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IMDbPro

The Adventures of Marco Polo

  • 19381938
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 44m
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
AdventureBiographyRomance
Adventurer Marco Polo travels to China, where he finds the Emperor Kublai Khan, court intrigue, danger, and unexpected love.Adventurer Marco Polo travels to China, where he finds the Emperor Kublai Khan, court intrigue, danger, and unexpected love.Adventurer Marco Polo travels to China, where he finds the Emperor Kublai Khan, court intrigue, danger, and unexpected love.
IMDb RATING
5.6/10
1.1K
YOUR RATING
    • Archie Mayo
    • John Cromwell(uncredited)
    • Robert E. Sherwood(screen play)
    • N.A. Pogson(based on a story by)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Sigrid Gurie
    • Basil Rathbone
    • Archie Mayo
    • John Cromwell(uncredited)
    • Robert E. Sherwood(screen play)
    • N.A. Pogson(based on a story by)
  • Stars
    • Gary Cooper
    • Sigrid Gurie
    • Basil Rathbone
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 36User reviews
    • 12Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos31

    Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Sigrid Gurie and Lotus Liu in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper, Basil Rathbone, George Barbier, and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Binnie Barnes in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper and Sigrid Gurie in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper, Greta Granstedt, Mia Ichioka, Lotus Liu, Diana Moncardo, and Anne Graham in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)
    Gary Cooper in The Adventures of Marco Polo (1938)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Gary Cooper
    Gary Cooper
    • Marco Polo
    Sigrid Gurie
    Sigrid Gurie
    • Princess Kukachin
    Basil Rathbone
    Basil Rathbone
    • Ahmed
    George Barbier
    George Barbier
    • Kublai Khan
    Binnie Barnes
    Binnie Barnes
    • Nazama
    Ernest Truex
    Ernest Truex
    • Binguccio
    Alan Hale
    Alan Hale
    • Kaidu
    H.B. Warner
    H.B. Warner
    • Chen Tsu
    Robert Greig
    Robert Greig
    • Chamberlain
    • (as Robert Grieg)
    Ferdinand Gottschalk
    Ferdinand Gottschalk
    • Persian Ambassador
    Henry Kolker
    Henry Kolker
    • Nicolo Polo
    Lotus Liu
    Lotus Liu
    • Visakha
    Stanley Fields
    Stanley Fields
    • Bayan
    Harold Huber
    Harold Huber
    • Toctai
    Lana Turner
    Lana Turner
    • Maid
    Richard Alexander
    Richard Alexander
    • Ahmed's Aide
    • (uncredited)
    Reginald Barlow
    Reginald Barlow
    • Giuseppi - Venetian Business Man
    • (uncredited)
    Granville Bates
    Granville Bates
    • Venetian Business Man
    • (uncredited)
      • Archie Mayo
      • John Cromwell(uncredited)
      • Robert E. Sherwood(screen play)
      • N.A. Pogson(based on a story by)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The film did poorly at the box-office, becoming the biggest flop up to that time for both Gary Cooper and Samuel Goldwyn; it was estimated that it lost close to $700,000.
    • 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.
    • 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'.

    • 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. . . . . . .
    • Connections
      Featured in History Brought to Life (1950)
    • Soundtracks
      Charming Eyes
      (uncredited)

      Composer unknown

      Sung by Ernest Truex twice

    User reviews36

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    6/10
    Spaghetti a la Chinese
    Archie Mayo's 1938 "The Adventures of Marco Polo" is an odd film to watch. Even giving it the benefit of the doubt, this misguided attempt to bring the legendary figure to the screen doesn't quite make it. Not even by a stretch of the imagination can we believe that the Chinese inhabitants of Cathay could look like these actors on the screen.

    John Cromwell and John Ford are not credited, but they must have been called as consultants to a losing enterprise that even these talented directors couldn't help fix. Robert Sherwood, a distinguished writer of better films, is responsible for writing the screen treatment, but frankly, his imprint is lacking in the finished product.

    Of course, times have changed and no Hollywood producer would dare to give this type of "entertainment" to today's audiences because they would be seen as ridiculous, at best. The film came out at a time when audiences were less sophisticated and more willing to accept stories such as this one. Even for a film produced by Samuel Goldwyn, this production looks tacky. It's obvious the people behind this film either had budget problems, or they didn't get the right art directors to improve the film.

    Gary Cooper, as Marco Polo, appears to be lost. The beautiful Sigrid Gurie is made out to look oriental to resemble this Princess Kukachin she is supposed to be. The only one that escapes the debacle is Basil Rathbone. His Ahmed is a villain, and he plays it with relish. George Truex, Alan Hale, H.B. Warner, are seen in minor roles.

    Watch this film as a curiosity, but don't expect too much.
    helpful•18
    4
    • jotix100
    • Jun 1, 2006

    Details

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    • Release date
      • April 15, 1938 (United States)
      • United States
      • English
    • Also known as
    • Filming locations
      • Iverson Ranch - 1 Iverson Lane, Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • The Samuel Goldwyn Company
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • 1 hour 44 minutes

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