Laughton spent a great deal of time in the 1930s trying to mount a film of the play about the swordsman with the huge nose for producer Alexander Korda, but Korda finally abandoned the project as being too uncommercial. The film was finally made in 1950 with José Ferrer.

Laurence Olivier declined a British movie offer in 1948 to play the title role. It was made in America 2 years later.