It is loosely based on the 1941 novel Columbus by Rafael Sabatini with much of the screenplay rewritten by Sydney and Muriel Box.

[4] Christopher Columbus, an explorer from Genoa, Italy, arrives in Spain with his son seeking funds for a trip to India.

The film was a passion project for producer Sydney Box who in 1945 had a huge success with The Seventh Veil.

In September 1946, Box announced he would make the film from Sabatini's novel for the United Kingdom Moving Picture Company.

John Woolf, head of international distribution for Rank, said in October 1946 that: Before we smacked Henry V and Caesar and Cleopatra into the American Markets, we were getting a poor showing in the United States.

Although the most optimistic figures have been put out in London about the achievements of Henry and Caesar, in fact they have had to fight hard to make their way.

The important thing to remember is this— that these big films enabled us to break through the highly controlled theatre circuits in America.

The replica of the Santa Maria broke its moorings during a squall in the West Indies and drifted for two nights and a day with people on board before it was rescued.

[20] A new subplot was added towards the end of shooting involving the romance between Columbus and the sister (Kathleen Ryan) of his lieutenant (Derek Bond).

In response the leading Spanish studio CIFESA produced Dawn of America (1951), which portrayed Columbus as a more daring figure.

We called the whole cast to the Dorchester but Fredric March... didn’t turn up... We waited an hour or more, then I sent off the first assistant to find them.