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Marco Polo, Romantic Salesman
Adventurer, Explorer, Soldier and Author, Opened Trade with Far East, Changed
Course of World History.
Messrs. Marco Polo of Thirteenth Century Venice was the original travelling salesman.
Conjectures on Marco Polo's actual character are numerous, and each is equally certain about one phase of his make-up. He was a sure-fire salesman. He walked and he talked, sweeping all opposition and sales-resistance before him. That, however, is as far as anyone has been daring enough to venture.
Now Samuel Goldwyn, acting on the premise that Marco was the greatest, most romantic travelling salesman, has produced a film that will deal with Marco's epic trip to Cathay, and his adventures there. The picture, "The Adventures of Marco Polo", has in the title role, Gary Cooper.
By placing Gary Cooper in the leading role, Mr. Goldwyn has demonstrated once more his innate genius for putting the right man in the right role. The lanky excowboy, possessed of an ingratiating personality and a care-free manner, is admirably suited for the part of the original travelling salesman.
Marco Polo's actual journey occupied a full three-and-a half years. Over the seas that lay before the Near East, and over the caravan tracks that led through unknown Asia, over the mountainous borders of outer China, over which there were no trails of any kind.
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"By W. B. HOWE".
The vast Mongol Empire was not too hospitable to strangers. There was trouble enough in striving to maintain a constant state of peace amongst the many peoples of the huge country. As a result, all travellers from the west were regarded with suspicion. Marco Polo's arrival at the court of Kabloo (Peking) was not unheralded. He had been under constant watch from the moment he arrived within the borders. The Khan was well served by an efficient communication system that featured a horse post similar to that of our own quondam Pony Express. Eagles as well as pigeons were employed as carriers.
In fact, and in movie fancy, Polo was received coldly, although royally, by Kublai Khan. In his narrative, Polo does not reveal the reason, except that he does men
tion a universal distrust of foreigners. Sherwood supplies a villain to be the cause of the lack of enthusiasm. One, Ahmed, a Saracen and Vizier to Kublai Khan. Ahmed, knowing the ways of the European, is cognizant of the fact that Marco is in Cathay for commercial reasons, and he realizes that his own racket is in danger.
Despite the fact that Venice in the thirteenth century represented the height of European civilization, Marco Polo was amazed at the splendor which met his eyes. The court of Kublai Khan was the most magnificent of all times, exceeding even that of the later Louis XIV. The Sun-King's court was no doubt splendid, and a worthy rival of that of Cathay, but there were several respects in which it could never hope to vie.