The Great Adventure
Country
CzechoslovakiaCopyright
1952Production year
1951—1952Premiere
21 November 1952Runtime
103 minDirector
Miloš MakovecCategory
filmGenre
biographyTypology
featuretheatrical distributionlongOriginal title
Velké dobrodružstvíCzech title
Velké dobrodružstvíEnglish title
The Great AdventureSynopsis
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.
Photos
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
Bedřich Prokoš
továrník
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
Antonín Soukup
karbaník
Jana Werichová
dívka v Prátru
William Curney
Černošský umělecký soubor Keita Fodeba
Crew and creators
Director
Assistant Director
Screenstory
Screenplay
Shooting Script
Director of Photography
Production Designer
Set Designer
Costume Designer
Costumes
Make-Up Artist
Film Editor
Sound Designer
Production Manager
Unit Production Manager
Consultant
Dr. Jindřich M. Dlouhý, L. M. Pařízek
Cooperation
Karel Šebík (fotograf)
Music
Music Composed by
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
projection approval 9 July 1952 (konec povolení k promítání 9. 7. 1957)
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)
Production
Copyright Holders
Studio
Distribution
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
Festival: 7. mezinárodní filmový festival Karlovy Vary
1952
Karlovy Vary / Czechoslovakia
Vítěz
Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951
1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Vladimír Novotný
Vítěz
Event: Umělecké prémie za rok 1951
1952
Praha / Czechoslovakia
Miroslav Hrachovec
