It is a historical drama set in the late 18th century during the Russian domination of Polish Lithuania, and elements of the plot are drawn from the story of the chess-playing automaton known as The Turk.

During a masked ball, von Kempelen replaces Vorowski inside The Turk, to enable him to escape with his lover Sophie.

Some scenes were filmed on location in Poland with the assistance of the Polish army (notably the Vilno insurrection and the large-scale cavalry charge).

Filming began on 15 March 1926 and was completed on 31 October, leaving Bernard only two months for its post-production before the premiere in January 1927.

The finished tinted print received its first screenings in London in December 1990, with Henri Rabaud's original score conducted by Carl Davis.