Movie Guns

[Dphariss]

I happened to see parts of  "The Last Command" about Jim Bowie and the Alamo 1955. Turner Classic Movies.
Seems to have been a number of pretty good looking Kentuckys in use.
Sterling Hayden (Bowie) seemed to be carrying something the looked pretty "Bedford".
Just wondered if anyone had seen the movie and had any thoughts.
The guns they FIRED over the wall were another matter. Likely Trapdoor Springfields.

Dan

[Howard]

If you look at some of the old Disney movies you will notice some fine old guns. Wonder where there are all at now?

[Dphariss]

If you look at some of the old Disney movies you will notice some fine old guns. Wonder where there are all at now?

There is an original Swivel Breech in the "Big Sky"  with Kirk Douglas.

Dan

[longrifle]

I have often wondered where the rifle John Wayne used is when he played David Crockett in the movie The Alamo ?

[draken]

I have often wondered where the rifle John Wayne used is when he played David Crockett in the movie The Alamo ?

I think I remember reading somewhere that the rifle was from his private collection.

[dannybb55]

If you look at some of the old Disney movies you will notice some fine old guns. Wonder where there are all at now?

There is an original Swivel Breech in the "Big Sky"  with Kirk Douglas.

Dan
[/quote
 I don't remember one in the book, who carried it, Boone?

[Dphariss]

There is an original Swivel Breech in the "Big Sky"  with Kirk Douglas.

Dan

 I don't remember one in the book, who carried it, Boone?

Yes Boone Caudill carried it in the movie. There was no such thing in the book.

Dan

[JTR]

I have a movie rifle.
A bunch of them were sold by Little Johns Auction several years ago when the movie prop company that owed then closed down.
Mine was used in the old Audie Murphy movie 'Sergeant York', in the shooting match back ground scenes.
It's an original rifle, most likely a Nicolas Hawk, although the PB finale and door were lost somewhere along the line and replaced with a triangular piece of brass.
I posted pictures of it on here a couple years ago.

Most of the guns sold by Little Johns were altered Trapdoors as Dan mentioned, although some were original Kentucky's, some by very well known makers.

The really Big Bucks guns were the Colts and Winchesters used by Big Stars like John Wayne, etc. , and brought many tens of thousands!
John

[roamer]

I didnt know Audie was in the movie I thought it was GARY COOPER

[lexington1]

Was this the same swivel breech carried by Gary Cooper in Unconquered? I love that gun! When it was shown on broadcast tv about a zillion years ago I recorded it on tape and then paused it over and over tying to get a better look at it.

There is an original Swivel Breech in the "Big Sky"  with Kirk Douglas.

Dan

 I don't remember one in the book, who carried it, Boone?

Yes Boone Caudill carried it in the movie. There was no such thing in the book.

Dan

[JTR]

I didnt know Audie was in the movie I thought it was GARY COOPER

Oops! Right movie, wrong guy!

John

[steve1]

Hi from Clinton Twp, MI
The Fighting Kentuckian with John Wayne and Oliver Hardy has some original rifles, at least the ones they carried.  John Wayne's looks a lot like a Peter Angstadt rifle. Check out the patchbox. But the guns they actually shoot in the movie seem to be "Hollywood flintlocks".

Steve

[Dphariss]

Was this the same swivel breech carried by Gary Cooper in Unconquered? I love that gun! When it was shown on broadcast tv about a zillion years ago I recorded it on tape and then paused it over and over tying to get a better look at it.

Could not say. The Unconquered is one I have managed to not see somehow at least not that I an recall.
But I have it coming from Netflix, now 
Dan

[bob in the woods]

Yes. Same gun. There was an article in Muzzleblasts Mag.about that swivel  some years ago.

[C. Cash]

I've always wondered about Bear Claw Chris Lapp's Longrifle in Jeremiah Johnson. Never could get a good look at it in the movie.  Always wonder where such rifles end up.

[Dphariss]

Yes. Same gun. There was an article in Muzzleblasts Mag.about that swivel  some years ago.

I will have to look at the Big Sky again. Watched Unconquered last night. Pretty Germanic from what I could see.
I was thinking the Big Sky rifle was later but hard to tell sometimes in movies.

Dan

P.S.
Just fast forwarded through Big Sky. Same gun.

[mr. no gold]

Seems like all of those old films used early rifles. The guns in Across the Wide Missouri; the film, How the West Was Won; and the Steve McQueen movie, Nevada Smith were all old pieces. The swivel gun that Dewey Martin carried in The big Sky seems to have been a German percussion wender from the few good glimpses of it. The Boone and Crockett TV series had their share of old ones, too.
Hollywood didn't seem to be too concerned with the kind of guns used in the films, or period accuracy. John Milius seems to have started the effort to correct that, and today the studios are pretty consistent in trying to get it right.
The aforementioned John Wayne rifle is in a west coast collection and is still around. Though I haven't seen it personally. Photos suggest that it is nice piece and it could be by one of the  Angstats. Interesting subject you have brought up here. Thank you.
Dick
 

[Dphariss]

Seems like all of those old films used early rifles. The guns in Across the Wide Missouri; the film, How the West Was Won; and the Steve McQueen movie, Nevada Smith were all old pieces. The swivel gun that Dewey Martin carried in The big Sky seems to have been a German percussion wender from the few good glimpses of it. The Boone and Crockett TV series had their share of old ones, too.
Hollywood didn't seem to be too concerned with the kind of guns used in the films, or period accuracy. John Milius seems to have started the effort to correct that, and today the studios are pretty consistent in trying to get it right.
The aforementioned John Wayne rifle is in a west coast collection and is still around. Though I haven't seen it personally. Photos suggest that it is nice piece and it could be by one of the  Angstats. Interesting subject you have brought up here. Thank you.
Dick
 

Its flint is at least some scenes and has the same forend cap as the one Garry Cooper carried.
Dad is watching The Big Sky right now when its over I will run it back and look at the rifle than look in The Unconquered to see. Its definitely flint in that movie.
There are other pretty decent looking rifles in both movies but just glimpses of them.
Dan

[Dphariss]

One in The Unconquered is a pretty nice 1820-1830 1/2 stock that is shown fairly well in one scene.
Pretty English looking but American by the toeplate and patchbox.

Dan

[Duane Harshaw]

Big Sky also has an original Deringer rifle in it.I think it was the rifle Arthur Hunicutte used..D

[mr. no gold]

Has anyone identified the long rifle that Linus Rawlings carried down off the mountain in 'How the West Was Won?' It looks a lot like an Upper River School rifle with a nice Roman stock. But, like most of these old films, there isn't much more than a momentary glimpse of it with no time to really study it, Nice gun and one which I have always liked. No telling where it is today, though.
Dick