Marco Polo (Horst Bucholz) is idling around in Venice when Pope Gregory commissions him to take a message of peace and understanding to the Emperor of China on the presumption that a young courier might stand a better chance of reaching China.
The exterior of the lair of the Old Man of the Mountain was shot near the Bamiyan Buddhas in Afghanistan. Photograph from 1939 or 1940.
On the journey his escort is attacked and killed leaving Marco Polo on his own. He meets with The Old Man of the Mountain; braves all varieties of climatic conditions; is captured by the Mongols and witnesses a sort of "Miss China" competition in order to provide the Emperor with an Empress.[2]
Filming began in 1962 starring Alain Delon in the title role and co starring Dorothy Dandridge. Shooting halted after $700,000 had been spent. It started again two years later with a new star, writer and director. Filming took place over six months, mostly in Yugoslavia.[1]
Rotislav Doboujinsky worked on the design of the clothes and caparacons for the men, horses and elephants - the living figures - of the chess game.[3]
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