The Roots of Heaven (1958)
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- Not Rated
- 2h 6min
- Adventure, Drama
- 15 Oct 1958 (USA)
- Movie
In French Equatorial Africa, an idealist ecologist starts a campaign of public awareness to help save the African elephants from extinction.
Director:
Writers:
Stars:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Errol Flynn | ... |
Forsythe
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| Juliette Gréco | ... |
Minna
(as Juliette Greco)
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| Trevor Howard | ... |
Morel
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| Eddie Albert | ... |
Abe Fields
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| Orson Welles | ... |
Cy Sedgewick
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| Paul Lukas | ... |
Saint Denis
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| Herbert Lom | ... |
Orsini
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| Grégoire Aslan | ... |
Habib
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| André Luguet | ... |
Governor
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| Friedrich von Ledebur | ... |
Peer Qvist
(as Friedrich Ledebur)
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Edric Connor | ... |
Waitari
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| Olivier Hussenot | ... |
Baron
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Pierre Dudan | ... |
Major Schölscher
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Marc Doelnitz | ... |
De Vries
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| Francis De Wolff | ... |
Father Farque
(as Francis de Wolff)
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| Dan Jackson | ... |
Madjumba
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Maurice de Canonge | ... |
Haas
(as Maurice Cannon)
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| Jacques Marin | ... |
Cerisot
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Habib Benglia | ... |
Korotoro
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Bachir Touré | ... |
Yussef
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| Alain Saury | ... |
A.D.C.
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Roscoe Stallworth | ... |
N'Dolo
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| Hassane Fall | ... |
Inguele
(as Assane Fall)
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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Beverly Aadland | ... |
Blonde Dancer (uncredited)
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Colin Drake | ... |
Journalist (uncredited)
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Jacqueline Fogt | ... |
Madame Orsini (uncredited)
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| Billy Kearns | ... |
Sarcastic Man in Bar (uncredited)
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| Hans Verner | ... |
(uncredited)
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Directed by
| John Huston | ||
Written by
| Romain Gary | ... | (novel "Les Racines du Ciel") |
| Romain Gary | ... | (screenplay) and |
| Patrick Leigh-Fermor | ... | (screenplay) |
Produced by
| Michael Holden | ... | production executive (uncredited) |
| Robert L. Jacks | ... | associate producer (as Robert Jacks) |
| Darryl F. Zanuck | ... | producer |
Music by
| Malcolm Arnold | ||
Cinematography by
| Oswald Morris | ... | director of photography |
Editing by
| Russell Lloyd | ||
Art Direction by
| Stephen B. Grimes | ... | (as Stephen Grimes) |
Set Decoration by
| Bruno Avesani | ||
Costume Design by
| Rosine Delamare | ||
Makeup Department
| George Frost | ... | makeup artist |
Production Management
| Guy Luongo | ... | production manager |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Carlo Lastricati | ... | assistant director |
Art Department
| Raymond Gabutti | ... | associate art director |
| Will Williams | ... | movie poster artist (uncredited) |
Sound Department
| Basil Fenton-Smith | ... | sound (as Basil Fenton Smith) |
| Ray Bomba | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Ralph Hickey | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
| Don Isaacs | ... | sound editor (uncredited) |
Special Effects by
| Fred Etcheverry | ... | special effects |
Visual Effects by
| L.B. Abbott | ... | special photographic effects |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Gilles Bonneau | ... | photographer: second unit |
| Skeets Kelly | ... | photographer: second unit |
| Henri Persin | ... | photographer: second unit |
Location Management
| Eva Monley | ... | location manager (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Malcolm Arnold | ... | conductor |
| Alfred Newman | ... | composer: additional music (uncredited) |
| Henri Patterson | ... | music recordist: African drums and chants (uncredited) |
| Edward B. Powell | ... | orchestrator: Alfred Newman (uncredited) |
Script and Continuity Department
| Angela Allen | ... | script girl |
| Lucie Lichtig | ... | continuity (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Claude Hettier De Boislambert | ... | technical advisor (as Claude Hettier de Boislambert) |
| Anna-Marie Cazalis | ... | publicist (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- Twentieth Century Fox (1958) (United States) (theatrical)
- Twentieth Century Fox Film Company (1958) (United Kingdom) (theatrical)
- Twentieth Century Fox (1958) (France) (theatrical)
- Centfox-Film (1958) (West Germany) (theatrical)
- National Broadcasting Company (NBC) (1963) (United States) (tv)
- Exclusivas Floralva Distribución S.A. (1966) (Spain) (theatrical)
- CBS/Fox Home Video (1990) (Australia) (video)
- KSM (2011) (Germany) (DVD)
- Twilight Time (2012) (World-wide) (Blu-ray)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
In Fort Lamy, French Equatorial Africa, idealist Morel launches a one-man campaign to preserve the African elephant from extinction, which he sees as the last remaining "roots of Heaven." At first, he finds only support from Minna, hostess of the town's only night club, who is in love with him, and a derelict ex-British Army Major, Forsythe. His crusade gains momentum and he is soon surrounded by an odd assortment of characters: Cy Sedgewick, an American TV commentator who becomes impressed and rallies world-wide support; a U.S. photographer, Abe Fields, who is sent to do a picture story on Morel and stays on to follow his ideals; Saint Denis, a government aide ordered to stop Morel; Orsini, a professional ivory hunter whose vested interests aren't the same as Morel's; and Waitari, leader of a Pan-African movement who follows Morel only for the personal good it will do his own campaign.
Written by Les Adams |
| Plot Keywords | |
| Taglines | Of human laughter, wonder and tenderness ! See more » |
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| Parents Guide | Add content advisory for parents » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Box Office
| Budget | $4,500,000 (estimated) |
Did You Know?
| Trivia | Errol Flynn's alcoholism had become a round-the-clock problem, and he was frequently at odds with John Huston. At one point, he provoked Huston into a fight; while Flynn was a former amateur boxer, the years of fast living had taken a heavy toll on him, and Huston, himself a former professional boxer, flattened Flynn with a single punch. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Featured in From the Journals of Jean Seberg (1995). See more » |
| Soundtracks | Minna's Theme See more » |
| Quotes |
Morel:
Do you know that tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year? Thirty thousand last year, to be exact. Thirty thousand. If they go on like that, there won't be any left. Anyone who's seen the great herds on the march across the last free spaces of the earth knows they're something the world can't afford to lose! But no... We have to capture, kill, destroy. All that's beautiful has got to go. All that's free! Soon we'll be alone on this earth with nothing to destroy but ourselves! See more » |