The Great Adventure

Country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production year

1951—1952

Premiere

21 November 1952

Runtime

103 min

Category

film

Genre

biography

Typology

featuretheatrical distributionlong

Original title

Velké dobrodružství

Czech title

Velké dobrodružství

English title

The Great Adventure

Synopsis

The doctor, collector and traveller, Emil Holub, returns to Prague in 1878 after spending seven years in South Africa. He offers the collections of artifacts which he brought with himself to the Bohemian Kingdom Museum as a gift. But the gift is rejected, mainly because of the small-mindedness of A. V. Frič. The fed up Holub, after talking to his friend Náprstek, takes an offer from Vienna and exhibits his collection in Vienna. This brings him good luck. He meets Růžena, the daughter of the museum manager, who will become his devoted and self-sacrificing wife. Holub earns the money for his next expedition by giving lectures all over Europe. He refuses an offer from the Belgian king to take part in colonizing Africa, because he plans to travel through Africa from the Cape to Alexandria, and discover the source of the Nile. Together with Růžena and a small expedition he reaches Capetown. The British governor doesn't trust his good intentions and wants to prevent his trip. Despite that, Holub manages to be the first man to enter the land of the dangerous Mashukulmbas. Some members of the expedition die of malaria, others are killed by native attackers. After terrible suffering, the rest of the expedition has to return. The exhibition of African flora and fauna ends up a financial catastrophe for Holub. What is more, Frič again refuses to take Holub's collection and the precious objects end up in a storehouse. Holub decides to pay back his debts with the earnings from his lectures.

Note

In the introduction titles, it has been mistakenly stated that Bedřich Karen played Belgian king Leopold III. It was actually king Leopold II. (1835–1909). Leopold III. was not born until 1901. Leopold II. financed Stanley´s expedition. Dr. Emil Holub was born in 1847 and died in 1902. The Czech travellers Zikmund and Hanzelka met Holub´s wife Růžena (1865–1958) in Vienna just before their journey to Africa. The African tribesmen were played as extras by students from Paris; some of the black actors were from the German Democratic Republic and several were American citizens living in Czechoslovakia.

Cast

Otomar Krejča

cestovatel a sběratel MUDr. Emil Holub

Antonie Hegerliková

Růžena Hofová, později Holubova žena

Jaroslav Marvan

Vojta Náprstek

Eduard Kohout

přírodovědec profesor A. V. Frič

Bedřich Karen

belgický král Leopold II.

Bedřich Vrbský

guvernér v Kapském Městě

Miloš Kopecký

britský kolonizátor Cecil Rhodes

Vladimír Hlavatý

vynálezce Ing. Kadeřábek

Svatopluk Beneš

kníže Albert von Nassau Oranien

Vlasta Fabianová

Ellen, Albertova manželka

Jiří Plachý

obchodník v Africe Wayne

Vladimír Brabec

novinář Václav Červenka

Zdeněk Kryzánek

účastník výpravy Hynek Leeb

Josef Bláha

účastník výpravy Josef Špíral

Jan Matýsek

účastník výpravy Osvald Söllner

Václav Kyzlink

účastník výpravy Antonín Halousek

Jozef Šándor

účastník výpravy Jano Fekete

Josef Červinka

Waynův pomocník Tony

Jaroslav Seník

sládek Einhorn

Vladimír Řepa

tajemník Musea Království českého

Vladimír Leraus

šéfredaktor Pokroku

Emil Bolek

zřízenec v Českém muzeu Šíma

Karel Hospodský

správce Prátru Hof, Růženin otec

John Essaw

Mužemani

James Miller Robinson

Monohelo

Ali Ben Abdul Messaud

král Luanika

Karel Jelínek

úředník guvernéra v Kapském Městě

Viktor Očásek

sluha v Belgické královské společnosti

Zdeněk Hodr

učitel z Telče na výstavě

Karel Hovorka

dozorce v uniformě na výstavě

Josef Najman

starý pán při sbírce peněz

Alois Dvorský

návštěvník výstavy

František Marek

muž v kavárně

Jana Werichová

dívka v Prátru

William Curney

Černošský umělecký soubor Keita Fodeba

Crew and creators

Screenstory

Jiří Mareš

Screenplay

Jiří Brdečka

Shooting Script

Miloš Makovec

Director of Photography

Vladimír Novotný

Production Designer

Miroslav Hrachovec

Costume Designer

Erna Veselá, Kamil Lhoták

Sound Designer

Dobroslav Šrámek

Production Manager

Rudolf Fencl

Unit Production Manager

František Novák

Consultant

Dr. Jindřich M. Dlouhý, L. M. Pařízek

Cooperation

Karel Šebík (fotograf)

Music

Music Composed by

Jan Rychlík

Selected Music

Johann Strauss (Radeckého pochod)

Music Performed by

FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)

Songs

Peníze jsou pány světa

Writer of Lyrics Josef Kajetán Tyl

Můj bože, jen k tobě blíž

Singer Jiří PlachýOtomar Krejča

Production info

Original Title

Velké dobrodružství

Czech Title

Velké dobrodružství

English Title

The Great Adventure

Category

film

Typology

featuretheatrical distribution

Genre

biography

Origin country

Czechoslovakia

Copyright

1952

Production Year

1951—1952

Production specifications

start of filming 2 May 1951
end of filming 15 February 1952
the first film copy approved 3 July 1952
date of censorship 9 July 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 9. 7. 1957)
withdrawal from distribution 30 June 1990

Premiere

preview 1 November 1952 (kino Oko, Holice)
premiere 21 November 1952 /suitable for youths/ (kina Blaník /4 týdny/, kyjev /1 týden od 28. 11./, Armádní /2 týdny od 5. 12./ a Revoluce /1 týden od 12. 12./, Praha)

Copyright Holders

Národní filmový archiv

Studio

Barrandov

Creative Group

Dramaturgická skupina Jana Wericha (vývoj scénáře), Jan Werich (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)

Technical info

Duration typology

feature film

Duration in minutes

103 min

Original length in metres

2 920 meters

Distribution carrier

16mm, 35mm

Aspect ratio

1:1,37

Colour

black & white

Sound

sound

Sound system/format

mono

Versions

Czech

Dialogue languages

Czech

Subtitles languages

without subtitles

Opening/End credits languages

Czech

Awards

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Novotný

Vítěz

Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951

1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miroslav Hrachovec

Vítěz

Festival: 7. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary

1952
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia