It tells the story of an imaginary episode in the life of the Russian composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Jean-Pierre Aumont), in 1865, when he was a young naval officer on shore leave in Morocco.

[3][4] The entry of the United States into World War II meant they were allies of the Soviet Union, and films with Russian themes became fashionable in Hollywood.

Eagle and Boris Morros, who had just made Tales of Manhattan (1942) for 20th Century Fox, had acquired the film rights to the music of Rimsky-Korsakoff through the Russian government.

Walter Reisch would write the story which would cover three days the composer spent on leave in 1860 while touring the world on a Russian naval ship, where he wrote "The Scheherazade Suite".

[9] Reisch says that all but one of his colleagues – including Billy Wilder – recommended Yvonne De Carlo for the lead, except Sam Spiegel (Eagle) who told him, "Don't make a picture with this girl, because, while she may be a star, she's not your type.

[12] According to Robert Kendall, the actor who played the boy-servant Hassan in this movie, Eve Arden regretted taking on the role of Madame de Talavera, complaining that she was actually too young for the part.

And Jean-Pierre Aumont's wife, former Universal Studios film-queen Maria Montez, was often present on the set during her husband's passionate scenes with Yvonne De Carlo.

Themes by Rimsky-Korsakov that are used include: "Song of India" from Sadko (sung by Charles Kullman); Flight of the Bumblebee from The Tale of Tsar Saltan; "Hymn to the Sun" from The Golden Cockerel; Capriccio Espagnol, and Scheherazade.