- Actors: Gary Cooper, Basil Rathbone, Sigrid Gurie, Alan Hale, Binnie Barnes
- Directors: Archie Mayo
- Format: PAL, Black & White
- Language English
- Classification: U
- Studio: Video Gems
- Run Time: 104 minutes
- ASIN: B000Q84E7G
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 16,951 in Video (See Top 100 in Video)
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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7 reviews
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Great History? No...but Entertaining Gary Cooper!
12 Sep 2007
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
You simply can't take "The Adventures of Marco Polo" seriously...but as a light-hearted, glossy, tongue-in-cheek adventure, the film is great fun, from the same year as Warner's "The Adventures of Robin Hood".
With producer Samuel Goldwyn's biggest box office star, Gary Cooper, in the lead, as a drawling, skirt-chasing Polo, the film opens with an opulent, Hollywood version of 13th century Venice, then quickly moves to the steppes of central Asia, and finally the equally opulent court of Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan (George Barbier), where Cooper and his groaning comic relief (Ernest Truex) encounter Khan's exotic, if not particularly Oriental-looking, daughter (Sigrid Gurie...who learns how to kiss from the obliging Polo), and Khan's ruthless adviser, Ahmed (another terrific villainous portrayal by Basil Rathbone), who has designs on both China and Gurie.
Screenwriter Robert Sherwood tosses in a bit of history (the Chinese inventions of spaghetti and gunpowder, introduced to Polo by H.B. Warner, channeling his "Lost Horizon" persona), but clearly treats the storyline as farce, adding a feared (but henpecked) tribal chief (a heavily made-up Alan Hale), and his jealous wife (Binnie Barnes, who also falls under Polo's spell). Also, watch for 17-year-old Lana Turner in a small but showy role as a most desirable Chinese handmaiden (this is the infamous film where Goldwyn's makeup department burned off her eyebrows, permanently).
Directed by veteran director Archie Mayo (who lacked Michael Curtiz' flair for epic period adventure), the action scenes are a bit flat, and Cooper's climactic fight with Rathbone is somewhat disappointing (truthfully, he seems out-of-place confronting a swashbuckling villain). Certainly, 1938 audiences weren't 'buying' Cooper as an Italian adventurer (it WAS a stretch!), and the film flopped, but if you're in the mood for pure escapism, from Hollywood's 'Golden' age, "The Adventures of Marco Polo" is certainly worth a look!
With producer Samuel Goldwyn's biggest box office star, Gary Cooper, in the lead, as a drawling, skirt-chasing Polo, the film opens with an opulent, Hollywood version of 13th century Venice, then quickly moves to the steppes of central Asia, and finally the equally opulent court of Chinese Emperor Kublai Khan (George Barbier), where Cooper and his groaning comic relief (Ernest Truex) encounter Khan's exotic, if not particularly Oriental-looking, daughter (Sigrid Gurie...who learns how to kiss from the obliging Polo), and Khan's ruthless adviser, Ahmed (another terrific villainous portrayal by Basil Rathbone), who has designs on both China and Gurie.
Screenwriter Robert Sherwood tosses in a bit of history (the Chinese inventions of spaghetti and gunpowder, introduced to Polo by H.B. Warner, channeling his "Lost Horizon" persona), but clearly treats the storyline as farce, adding a feared (but henpecked) tribal chief (a heavily made-up Alan Hale), and his jealous wife (Binnie Barnes, who also falls under Polo's spell). Also, watch for 17-year-old Lana Turner in a small but showy role as a most desirable Chinese handmaiden (this is the infamous film where Goldwyn's makeup department burned off her eyebrows, permanently).
Directed by veteran director Archie Mayo (who lacked Michael Curtiz' flair for epic period adventure), the action scenes are a bit flat, and Cooper's climactic fight with Rathbone is somewhat disappointing (truthfully, he seems out-of-place confronting a swashbuckling villain). Certainly, 1938 audiences weren't 'buying' Cooper as an Italian adventurer (it WAS a stretch!), and the film flopped, but if you're in the mood for pure escapism, from Hollywood's 'Golden' age, "The Adventures of Marco Polo" is certainly worth a look!
7 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Hybrid
17 May 2007
Format:DVD
The problem with Marco Polo is that it couldn't make up its mind whether it was a comedy or swashbuckler. Although I like him, Gary Cooper is miscast in this role (Ronald Colman or Robert Donat would have been better) and the screenplay needed to be more sober. George Barbier's Kubla Khan (sp?) is better suited to a Paramount farce with W.C. Fields. Ernest Truex, with that whiny voice, is almost unbearable. Who comes out on top as usual?....Basil Rathbone. He is the only reason I would watch this film.
Adventure, Laughs, Love, & Spagetti!
2 Feb 2011
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Ok, I know that there is a lot about this film that is silly, but I can't help it..... I loved this when I saw it as a kid, and I loved it just as much seeing it again 45 years later.
Maybe it's because I'm one of those folks who is completely willing to suspend belief and let the film makers take me into their world, but I thoroughly enjoy adventures like this one.
The transfer was good, the film making was technically satisfying, and the story.... well..... what could be more fun than traveling through strange foreign lands with your ever faithful servant by your side, partaking of the wonders along the way and battling the likes of the absolutely evil Basil Rathbone.
Ok, I'll admit that when I saw Alan Hale as the leader of the rebel tribe I had to laugh..... and yes, we was totally unbelievable, but hey, an actor has got to work, and he was in just about every other picture made during this time period so what the heck : )
As long as you don't take it to seriously, it's a fun Saturday afternoon adventure filled romp.
Maybe it's because I'm one of those folks who is completely willing to suspend belief and let the film makers take me into their world, but I thoroughly enjoy adventures like this one.
The transfer was good, the film making was technically satisfying, and the story.... well..... what could be more fun than traveling through strange foreign lands with your ever faithful servant by your side, partaking of the wonders along the way and battling the likes of the absolutely evil Basil Rathbone.
Ok, I'll admit that when I saw Alan Hale as the leader of the rebel tribe I had to laugh..... and yes, we was totally unbelievable, but hey, an actor has got to work, and he was in just about every other picture made during this time period so what the heck : )
As long as you don't take it to seriously, it's a fun Saturday afternoon adventure filled romp.
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