Much of the music originates in Jacques Offenbach's opéra bouffe La Belle Hélène (words by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy) which premiered in Paris in 1864, since when it has been part of the operetta repertory.
[3] In 1952 Hansen would record a set of selections from the operetta with Elisabeth Söderström, Arne Andersson and Hasse Funck, conducted by Sune Waldimir on the Musica label (SK 19854-5).
[3] Eva Dahlbeck (Helena), at this time early in her career, would soon play Desirée Armfeldt in Bergman's film Smiles of a Summer Night.
Trojanus believes that the Arcadian province Thermopylae, with its mountain passes would make a useful route to the west and begins an intrigue to usurp the area peacefully.
The Trojan ambassador is still hoping for a lease on Thermopylae, and the prospect of a wedding night with beauty queen leads Menelaus on when the marriage contract is drawn up.
Menelaus wakes finally to the danger threatening his country and sends the royalist party's fifth column to the East and ten thousand troops to Thermopylae to defend the province.
Following Max Hansen's major success in Offenbach's La Belle Hélène in Stockholm, Anders Sandrew laid out a substantial sum to get the operetta star into his studio.
[6] Communist MP and editor of the 'New Day' paper, Gustav Johansson claimed that "old Offenbach has been mobilized in America's cold war against the peace movement".
The female critic 'Lill' in the 'Svenska Dagbladet' was happier with the film's mixture of operetta action and political satire, with its many witty and elegant moments and a seamless flow of song numbers.