Baron Műnchhausen
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1961Production year
1959—1961Premiere
21 September 1962Runtime
80 minDirector
Karel ZemanCategory
filmGenre
adventure, fantastic, special effectsTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Baron PrášilCzech title
Baron PrášilEnglish title
Baron MűnchhausenSummary
It was German author Gottfried August Bürger’s 1786 literary work that inspired film director Karel Zeman to write the script for Baron Prášil (Baron Műnchhausen) together with poet Josef Kainar, before he turned to directing it. The science-fiction motif (featuring the landing of astronaut Toník on the Moon) of the poetic adventure film is, on the one hand, rather unusual for Zeman, but on the other it becomes diluted in the subsequent avalanche of the baron’s highly imaginative storytelling. The legendary Baron Prášil (gracefully depicted by Miloš Kopecký) takes the “Moon-dweller” on a tour of his world that involves countless romantic adventures, including the encountering of beautiful princess Bianca, played by Jana Brejchová. Zeman and his team drew much of their visual inspiration for Baron Műnchhausen from engravings by French printmaker, illustrator and sculptor Gustave Doré. The film remains popular with audiences not only for the brilliant and imaginative technical skill manifested throughout, but also thanks to a considerable list of popular actors in supporting roles.
Synopsis
On the Moon, cosmonaut Toník meets those who have visited this fellow-traveller of the Earth long before: Cyrano de Bergerac, Baron Münchhausen and Verne's cosmonauts Nicholl, Barbican and Ardan. They all consider Toník, clad in a space suit, to be a native of the Moon. Baron Münchhausen therefore invites him to visit the Earth. The mythical Pegasus carries them to Constantinople, where together they save the beautiful captive, Princess Bianca, and both fall in love with her. In their escape from the Sultan, they must overcome many dangers: jumping from a rock into the sea, fighting with the Dutch against the overwhelming superior forces of the Turkish flotilla, withstanding the innards of a whale which swallows them along with their boat. They are freed by the harpoon of a whale hunter, but the adventure is far from over. They still have to get away from an abandoned island, where Toník unsuccessfully attempts to build a steam boat. Eventually, a Dutch boat takes them to a besieged fortress. Münchhausen flies to the enemy on a cannon ball and acquires valuable information. Toník gets hold of the gun-powder which is to help them fly into outer space. He is arrested for the theft, but Princess Bianca, who loves him, sets him free. Then comes Münchhausen's turn - he throws a lit candle into the well full of gun-powder. The subsequent explosion flings the Baron, seated in an arm-chair, Toník and Bianca to the sky. They all happily get back to the Moon where they are welcomed by Cyrano and the rest of the gentlemen.
Note
The visual side of the film was inspired by the engravings of the French painter and graphic artist Gustav Doré which illustrated the original edition of Bürger's novel. In the National FIlm Archive Prague unused shots also survived in the form of duplicate negative (black and white, 2 626,8 metres).
Film online
Photos
Cast
Miloš Kopecký
baron Prášil
Jana Brejchová
princezna Bianca di Castelo Negro
Rudolf Jelínek
astronaut Toník
Karel Höger
básník Cyrano z Bergeracu
Jan Werich
kapitán holandské lodi
Rudolf Hrušínský
sultán
Eduard Kohout
generál Elemele, velitel pevnosti
Bohuš Záhorský
admirál
Karel Effa
důstojník pevnostní stráže
Naděžda Blažíčková
tanečnice ze sultánova harému
František Šlégr
španělský námořník
Josef Hlinomaz
harpunář-trosečník
Zdeněk Hodr
Voice by Josef Langmiler
kapitán Nicholl
Richard Záhorský
Impey Barbicane, předseda dělového klubu
Otto Šimánek
vzduchoplavec Michel Ardan
Václav Trégl
lodník
Jan Libíček
vrchní eunuch Hadži Baban
Jarka Pižla
námořník
Miloslav Holub
velitel nepřátelského vojska
Miroslav Homola
hráč šachů
Vítězslav Černý
hráč šachů
Ladislav Gzela
námořník na holandské lodi
