The Conqueror (1956)

Mongol chief Temujin battles against Tartar armies and for the love of the Tartar princess Bortai. Temujin becomes the emperor Genghis Khan.

Director:

Dick Powell

Writer:

Oscar Millard

Stars:

John Wayne, Susan Hayward, Pedro Armendáriz

Cast

Complete credited cast:
John Wayne	...	Temujin, later Genghis Khan
Susan Hayward	...	Bortai
Pedro Armendáriz	...	Jamuga (as Pedro Armendariz)
Agnes Moorehead	...	Hunlun
Thomas Gomez	...	Wang Khan
John Hoyt	...	Shaman
William Conrad	...	Kasar
Ted de Corsia	...	Kumlek
Leslie Bradley	...	Targutai
Lee Van Cleef	...	Chepei
Peter Mamakos	...	Bogurchi
Leo Gordon	...	Tartar Captain
Richard Loo	...	Captain of Wang's guard

Storyline

In ancient times, the Mongolian warlord Temujin must do battle against the rival tribe that killed his father. The battles pale in comparison with Temujin's home life, as he attempts to woo the heart of the red-haired Tartar prisoner Bortai whom he has captured in a raid. He must also deal with various intrigues within his palace. Eventually, Bortai falls to his manly charms, Temujin defeats his enemies within and without, and is crowned Genghis Khan.

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Plot Keywords:

tartar | battle | genghis khan | raid | palace | 

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Taglines:

At her feet, The Conqueror laid all the riches of Cathay... and for a hundred years, their children ruled half the world!

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Genres:

Adventure | Biography | History | Romance | War

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

28 March 1956 (USA)

Also Known As:

Conqueror of the Desert

Filming Locations:

Warner Canyon, California, USA

Box Office

Budget:

$6,000,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$4,500,000

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$12,000,000

Company Credits

Production Co:

RKO Radio Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

111 min

Sound Mix:

4-Track Stereo (Western Electric Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.55 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Included in "The Fifty Worst Films of All Time (and How They Got That Way)" by Harry Medved and Randy Lowell.

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Goofs

When Temujin shoots a flaming arrow to signal his troops to enter Urga, it is night, but when the troops see the arrow, it is daylight.

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Quotes

Temujin: The tartar woman stays with me, Jamuga.

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Connections

Referenced in The Cinema Snob: Pet Semetary (2019)

User Reviews

Worst Miscasting Ever

John Wayne is the consummate cowboy, only Clint Eastwood comes close to approaching the title. So it's really jarring to the sensibilities to see Wayne standing there in a Mongol costume and a cheesy "fu manchu" moustache spouting barbarian lines in his trademark western drawl. It's like seeing Alec Guinness start acting like Pee-Wee Herman; some serious misalignment of the heavens has happened and maybe that guy on the corner saying "the end of the world is nigh" was right.

That aside, "The Conqueror" plays like an epic Cecil B. DeMille movie, with epic lines, epic scenery, and epic music. Say what you want about modern cinema, recent movies as a whole tend to be better researched, with characters, clothing, and sets that are historically accurate. This movie makes it clear they had no concept what Genghis Khan and his time was like. People, Wayne included, simply say grandiose lines without any inflection, as if they had no idea how to act the part.

Through it all, I kept expecting Susan Hayward to claim she was an alien or had fallen through a time machine. I doubt very many 12th century Mogolian women had red permed hair and wore low cut dresses. "The Conqueror" is either one of the worst movies you ever saw or one of the funniest.