Best Double Rifle Film?

Capt. Curl's superb posts about his Farquharson and old double rifles prompts me to ask which of the various movies featuring these guns most pleases you?

Candidates that come to mind are the 1950 version of, "King Solomon's Mines", "Out of Africa", and, "THe Ghost and the Darkness." I think I recall also a 3-D feature that I saw as a kid involving the Man-Eaters of Tsavo, starring Robert Taylor. And there was, "Safari", with Victor Mature, also in the 1950's, and dealing with Mau-Mau. Not sure if it had doubles in it or not. I was really young when it appeared. I remember Sten guns more than doubles.

The 1999-1902 TV series, "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World" made in Australia also featured doubles carried by Prof. Challenger and journalist Ned Malone. (Lord Roxton had several bolt-actions, notably a .416 Rigby. His love (if at first a rocky romance) Marguerite Krux, had a .303 sporter.

Challenger used at least two, probably depending on what the prop house had on a given day. One was a more modern hammerless type, and others had outside hammers. I think that was a matter of availibility, as in fact, hammerless modern styles were in vogue by the time the series was set, in the 1920's. But I doubt if Aussie prop houses today stock many double rifles.

I also like the contemporary bolt actions of that day, most on Mauser '98 actions, from H&H, Rigby, etc., and the Lee-Speed .303's.

If I missed any good safari movies or TV shows with such guns, mention them. Which is you favorite, and why?

Mine is, "Out of Africa", which I think fully merited its many Academy Awards. It starred Robert Redford, Meryl Streep, Klaus Maria Brandauer, and other fine actors in a superb true story. Even the soundtrack is impressive, and I believe it won one of the awards.

The Lost World - Challenger/Finn Opening Scene & Title - YouTube


Here,in a clip from, "Lost World", the character Finn plays with Challenger's rifle at first, as he prepared for some surveying work. This is the rifle with a modern hammerless action, like Challenger would probably have owned, if real.

Tristan Ludlow, Brad Pitt's character in Legends of The Fall, carries a big-bore double in the African hunting scenes.

Ok, I'm voting for Out of Africa, but I think The Ghost and the Darkness runs a close second. Hard to beat the team of Redford and Streep. Kilmer and Douglas - not the same!

I enjoyed "The Ghost and the Darkness", but I couldn't help but laugh each time I heard Michael Douglas cock his hammerless double rifle. Anyone else notice that?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xb6svoM3UWE


"Out of Africa" (1985)


Here, Denys uses his double rifle to kill a charging lion. Karen has a bolt-action, maybe a .318 Westley Richards, as the real Karen Blixen was known to use one.

DGT said:

I enjoyed "The Ghost and the Darkness", but I couldn't help but laugh each time I heard Michael Douglas cock his hammerless double rifle. Anyone else notice that?

Click to expand...

Yes, and watch the Lost World clip above. You can hear Finn supposedly cock the hammerless rifle just before Challenger recovers it from her. Directors like ominous sounds, I guess.

I guess we could be hearing a loud safety being taken "off", but I think the cocking sound is just for effect, to excite the audience, who generally know little about guns.

Texas Star said:

Out of Africa (6/10) Movie CLIP - Karen Takes the Shot (1985) HD - YouTube


"Out of Africa" (1985)


Here, Denys uses his double rifle to kill a charging lion. Karen has a bolt-action, maybe a .318 Westley Richards, as the real Karen Blixen was known to use one.

Click to expand...

Looks like an interesting movie,,I've never seen it (don't get out much!), worth a look I think.

FWIW,,
Always a critic in the audience, I guess we do the same regarding firearms in the movies.
An amusing comment posted on the movie link:
.."Amazing that he found time to button his vest in the middle of a lion attack"

Re: the sound of 'cocking' the hammerless DR,,is it 2 clicks??
Maybe it's the sound of taking the stalking safety off first,, then the firing safety clicked off.
I know, that's way too much to expect..

.."Amazing that he found time to button his vest in the middle of a lion attack"

Click to expand...

I've seen the movie several times, it's a wonderful story, and the lion attack scene many times but I never noticed the change in the vest before. Good catch.

2152hq said:

Looks like an interesting movie,,I've never seen it (don't get out much!), worth a look I think.

FWIW,,
Always a critic in the audience, I guess we do the same regarding firearms in the movies.
An amusing comment posted on the movie link:
.."Amazing that he found time to button his vest in the middle of a lion attack"

Re: the sound of 'cocking' the hammerless DR,,is it 2 clicks??
Maybe it's the sound of taking the stalking safety off first,, then the firing safety clicked off.
I know, that's way too much to expect..

Click to expand...

I think doubles have just the one safety, no separate "stalking safety". That has been true of the 15 or so that I've handled, all by famous makers. I think a second click is to infer that a second hammer has been cocked, even if not there!

In the clip above where Finn is playing with Challenger's rifle, she presumably cocked it, but it could have been the sling swivel hitting the bbl. etc., I guess. The director wanted a "gun click" to tell viewers that she was about to do something dangerous with the rifle, which she didn't understand yet. (Her normal weapon on that show was a crossbow.)

I'd guess 'click' noise is just a Hollywood thing to liven up the drama. As I said,,it would be way too much to ask from Hollywood.

