In Archie Mayo’s The Adventures of Marco Polo, a nicely mounted but far from accurate biopic of the noted explorer, Gary Cooper is well cast as the handsome Marco Polo, who’s strangely depicted here as first and foremost a ladies man.
Grade: C+
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Theatrical release poster by Nrman Rockwell
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As scripted by Robert Sherwood, the saga takes a light satirical approach, instead of an epic one, to its subject and his adventures.
The son of the leading merchant, Polo is dispatched alongside with his bookkeeper Binguccio to the luxurious court of Kubblai Khan in Peking to discover oriental treasures and complete trade agreements, which presumably will bring wealth to the Polo clan. After an arduous journey, Polo meets townsman Chen Tsu and learns much of the Chinese ways, especially the making of firecrackers.
At the court, Polo falls in love with Princess Kukachin (Sigrid Gurie, miscast), who’s betrothed to the Persian King. In the process, he arouses the hatred of the Babylonian Ahmed (Basil Rathbone), the scheming foreign-born minister of state, while amusing the Emperor. Later, he is sent as a spy to the rebel camp of Kaidu and saves the warrior’s life. As a reward, he demands the support of the rebel army in saving the throne of Kublai Khan from the treacherous Ahmed, while gaining the beautiful princess for himself.
Cooper acquits himself with an honorable performance, but it’s Rathbone, doing his specialty as one of the screen’s greatest villain, who steals every scene he is in.
You can spot the very young Lana Turner, who will become a major star in the 1940s, as Binnie Barnes’ maid.
While most critics prased the casting of Gary Cooper, especially his majestic appearance, some felt that the role was better suited to a more flamboyant star like Valentino.
This was one of few films that tried to make a bona fide star of the Norwegian born Sigrid Gurie (born 1911), but with n success. She made about 10 films, including the 1940 Three Faces West, opposite John Wayne, and died young (at 58) in Mexico, of kidney probems and blood clout in her lungs
Greeted with mixed reviews, the film was a box office flop, losing an estimated $700,000.
Cast:
Gary Cooper (Marco Polo)
Sigrid Gurie (Princess Kukachin)
Basil Rathbone (Ahmed)
Ernest Truex (binguccio)
Alan Hale (Kaidu)
George Barbier (Kublai Khan)
Binnie Barnes (Nazama)
Lana Turner (Nazama’s maid)
Stanley Fields (Bayan)
Harold Huber (Toctai)
H.B. Warner (Chen Tsu)
Eugene Hoo (Chen Tsu’s Son)
Helen Quan (Chen Tsu’s Daughter)
Soo Yong (Chen Tsu’s Wife)
Mrs. Ng (Chen Tsu’s Mother)
Lotus Liu (Visahka)
Ferdinand Gottschalk (Persian Ambassador)
Henry Kolker (Nicolo Polo)
Hale Hamilton (Maffeo Polo)
Robert Greig (Chamberlain)
Reginald Barlow (Giuseppe)
Ward Bond (Mongol Guard)
James Leong (Tartar Warrior)
Dick Alexander (Ahmed’s Aide)
Jason Robards (Messenger)
Gloria Youngblood, Diana Moncardo, Dora Young, Mia Schioka (Court Girls)
Credits:
A Samuel Goldwyn Production.
Released by United Artists.
Director: Archie Mayo; John Cromwell (uncredited)
Producer: Samuel Goldwyn.
Screenplay by Robert E. Sherwoodl; Based on a story by N. A. Pogson
Photographer: Rudolph Mate.
Musical Score: Hugo Friedhofer.
Musical Director: Alfred Newman.
Art Director: Richard Day.
Set Decorator: Julia Heron.
Editor: Fred Allen.
Sound Recorder: Thomas T. Moulton.
Special Effects: James Basevi.
Associate Producer: George Haight.
Assistant Director: Walter Mayo.
Release date: April 7, 1938 (NYC)
Running time 100 minutes
Budget $2 million