Antonín Soukup
Voice by Oldřich Musil
voják v pevnosti
Commentary
Crew and creators
Director
Second Unit Director
Continuity
Screenstory
Based on
Gottfried Bürger (Baron Prášil /Baron Münchhausen/ – novela)
Screenplay
Karel Zeman, Josef Kainar (dialogy), Jiří Brdečka (vyprávění)
Commentary by
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Second Unit Photography
Camera Operator
Arne Parduba, Emil Bártek, Miroslav Sinkule
Production Designer
Assistent Production Designer
Art Director
Set Designer
Josef Pavlík, Vilém Janlík, Marie Smržová
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Animation
Arnošt Kupčík, Jindřich Liška, František Krčmář
Special Effects
Zdeněk Ostrčil (scény), Josef Zeman (scény), Jiří Tarantík (kamera), Bohuslav Pikhart (druhý kameraman), Antonín Buráň (asistent), Marie Smržová (asistentka), J. Čepel (asistent), V. Soukup (asistent), R. Wölfel (asistent), J. Čep (spolupráce), M. Jakubíček (spolupráce), O. Líbal (spolupráce), B. Smejkal (spolupráce)
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Jiří Kutil
Background Painter
Ferdinand Martinásek (malíř pozadí)
Consultant
Jan Čep (2)
Cooperation
Jaroslav Skála (fotograf), Antonín Stránský (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
Music Performed by
FISYO (Music Conducted by František Belfín)
Choreographer
Danced by
Locations
Zlín /dříve Gottwaldov/, Kudlov (Zlín /dříve Gottwaldov/), přehrada Fryšták (Zlín /dříve Gottwaldov/), okolí (Zlín /dříve Gottwaldov/)
Production info
Original Title
Baron Prášil
Czech Title
Baron Prášil
English Title
Baron Műnchhausen
Category
film
Typology
featuretheatrical distribution
Genre
adventure, fantastic, special effects
Origin country
Czechoslovakia
Copyright
1961
Production Year
1959—1961
Production specifications
start of filming 1 September 1959
technical Screenplay approved 16 September 1959
end of filming 17 December 1961
projection approval 22 December 1961
withdrawal from distribution 30 September 1991
the end of the distribution monopoly 31 December 2017
Premiere
preview 31 August 1962 (kino Sevastopol /1 týden/, Praha)
premiere 7 September 1962 /suitable for youths/ (kina Lucerna /4 týdny/, Flora /1 týden od 21. 9./ a Dukla /1 týden od 28. 9./, Praha)
premiere 21 September 1962 /suitable for youths/ (celostátní)
renewed premiere 1 August 2016 /suitable for all ages without limit/
renewed premiere 13 May 2024 /suitable for all ages without limit/
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Laboratories
Distribution
Ústřední půjčovna filmů (původní 1962), Asociace českých filmových klubů (obnovená 2016), Muzeum Karla Zemana (obnovená 2024)
Technical info
Duration typology
feature film
Duration in minutes
80 min
Original length in metres
2 279 meters
Distribution carrier
16mm, 35mm, DCP 2-D, MP4, BRD
Aspect ratio
1:1,37
Colour
colour
Sound
sound
Sound system/format
mono
Versions
Czech
Dialogue languages
Czech
Subtitles languages
without subtitles
Opening/End credits languages
Czech
Awards
Vítěz
Event: 4. mezinárodní setkání filmů pro mládež Cannes
1964
Cannes / France
Vítěz
Festival: 3. mezinárodní festival Boston
1963
Boston / United States of America
Vítěz
Festival: 8. mezinárodní festival veseloherních filmů Bordighera
1963
Bordighera / Italy
Karel Zeman
Vítěz
Festival: 13. filmový festival pracujících
1962
25 měst / Czechoslovakia
Karel Zeman
Vítěz
Exhibition: Mezinárodní filmový týden Vídeň
1962
Vídeň / Austria
Vítěz
Festival: 6. filmový festival Londýn
1962
Londýn / Great Britain
Vítěz
Festival: 4. festival českých a slovenských filmů Košice
1962
Košice / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Event: 3. mezinárodní soutěž o technickou filmovou cenu při zasedání V. mezinárodního kongresu Mezinárodní unie filmových technických sdružení Moskva
1962
Moskva / Union of Soviet Socialist Republics
Vítěz
Exhibition: 5. světová přehlídka vítězných festivalových filmů Acapulco
1962
Acapulco / Mexico
Karel Zeman
Vítěz
Festival: 13. filmový festival pracujících
1962
25 měst / Czechoslovakia
Zdeněk Liška
Vítěz
Festival: 15. mezinárodní filmový festival Locarno
1962
Locarno / Switzerland
