood businessman. Founder of The John Wayne Cancer Institute. Died in 2003 of heart failure from complications of Lupus.

Patrick Wayne:
Second son of John Wayne. His role in
The Conqueror
was even smaller than that of his older brother. Appeared in nine films starring his father, including
The Alamo
and
Big Jake
. Other films he starred in (without his father) included
Cheyenne Autumn
and
Eye for an Eye
. Had his own TV series called
The Rounder’s
that ran for a season. Made a nice niche in the sci-fi genre with the well-received
Sinbad
and the
Eye of the Tiger
. Took over as Chairman of the Board for The John Wayne Cancer Institute upon his brother Michael’s death. Patrick is still living and very active in various enterprises.

John Wayne:
What can any epilogue add to the legacy of this man, which hasn’t already been written, said or thought? Okay, here goes. The Duke was operated on for lung cancer in 1964 (he lost one lung and four
ribs to that operation). He died of stomach cancer in 1979. Thirty-two years after his death, he still pops up on favorite movie star lists. Can anyone think of a movie star born since 1979 who will be doing that 32 years after their death? He turned down the role of the Waco Kid in Mel Brook’s
Blazing Saddles
. His tombstone reads: “Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. Comes to us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and it puts itself in our hands. It hopes that we have learned something from yesterday.”

THE ACTRESSES:

Agnes Moorehead:
After
The Conqueror
Agnes moved to TV where she appeared in more than 946 episodes of the CBS series
Suspense
. She also appeared in a very popular episode of
The Twilight Zone
. Baby Boomers remember her mostly for her role as Endora from the TV series
Bewitched
. She had a memorable role in the movie
Hush… Hush, Sweet Charlotte
. She died in 1973 from cancer.

Barrie Chase:
Daughter of screenwriter Borden Chase. Was in the chorus line of
The Conqueror
when Dick Powell recognized her talent and cast her in a role in his next movie
You Can’t Run Away From It
. None other than Fred Astaire asked her to be his dancing partner for his many TV specials, and millions saw her dance with him. Went on to be in the movies
Can-Can, Cape Fear
and
The Flight of the Phoenix
. Most movie goers consider her role as Dick Shawn’s sexy dancing partner in
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad, World
her most prominent. She is still alive.

Jeanne Gerson:
Except for a role in
The Ten Commandments
, after
The Conqueror
Jeanne appeared in movies most people don’t know or don’t WANT to know of. She appeared in
She Girls of Shark Reef
and actually made a movie written by the man considered the worst movie maker of all time — Ed Wood, Jr. — titled
The Bride of the Beast
. Not many people in Hollywood can say they worked for Cecil B. DeMille and Ed Wood, Jr.! She died in 1992 from cancer.

Pat Lawler:
Posed nude in
Playboy
magazine after the filming of
The Conqueror
but before the movie was released. Her trail ends there, except for a minor role in the movie
Saucer Women
.

Jarma Lewis:
After
The Conqueror
, Jarma only appeared in one other movie,
Raintree County
. She became very active in creative writing with the UCLA Arts Council. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1985.

Sylvia Lewis:
After
The Conqueror
, she performed many more memorable dances on film, including in the Jerry Lewis production of
The Ladies Man
. Sylvia is the mysterious woman in black who dances with Lewis on an all-white set. This is now available on YouTube along with her dance from
The Conqueror
. Sylvia did a lot of TV. She appeared on
The Bob Cummings Show, Steve Canyon, Zorro
and
The Dick Van Dyke Show
to name a few. She spent four years in theatre and then graduated to not only teaching dance but choreographing lots of TV shows — both
Married with Children
and
Who’s the Boss?
are on her resume. She has her own website,
www.sylvialewis.net
. During a recent conversation, Sylvia brought up one excellent question. “What happened to the 60 tons of radioactive sand that Hughes had brought into Hollywood?” Only the ghosts of RKO studios know.

Pat McMahon:
A dead end after the filming of
The Conqueror
.

Patricia Tiernan:
After
The Conqueror
she had a role in
Walk on the Wild Side
. Later she married Wally Cox. She is still alive.

Susan Hayward:
In 1958 she won her only Academy Award (it should have been her second because a lot of critics think she should have won earlier for her role in
I’ll Cry Tomorrow
) for her role in
I Want to Live!
She moved to Georgia after marrying her second husband — Eaton Chalkey. She died in 1975 from brain cancer.

Richard Sokolove:
Was an associate producer on
The Conqueror
. His only item of note after the filming was adapting the screenplay for
Anne of a Thousand Days
for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1975.

Victor Young
: Original music. He died of a cerebral hemorrhage right after
The Conqueror
was released in 1956. His work for
Around
the World in 80 Days
won an Academy Award, and it was awarded to him posthumously.

Joseph LaShelle:
Nine Academy Award nominations for his work as a cinematographer, Joseph did win once for the film
Laura
. After
The Conqueror
his notable films included
I was a Teenage Werewolf
and
The Fortune Cookie
. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1989.

William E. Snyder:
William was also nominated for an Academy Award for his cinematography in
Jolson Sings Again
. After
The Conqueror
he went to TV where he did the photography on a lot of Disney features. His most famous photography for TV was the pilot episode for
Star Trek
. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1984.

Leo Tover:
An excellent cinematographer known for the movies
The Snakepit
and
The Day the Earth Stood Still
before
The Conqueror
and
Sunday in New York
. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1964.

Harry J. Wild:
Another Academy Award nominee, which gave
The Conqueror
four eventual Academy Award nominees amongst the cinematographers who worked on the film. It must be a record! He did most of his work prior to the filming of
The Conqueror,
including
Gentlemen Prefer Blondes
and
Son of Paleface.
After the filming he did a little TV — including
Wanted Dead or Alive
. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1961.

Robert Ford:
An editor on the film. His trail turns up cold after the movie was filmed. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1963.

Kennie Marstella:
The other editor on the film. Except for a few TV series episodes in the late 50’s, his trail comes up cold, too.

Carroll Clark:
Nominated seven times for Academy Awards for art direction. After
The Conqueror
he worked on
Mary Poppins
. Died in 1968 of a heart attack.

Albert S. D’Agostino:
Nominated five times for Academy Awards in art direction. After
The Conqueror,
he worked on
Run of the Arrow
,
Jet Pilot
and the last film made by RKO Studios before Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz bought the place —
The Girl Most Likely
. Briefly went into TV and then retired. Rumored to have died from cancer in 1970.

Al Orenbach:
Set Director. Died in 1955. No cause or rumored cause of death known.

Darrell Silvera
: Another very talented man. Received seven Academy Awards for set direction. After
The Conqueror
he worked on films such as
The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance
and
Charlie Varrick.
Rumored to have died from cancer in 1983.

Mel Berns:
Legendary make-up artist for RKO studios for more than 20 years. Created the make-up for Katherine Hepburn’s first screen test and was a lifelong friend of Ginger Rodgers. Died in 1977 from causes unknown. His son Mel Berns, Jr. is also a make-up artist and worked on
Wayne’s World
.

Larry Germain:
Highly successful hair stylist who never seemed to be out of work. After
The Conqueror
he worked on such films as
To Kill a Mockingbird
and
Spartacus
. Won an Emmy for his work in TV, doing more than 145 episodes of
Little House on the Prairie
. His son Michael Germain is a successful make-up artist in his own right and worked on
The Departed
. Larry died in 1981 from causes unknown.

Web Overlander:
After
The Conqueror
, Web worked on a lot of John Wayne movie sets as the make-up man. A couple of those films are
The Sons of Katie Elder
and
The Horse Soldiers
. He died in 1975 from causes unknown.

Edward Killy:
Wasn’t very active after
The Conqueror
. Did a few television shows and is rumored to have died from cancer in 1981.

Cliff Lyons:
Considered one of Hollywood’s greatest stunt people. Cliff went on to be in many of John Wayne’s and John Ford’s westerns after
The Conqueror
, taking time out to star in other films such as
Ben-Hur
and
Spartacus
. He was married to movie actress Beth Marion and is rumored to have died from cancer in 1974.

Walter Elliott:
Was in charge of sound effects for
The Conqueror
. Stayed very busy and worked on important films such as
The Defiant Ones
and
Judgment at Nuremberg
. Won an Academy Award for his work on
It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World
. Died in 1964 from causes unknown.

Bernard Freericks:
Stayed very active in the sound department on many films after
The Conqueror
including
Cleopatra, The Sand Pebbles
and
The Sound of Music
. Died in 1985 from causes unknown.