While Brian G. Hutton ended up as the final director, originally, High Road to China was to be helmed by John Huston, and then Sidney J. Furie, before both left the project.

She needs to find her father, Bradley Tozer, before he is officially declared dead or risk losing her inheritance to his scheming business partner, Bentik.

Their journey in two biplanes (named "Dorothy" and "Lillian" after the famous Gish silent film star sisters[2]) through six countries leads them to finally find the eccentric Bradley Tozer in China, where he is helping a small village defend itself against a local warlord.

[4][circular reference] Rumor has it that it was "given" to Selleck as a sort of consolation prize for having to pass on Raiders of the Lost Ark due to scheduling conflicts with Magnum, P.I.

[7] Filming for High Road to China took place in Yugoslavia with a crew of 231 (145 Yugoslavs, 60 British, 15 Italians, 10 Americans, and one Frenchman).

Headquarters for the film company was in the small Adriatic coastal town of Opatija, Croatia, located on the northwest coast of the Gulf of Rijeka at the foot of Učka mountain.

This aircraft type was in the novel, but after construction, the replicas were thought to be dangerous to fly at high altitude and were replaced by two Stampe SV-4 biplanes, (G-AZGC and G-AZGE), provided by Bianchi Aviation Film Services.

[8] Roger Ebert gave the film two stars (out of four), writing that it is a "lifeless" movie, "directed at a nice, steady pace, but without flair and without the feeling that anything's being risked.

[10]Aerofiles, a historical aviation website, considered the film as "Strictly mediocre, with substandard action scenes and the flattest dialogue this side of the Great Wall.

"[11] Aviation film historian Christian Santoir said: "Arriving two years after 'Raiders of the Lost Ark', 'Raiders of the End of the World' was in the same vein, despite certain missing qualities.

"[2] Film historian Stephen Pendo found High Road to China "... notable mainly for its aviation sequences, for it lacks character and plot development.

"[13] Christopher John reviewed High Road to China in Ares Magazine #14 and commented that "At best, it's cute, and somewhat endearing, but it's not what people who expect another Raider have in mind.