dbborroughs Gary Cooper goes from Italy to China in a manner that only old Hollywood could manage with make believe sets and white actors pretending to be Asian. The plot has Coper being sent from Venice to China by his father in order to open up lucrative trade with the far Eastern country. In true Hollywood style its a radical rewrite of what actually happened, but then gain Polo's story was a Puff piece in its own right so I'm guessing turn about is fair play. Cooper, a good actor in the right part, is completely out of place as Polo. He looks more like a western star in dress up then a Venetian merchant.The rest of cast doesn't fair much better, but at least there is the joy of knowing that everyone is in the same boat. Perhaps this all would have worked better if there had been something approaching real sets and not so much rear screen projection. An amusing movie that walks the fine line between being fun on its own terms and camp, the film is enjoyable for what it is, a (wrongheaded) Hollywood epic of the old school. Taken for what it is you'll have a good time. Taken on anything other than its own terms you're in for a laugh fest. Worth seeing at least once.

whpratt1 This film was a big loss to MGM in 1938, most people did not find that Gary Cooper was suited for this type of picture and his leading lady, Sigrid Gurie was a star from Norway who lived in Brooklyn, N.Y. and not many people knew anything about her. Anyway, Cooper played Marco Polo and tried his hand at comedy which did not suit him. Sigrid Gurie,(Princess Kukochin),"Sofia" fell in love with Parco Polo (Gary Cooper), "The Plainsman" even though she was going to have an arranged marriage to another man she did not know. Basil Rathbone, (Ahmed), "The Black Sleep", played the evil person who had strong desires for the Princess and wanted to kill Marco Polo. Alan Hale, (Kaidu), "The House Across the Street", gave a great performance as a supporting actor and gave the picture a great deal of humor. Sorry to see Gary Cooper in this picture which was a box office failure.

salweir Everyone is miscast: a Caucassian actress born in Brooklyn, herself billed as a "Norwegian beauty" cast as a weak sister Chinese princess; Alan Hale as the western Chinese rebel leader; Gary Cooper as Polo. This is an awful movie. High handed attempt to pass off a third rate piece of junk as entertainment. Historically inaccurate doesn't even begin to describe how bad this movie is -- and I happen to like Gary Cooper. But he looks uncomfortable in this worthless celluloid. This type of film is what makes so many people who are not uncritical admirers of Hollywood criticize its racism, its stereotyping and its insulting of peoples not European.

C.K. Dexter Haven When they mention cornball Hollywood hokum they're talking about pictures like this catastrophe. I honesty don't know how I made it through the whole thing. One of the definitive pieces of half-witted rubbish ever produced. Makes John Wayne's 'The Conqueror' look like a masterwork.Like the reviewer below mentions, this is Flash Gordon level cheesy. But the makers of Flash knew they were making cheese and Buster Crabbe at least made those serials fun to watch. Cooper sleepwalks through this like he's in shock, or dreaming he's making just another bad movie at Paramount. This one transcends bad. It's not even remotely 'good' bad. It's truly one of the worst films ever made, despite having a solid cast and budget. It distresses me to no end that the writers of this debacle probably bought a new Packard with their salary. God knows what Sam Goldwyn was thinking when he gave this one the go ahead.If you get half way through this one with your sanity intact, brace yourself. By the end you'll be fighting the urge to jam a screwdriver in your ears.