[2] In seventeenth century France, Pierre St. Laurent, a young nobleman, returns home from the war to discover his lands and chateau have been confiscated by Narbonne, the governor of the province, and sold to Katrina, a Dutch widow.

Katrina agrees to return Pierre's land if he will help her recover the "Star of India," a sapphire that Narbonne stole from the Dutch.

The film was based on a script by Herbert Dalmas which was optioned by British producer Raymond Stross.

[4] It was to be the first British widescreen film with Eros agreeing to distribute in the east and United Artists in the West.

"[6] Cornel Wilde claimed he had brought the story to Stross, specifically as a vehicle for himself and Wallace.

[11] 20th Century Fox claimed they had rights to the title but later relinquished it at the request of Wilde, who had 55% of the western hemisphere profits.

Bosley Crowther in The New York Times said it had a "silly script" but also ""countless costumes, swordplay and high speed horseback riding.

"[2] Diabolique magazine wrote the film "should have been good – it has Italian locations and Cornel Wilde had appeared in some decent swashbucklers – but is sunk by a silly script.