Author Archives: Annette Bochenek

About Annette Bochenek

Dr. Annette Bochenek of Chicago, Illinois, is an avid scholar of Hollywood’s Golden Age. She manages the Hometowns to Hollywood blog, in which she writes about her trips exploring the legacies and hometowns of Golden Age stars. Annette also hosts the “Hometowns to Hollywood” film series throughout the Chicago area. She has been featured on Turner Classic Movies and is the president of TCM Backlot’s Chicago chapter. In addition to writing for TCM Backlot, she also writes for Classic Movie Hub, Silent Film Quarterly, Nostalgia Digest, and Chicago Art Deco Society Magazine.

Killing John Wayne: The Making of The Conqueror

Posted on October 24, 2021 by Annette Bochenek

The Conqueror (1956) is the source of much Hollywood lore. This ill-fated production happened to be filmed downwind from an above-ground nuclear testing site. More than half of the crew contracted cancer, with a majority of them dying from the … Continue reading →