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.
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.
cestovatel a sběratel MUDr. Emil Holub
Růžena Hofová, později Holubova žena
Vojta Náprstek
přírodovědec profesor A. V. Frič
belgický král Leopold II.
guvernér v Kapském Městě
britský kolonizátor Cecil Rhodes
vynálezce Ing. Kadeřábek
kníže Albert von Nassau Oranien
Ellen, Albertova manželka
obchodník v Africe Wayne
novinář Václav Červenka
účastník výpravy Hynek Leeb
účastník výpravy Josef Špíral
účastník výpravy Osvald Söllner
účastník výpravy Antonín Halousek
účastník výpravy Jano Fekete
Waynův pomocník Tony
sládek Einhorn
továrník
tajemník Musea Království českého
šéfredaktor Pokroku
zřízenec v Českém muzeu Šíma
správce Prátru Hof, Růženin otec
Mužemani
Monohelo
král Luanika
úředník guvernéra v Kapském Městě
sluha v Belgické královské společnosti
učitel z Telče na výstavě
dozorce v uniformě na výstavě
starý pán při sbírce peněz
návštěvník výstavy
muž v kavárně
karbaník
dívka v Prátru
Dr. Jindřich M. Dlouhý, L. M. Pařízek
Karel Šebík (fotograf)
Johann Strauss (Radeckého pochod)
FISYO (Music Conducted by Milivoj Uzelac)
Writer of Lyrics Josef Kajetán Tyl
Singer Jiří PlachýOtomar Krejča
Velké dobrodružství
Velké dobrodružství
The Great Adventure
film
featuretheatrical distribution
biography
Czechoslovakia
1952
1951—1952
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
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)
Dramaturgická skupina Jana Wericha (vývoj scénáře), Jan Werich (vedoucí dramaturgické skupiny)
feature film
103 min
2 920 meters
16mm, 35mm
1:1,37
black & white
sound
mono
Czech
Czech
without subtitles
Czech
Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951
1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Novotný
Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951
1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miroslav Hrachovec
Festival: 7. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary
1952
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia