Directed by:
John HustonCinematography:
Oswald MorrisComposer:
Malcolm ArnoldCast:
Errol Flynn, Juliette Gréco, Trevor Howard, Eddie Albert, Orson Welles, Paul Lukas, Herbert Lom, André Luguet, Francis De Wolff, Jacques Marin, Grégoire Aslan (more)Plots(1)
In Fort Lamy, French Equitorial 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. (official distributor synopsis)
(more)Cast
Errol Flynn
Australia
Best movies:
Gentleman Jim (1942)
Edge of Darkness (1943)
The Sea Hawk (1940)
Juliette Gréco
France
Best movies:
Orpheus (1950)
Without Leaving an Address (1951)
Bonjour tristesse (1958)
Trevor Howard
UK
Best movies:
Producers' Showcase (1954) (series)
Gandhi (1982)
Brief Encounter (1945)
Eddie Albert
USA
Best movies:
Roman Holiday (1953)
The Longest Day (1962)
You Gotta Stay Happy (1948)
Orson Welles
USA
Best movies:
Shogun (1980) (series) - narrator
Waterloo (1970)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Paul Lukas
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
City Streets (1931)
The Kiss Before the Mirror (1933)
Herbert Lom
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Treasure of Silver Lake (1962)
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Spartacus (1960)
André Luguet
France
Best movies:
Three Murderesses (1959)
Male Companion (1964)
We Will All Go to Monte Carlo (1951)
Francis De Wolff
UK
Best movies:
Jesus of Nazareth (1977) (TV movie)
Richard Lester's The Three Musketeers (1973)
The Smallest Show on Earth (1957)
Jacques Marin
France
Best movies:
Le Glaive et la balance (1963)
Les Misérables (1958)
How to Steal a Million (1966)
Grégoire Aslan
Ottoman Empire
Best movies:
The Knight of the Night (1954)
No Vacation for Mr. Mayor (1951)
Cleopatra (1963)
Olivier Hussenot
France
Best movies:
Judgment of the God (1952)
Inspector Maigret (1958)
Fan-Fan the Tulip (1952)
Alain Saury
France
Best movies:
Les Tricheurs (1958)
If Paris Were Told to Us (1956)
Adorable Sinner (1959)
Hans Verner
German Empire
Best movies:
Way of Youth (1959)
The Phantom of Liberty (1974)
Agent 38-24-36 (1964)
Pierre Dudan
Russian Empire
Best movies:
If Paris Were Told to Us (1956)
Some Like It... Cold (1960)
In The Water... Which Makes Bubbles!... (1960)
Edric Connor
Best movies:
Moby Dick (1956)
Nobody Runs Forever (1968)
King of Kings (1961)
Friedrich von Ledebur
Austria-Hungary
Best movies:
Notorious (1946)
Moulin Rouge (1952)
Ludwig: The Mad King of Bavaria (1973)
Bachir Touré
Best movies:
Tintin and the Temple of the Sun (1969) - narrator
The Roots of Heaven (1958)
Marc Doelnitz
France
Best movies:
Tender Scoundrel (1966)
Zazie in the Underground (1960)
Remorques (1941)
Habib Benglia
Algeria
Best movies:
Children of Paradise (1945)
Grand Illusion (1937)
Candide ou l'optimisme au XXe siècle (1961)