Level of Description
Identifier
Scope and Contents
The Conqueror sub-series (1950-1956) contains materials related to the development, production, and post-production of the RKO Radio Pictures film The Conqueror (1956). The records consist of correspondence, story development records including screenplay and multiple script revisions, technical notes, and advertising. The bulk of the materials are original orchestral scores with some handwritten annotations. These scores were written by Victor Young and arranged by Sidney and Murray Cutner.
Date
Extent
Collection Name: Howard Hughes Film Production Records
Box/Folder: N/A
Additional Description
Biographical / Historical Note
The Conqueror, released in 1956, was the last film Howard Hughes personally produced and one of the last RKO Radio Pictures films completed before the company’s sale to General Tire and Rubber Company in 1955. Production on the film began in 1956; it was the first RKO film to be shot in CinemaScope and was shot on location near St. George, Utah. Despite featuring many popular actors, the film was both a commercial and critical failure. In 1959, Hughes purchased the film rights from General Tire and Rubber Company and held it in his private collection. In 1979, Summa Corporation sold the film to Universal Studios Corporation.
Sources:
American Film Institute Catalog. "The Conqueror.” AFI Catalog. 2019. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/51789
Jackovich, Karen G. and Mark Sennet. “The Children of John Wayne, Susan Hayward, and Dick Powell Fear that Fallout Killed their Parents”. People Magazine. November 10, 1980. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://people.com/archive/the-children-of-john-wayne-susan-hayward-and-dick-powell-fear-that-fallout-killed-their-parents-vol-14-no-19/
Arrangement
Materials are arranged chronologically. Music sheets are arranged by part.