But many hammerless double rifles are equipted with a separate 'stalking safety'

A small lever on the top tang that's swung into position to block (Bolted) the firearms safety from moving forward to the Fire position.
The stalking safety is engaged while the rifle is carried through the heavy bush generally. It's intended purpose is to make sure the rifles safety does not disengage through any rough handling and fire accidentally.
Not all hunters carried their own rifle, not all hunters trusted their gun carriers either.
It was also a way to avoid careless handling of the loaded rifle by the gun carriers.

Not all had one, not all hunters wanted one on their rifle. But they were available and many were fitted.

None of the 3 hammerless ones I have are fitted with one. But one isn't a dangerous game caliber at 9.3x72R
My hammergun just relies on the half cock though I think. I should drag it out and look at it again. Maybe it has sliding hammer safetys too.
Pretty bad when you start to forget stuff.
.

Amazon.com: Africa Adventure - Robert Ruark - Safari Hunting: Movies & TV

haven't seen this but he is holding a double in the cover shot

also

White Hunter Black Heart

H&H sidelock ejector in 500/465 Nitro. Mfd. 1909

2152hq said:

I'd guess 'click' noise is just a Hollywood thing to liven up the drama. As I said,,it would be way too much to ask from Hollywood.

But many hammerless double rifles are equipted with a separate 'stalking safety'

A small lever on the top tang that's swung into position to block (Bolted) the firearms safety from moving forward to the Fire position.
The stalking safety is engaged while the rifle is carried through the heavy bush generally. It's intended purpose is to make sure the rifles safety does not disengage through any rough handling and fire accidentally.
Not all hunters carried their own rifle, not all hunters trusted their gun carriers either.
It was also a way to avoid careless handling of the loaded rifle by the gun carriers.

Not all had one, not all hunters wanted one on their rifle. But they were available and many were fitted.

None of the 3 hammerless ones I have are fitted with one. But one isn't a dangerous game caliber at 9.3x72R
My hammergun just relies on the half cock though I think. I should drag it out and look at it again. Maybe it has sliding hammer safetys too.
Pretty bad when you start to forget stuff.
.

Click to expand...

If you look though Cptcurl's Double Rifle thread one of his pictures shows a "stalking safety".

They are not movies but the late Peter Hathaway Capstick's video's are enjoyable. Movie wise The Ghost and the Darkness is killer.

"In The Blood" has a very nice double rifle in it.
It formerly belonged to Theodore Roosevelt.

I'll go with White Hunter, Black Heart, Clint's H&H and The Ghost and the Darkness.

I too vote for the Ghost and the Darkness. Good flick.
Also liked the "scene" in the Jurassic Park film where
Pete Postlethwhaite hunted T-Rex with one.

Chuck

In Snows of Kilimanjaro there´s a scene in which a real shot to a charging rhino is made.It´s filmed from the rear but probably with a DB.You can see the impact of the bullet on the first shot.It would be interesting to know the identity of the hunter.
Also on the first King Solomon Mines starring Stewart Granger I think a DB was used on a frontal shot to an elephant.
Today these scenes are nor posible anymore.
Regards, Ray.

Ray said:

In Snows of Kilimanjaro there´s a scene in which a real shot to a charging rhino is made.It´s filmed from the rear but probably with a DB.You can see the impact of the bullet on the first shot.It would be interesting to know the identity of the hunter.
Also on the first King Solomon Mines starring Stewart Granger I think a DB was used on a frontal shot to an elephant.
Today these scenes are nor posible anymore.
Regards, Ray.

Click to expand...

Ray-

I think the actual white hunter for both movies was Bunny Allen, and he did the shooting.

Also, after Clark Gable and Grace Kelly finished filming, "Mogambo", they went on a real safari on their own. They weren't married, and it caused a scandal in that day.

Gable was a serious sportsman, with some really nice guns. I bet he had a double rifle or two. He could afford anything he wanted!

BTW, the 1950, "King Solomon's Mines" wasn't the first time the book came to the screen. That was in 1925, and there was another in the 1930's or '40's, which featured some black singer, I suppose as Um'Bopa. Then, there were those awful versions of the 1980's or thereabouts, with Richard Chamberlain. The book appeared in 1883. It is well worth reading. The author was Sir Henry Rider Haggard, and his knowledge of wild places and guns was a LOT better than that of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who wrote,
"The Lost World." Both featured double rifles, I think, certainly the first. And both books were made into several movies and in the latter case, at least three TV series.

Unfortunately, you are correct that modern political and racial conditions prevent making movies like they did in 1950, and that version of, "King Solomon's Mines" will remain the best, I think. They filmed the Watutsi tribe for the native scenes, which was mildly puzzling, as the book was pretty clear that Um'Bopa's people closely resembled the Zulu in appearance and practices. This was hardly amazing, as the author fought in the Second Zulu War and probably knew that tribe well. (I wrote a college paper on the Zulu, so picked up on the similarities between the tribes.)

MOONDAWG said:

Sean Connery with "Matilda" his long barreled double rifle in.

"The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen".

Fictitious, yes, but none the less cool...

Click to expand...

According to the DVD commentary "Matilda" was a real rifle.