Call of the Wild | 1968

Call of the Wild, 1968, by Vladimír Václav Paleček

This striking Czech poster for the film Call of the Wild (Volání Divočiny) uses a bold collage approach, combining photography, graphic elements, and abstract shapes. The dominant image is a close-up of a lion's face, gazing directly at the viewer, with a smaller lion portrait partially obscured by a large green "X" in the lower left. Above, a pair of outstretched hands is juxtaposed with a red triangular shape containing the silhouette of another large cat, creating a sense of tension between human and animal. The minimal colour palette—cream, red, green, and black—adds to the dramatic composition.

The poster promotes James Hill's 1966 film Born Free, a biographical drama about conservationists Joy and George Adamson, who raised an orphaned lion cub, Elsa, and successfully released her into the wild. The movie, based on Joy Adamson’s bestselling book, played a significant role in raising awareness about wildlife conservation and changing public attitudes towards keeping wild animals in captivity. The Czech title, Volání Divočiny, translates to Call of the Wild, though the film is unrelated to Jack London’s novel of the same name. Paleček’s poster captures the film’s central theme: the conflict between captivity and freedom in the animal world.

Vladimír Václav Paleček was a Czech graphic designer known for his innovative, often surrealist film posters. Active in the 1960s and ’70s, he worked during a golden era of Czechoslovak poster design, when artists had significant creative freedom despite state control of the film industry. His works frequently employed photomontage and abstraction, using striking visual metaphors to capture the essence of a film. While less internationally known than some of his peers, Paleček’s work remains a key part of the Czech poster tradition.