Marco Polo

Here, Marco Polo is portrayed as a vagabond who is irresistibly charming to all women and is far more interested in having a good time than in documenting the cultural anthropology of Asia. The Hollywood actor Calhoun, known primarily for his Westerns, seems like an unusual casting choice, and indeed he is, although his charisma ultimately becomes one of the main attractions of the film. After travelogue images of Venice, the story abruptly shifts to Asia, where Polo is joined by the cheerful tour guide Ciu-Lin. The plot mainly revolves around Polo's romance with Princess Amurroy, the daughter of the Great Khan, whose kingdom in Peking is threatened by the Jaffarian Mongka. On the side of Cuday, the leading Khan-loyal freedom fighter, Polo tries to set things right in China.

"Marco Polo" is the kind of film that is much more interesting to watch for its production aspects and its unusual combination of talents than for its storyline. The historical genre was in full swing in Italy at that time, primarily sword-and-sandal films revolving around the trials of Hercules and the adventures of Maciste, but occasionally ambitious filmmakers stretched themselves there with larger productions aimed at attracting an even broader international audience. Marco Polo, a malnourished would-be epic, was likely spurred on by the European press when it came to the upcoming production of Samuel Bronston's all-star epic "55 Days in Peking.".