The Silver Mask (Masca de argint)

The Silver Mask (Masca de argint) Original Theatrical Poster Country Romania Directed by Gheorghe Vitanidis Release Date 1985 Language Romanian Studio Casa de Filme 5 Main Cast Character Actor Margelatu Florin Piersic Hare Lip Szabolcs Cseh Agatha Slatineanu Marga Barbu Serge Troianoff Alexandru Repan Prince Gheorghe Bibescu Ion Besoiu Aristide Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan Aga (chief of police) Villara Traian Stanescu lt. Deivos George Motoi

The Silver Mask (Masca de argint) is a Romanian 1985 adventure movie directed by Gheorghe Vitanidis and starring Florin Piersic as noble brigand Margelatu "The Yellow Rose". The plot is set in the Principality of Wallachia (modern Romania) before the Revolution of 1848 and directly follows the events of Misterele Bucurestilor. After the unsuccessful rebellion in Bucharest Margelatu is imprisoned, but his friend Hare Lip helps him to escape. Meanwhile Margelatu's archenemy Agatha Slatineanu (Marga Barbu) and a swindler Serge Troianoff, posing as a Russian banker, try to get hand on treasures that are intended for the "Justice and Brotherhood" organisation. And to make things even more complicated, a mysterious ruthless robber in silver mask poses himself as Margelatu.

The movie is the fourth of the six about the adventures of Margelatu.

The following weapons were used in the film The Silver Mask (Masca de argint):

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Handguns

Margelatu's Pepperbox

In all six movies Margelatu (Florin Piersic) carries his signature weapon, an eight-barrel pepperbox. The gun is a custom prop, generally resembling Lefaucheux and Francotte models but with separate barrels, like on Mariette Pepperbox.

For a trivia about the gun see the page for the second film.

Margelatu fires at Troianoff's coachman Casapu who aims at Hare Lip.

Margelatu and Hare Lip in shootout with soldiers.

Margelatu's quirk: he pours anisette in barrels of his pepperbox before drinking himself.

Margelatu holds his pepperbox in the final scene.

Percussion Cap Pistol

Percussion Cap Pistols are widely used throughout the movie, notably by Hare Lip (Szabolcs Cseh), Aristide aka Silver Mask (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan) and Serge Troianoff (Alexandru Repan).

For comparison: Italian (Kingdom of the Two Sicilies) Percussion cap pistol, converted from flintlock, circa mid-19th century - .69 caliber (17.7mm)

Hare Lip hits an officer of prison guard with his own pistol.

The Silver Mask holds two pistols when he breaks on a banquet.

A criminal with a pistol in hand confronts Margelatu.

Another view of the pistol of this character.

Troianoff surrenders his pistol to The Silver Mask.

Boyar Valcu's servant carries a percussion cap pistol tucked in his belt.

Troianoff's coachman Casapu (Constantin Gurita) holds a percussion cap pistol.

Margelatu and Hare Lip fire at soldiers.

Flinlock Pistol

A Flintlock Pistol is used by Aristide aka Silver Mask (Ovidiu Iuliu Moldovan).

The Silver Mask holds two pistols, one of them is a flintlock gun and the other is a percussion cap one, taken from Troianoff.

The Silver Mask holds a flintlock pistol in the climactic scene.

Shotguns

Single Barreled Shotgun (visually modified as Percussion Cap Pistol)

Some percussion cap pistols turn out to be visually modified Single Barreled Shotguns with exposed hammer.

Hare Lip (Szabolcs Cseh) holds a mockup percussion cap pistol in the climactic scene. A shotgun hammer can be seen.

Izhmekh IZh-K (visually modified)

Full-stock Single Barreled Shotguns, visually modified by adding a long handguard and additional barrel bands, stand for muskets in various scenes. They aren't fitted with any kind of fake flintlock or percussion cap lock. The spur of the trigger guard and the groove on the stock, combined with the general shape, allow to make a decent guess that the shotguns are Izhmekh IZh-K (but there is a possibility that this is some other model, maybe of local Romanian production).

Izhmekh IZh-K - 16 Gauge

A soldier fires from a watchtower. The spur of the trigger guard is seen.

Boyar Valcu's servant carries a visually modified shotgun.

Barrels of visually modified shotguns in hands of soldiers.

A fake musket is seen at the background.

A soldier in center cocks the hammer of his fake musket.

Rifles

M1879 Peabody-Martini

During the shootout on the village market one soldier is armed with a M1879 Peabody-Martini rifle. This gun was a service rifle of Romanian army in 1880s and doesn't fit for 1840s.

Martini-Henry Mk. I (1871-1876) - .577-.450 caliber. Romanian Peabody-Martini in 11x59mm caliber looks generally the same.

The barrel is seen at the left.

A soldier with a Martini rifle.

Mauser Gewehr 1871 (visually modified)

Some muskets, seen in the movie, turn out to be visually modified bolt action Mauser Gewehr 1871 rifles, with removed bolt handles and fitted with mockup flintlocks. Unlike the previous film of the series, they aren't seen close, but the general outlook allows to make such guess.

Mauser Infanterie-Gewehr Modell 1871 - 11.15x60mmR Mauser

A prison guard, hit by Hare Lip, falls on the gun rack with muskets. Note obviously fake locks that combine percussion cap hammers and frizzens of flintlocks.

A fake musket in hands of a prison guard.