This historical hokum is rendered ludicrous today by the casting of John Wayne as Genghis Khan, but it doesn't deserve its reputation as one of the worst movies ever made. Splendidly directed by former crooner Dick Powell, who proved himself a master of CinemaScope composition with The Enemy Below and this colourful epic, it is best viewed dubbed into any foreign language as the dialogue is silly beyond belief. Susan Hayward is Wayne's woman, and their exchanges show what canny casting this was by producer Howard Hughes in one of the last epics he made at his ailing RKO studios. The movie was filmed in Utah, near an A-bomb testing range in the days before anyone knew much about long-term radiation effects. All the leading players and the director ultimately died prematurely from various forms of cancer.

Mongol chief Temujin battles against Tartar armies and for the love of the Tartar princess Bortai. Temujin becomes the emperor Genghis Khan.