The movie that was filmed downwind of a nuclear testing site and its impact 72 years later
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A desert site about 65 miles north of Las Vegas had been selected for nuclear weapons testing.
It was 1953 and 11 atomic bomb detonations took place here between March and June as part of Operation Upshot-Knothole. The largest of these detonations, a warhead known as Harry, yielded 32 kilotonnes of radioactive energy — more than double the amount produced from the bomb that was dropped on Hiroshima, Japan, during World War II.
About a year later, the desert near St. George, Utah, which was downwind of the nuclear fallout, was selected as the filming location for a major Hollywood film.
In his 2022 book, author Ryan Uytdewilligen highlights this brief period. On this episode of “It’s Worth Mentioning,” Rett Nelson speaks with Uytdewilligen about what happened, including the reason for the testing and the government’s response to locals’ concerns, why a desert in proximity to a nuclear testing site was selected as the filming location and the longterm impact of that decision.
If you’re a cinephile and enjoy post-war history, this is an episode you don’t want to miss!
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If you have a guest idea or a topic you’d like us to explore, email rett@eastidahonews.com.