Based on the historical novel Quo Vadis: A Narrative of the Time of Nero (1896) by the Polish author, Henryk Sienkiewicz, the film tells the story of two lovers - a Roman general, Marcus Vinicius, and a beautiful young Christian woman named Licia, set against the backdrop of Roman persecution of Christians under Nero’s tyrannical rule.

The first 1913 Italian silent film version Quo Vadis? was directed by Enrico Guazzoni, and starred Carlo Cattaneo as Nero. A previous silent Quo Vadis? (1901), was directed by Lucien Nonguet and Ferdinand Zecca for the French company Pathé. As illustrated in this lobby card, George Kleine brought Quo Vadis? to New York City in 1913 where he showed it at The Astor Theatre, a legitimate Broadway venue. The top ticket price was an unheard-of $1.00.