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Title: The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
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Cast
| Complete credited cast: | |||
| Gary Cooper | ... | Marco Polo | |
| Sigrid Gurie | ... | Princess Kukachin | |
| Basil Rathbone | ... | Ahmed | |
| George Barbier | ... | Kublai Khan | |
| Binnie Barnes | ... | Nazama | |
| Ernest Truex | ... | Binguccio | |
| Alan Hale | ... | Kaidu | |
| H.B. Warner | ... | Chen Tsu | |
| Robert Greig | ... | Chamberlain (as Robert Grieg) | |
| Ferdinand Gottschalk | ... | Persian Ambassador | |
| Henry Kolker | ... | Nicolo Polo | |
| Lotus Liu | ... | Visakha | |
| Stanley Fields | ... | Bayan | |
| Harold Huber | ... | Toctai | |
| Lana Turner | ... | Maid | |
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Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Marco Polo travels from Venice to Peking, where he quickly discovers spaghetti and gunpowder and falls in love with the Emperor's daughter. The Emperor Kublai Khan is a kindly fellow, but his evil aide Ahmed wants to get rid of Kublai Khan so he can be emperor, and to get rid of Marco Polo so he can marry the princess. Ahmed sends Marco Polo to the West to fight barbarians, but he returns just in time to save the day. Written by John Oswalt <jao@jao.com>
Taglines:
He penetrated the Secret Orient...to find love...danger...wealth! (original poster) See more »Parents Guide:
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See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Country:
USALanguage:
EnglishRelease Date:
15 April 1938 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Marco Polo See more »Edit
Box Office
Budget:
$2,000,000 (estimated)Company Credits
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
(copyright length)Sound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)Color:
Black and White (Sepiatone)Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1
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Marco Polo: No. What is it? Snakes?
Chen Tsu: No! No, it has been eaten by the poor people in China for generations. We call it 'spah- get'.
See more »
He was also the first traveling salesman. . . . . . . See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
John Carradine was originally cast as Ahmed, but dropped out before filming began. See more »Goofs
When Marco crosses a bridge, his party is attacked and his horse is driven over a cliff. A safety wire is clearly visible on the rider. See more »Quotes
Chen Tsu: You have never seen food like this before?Marco Polo: No. What is it? Snakes?
Chen Tsu: No! No, it has been eaten by the poor people in China for generations. We call it 'spah- get'.
See more »
Crazy Credits
Opening credits prologue: FOREWORD: Marco Polo lived in Venice seven hundred years ago. He was the first European to visit China and write the story of his adventures in that land of magic and mystery.He was also the first traveling salesman. . . . . . . See more »
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This is the film that cost LANA TURNER (in a bit role) her eyebrows which never grew back. Other than that, it has no distinction whatsoever except that it provides a nice comic book excursion into the past with lavish sets of Oriental splendor but little else for compensation.
Still, it's watchable enough thanks to the low-key and quietly humorous performance of GARY COOPER (an unlikely choice for the role of the Italian adventurer from Venice). It's also interesting to watch SIGRID GURIE, fascinating in close-ups with Hollywood's brand of Oriental make-up--but an actress who never managed to be more than a passing fancy.
BASIL RATHBONE adds the right touch of menace as Ahmed, the villain of the piece, and ALAN HALE brings his boisterous presence to the role of a man who was afraid of his lecherous wife (BINNIE BARNES) but not afraid to dispose of his enemies in boiling oil.
It gets more laughable as it goes on, but reaches new heights of incredibility with an ending that has Polo making use of explosives to bring down the enemy camp. His final fight to the death with Rathbone, near an open trap door with hungry lions waiting below and vultures overhead, is the stuff of comic book suspense.
If you can suspend all disbelief long enough to enjoy it, it passes the time quickly and entertainingly. A history lesson, it's not.