Bors

Bors DVD Cover Country Hungary Language Hungarian Genre Comedy War Broadcast 1968 No. of Seasons 1 No. of Episodes 15 Main Cast Character Actor Máté Bors István Sztankay Ede Dániel Imre Antal Dezső Zentay István Bujtor Oszkár Ormándy Gábor Koncz

Bors was a Hungarian TV series, that ran one season in 1968. It was originally planned as a five episode miniseries, but because of its popularity it was extended to 15 episodes. The main character is Máté Bors (István Sztankay), a Hungarian soldier who became a prisoner of war during WW1 in Russia. The series starts in 1919, when Bors and his comrades escape from prison camp. They eventually return home, and join the army of the Hungarian Soviet Republic. Most of the series however take place in the 1930s, when Bors and the others are members of the illegal communist movement in Hungary.

Below are the episode titles, with English translation and the year the events of the episode take place:

• Ep.1. Szervezzünk anarchiát! (Let's Make Anarchy!) - 1919
• Ep.2. Szent Dimitrij éjszakája (The Night of Saint Dimitry) - 1919
• Ep.3. Vesztegzár a határon (Quaratine on the Border) - 1919
• Ep.4. Halló...központ? (Hallo...Operator?) - 1919
• Ep.5. A futár (The Curier) - 1919
• Ep.6. A zsokékirály (The King of Jockeys) - 1930
• Ep.7. Magdolnabál (The Magdalene Ball) - 1930
• Ep.8. Borban a szabadság (In Wine, Liberty) -1931
• Ep.9. Az attasé (The Attaché) - 1933
• Ep.10. A papagáj akció (Operation Parrot) - 1934
• Ep.11. Camarada Matteo - 1937
• Ep.12. Máté evangéliuma (The Gospel of Matthew) - 1938
• Ep.13. Ujjé a ligetben (Hurray, in the Park) - 1941
• Ep.14. Különleges osztag (Special Unit) - 1944
• Ep.15. A győztesek (The Victors) - 1945

The following weapons were used in the television series Bors:

Revolvers

Rast-Gasser 1898

A Rast-Gasser M1898 revolver is seen in Episode One.

Rast-Gasser 1898 - 8 x 27mm Gasser

While disguised as circus performers, Bors gives instructions to Sipos (István Szilágyi), holding a Gasser Police revolver. (Ep.1.)

Nagant M1895

Russian Nagant M1895 revolvers show up in large numbers during in the first two episodes. Several Russian soldiers, both White and Red, as well as some of the main characters have them. It seems, that it was meant as stand in for the Nagant revolver. Some also turn up in Ep.3. in the hands of Zentay's (István Bujtor) men.

Nagant M1895 Revolver - 7.62x38 Nagant

The anarchist leader (István Dégi) points his gun at Ede Dániel (Imre Antal). (Ep.1.)

Zentay's men armed with Gasser Police revolvers. (Ep.3.)

Pistols

Steyr M1908

Dezső Zentay (István Bujtor) carries a Steyr M1908 in Ep.3. The commander of the cadets (József Kautzky) as well as Bors has one in Ep.4.

Steyr M1908

The officer (József Kautzky) points his gun at the head of Bors. (Ep.4.)

Bors with a Steyr M1908. (Ep.4.)

Frommer Stop

In Ep.4. Bors has a Frommer Stop, when he infiltrates the Central Post Office, but as a continuity mistake it turns into a Steyr M1908. In Ep.5. baron Rhédey's trigger happy butler also has one.

Frommer Stop

Bors with a Frommer Stop.(Ep.4.)

The butler points his gun at Bors. (Ep.5.)

Steyr-Hahn M1912

Ödön Lukács (Károly Gyulai) uses a Steyr-Hahn M1912 to knock out several cadets in Ep.4.

Steyr-Hahn M1912

Lukács hits one of the cadets on the head with his gun.(Ep.4.)

Beretta M1935

One of the plain cloths policemen in Ep.6. has a Beretta M1935. Inez (Éva Pap) in Ep.11. also has one in a holster hidden under her skirt.

Beretta M1935

The policeman with a Beretta.(Ep.6.)

Inez kills a german soldier with a Beretta. (Ep.11.)

Astra 300

In Ep.7. Bors has an Astra 300.

Astra 300

A closeup of Bors' Astra 300.(Ep.7.)

FEG M37

Starting with Ep.7. Zentay and Oszkár Ormándy (Gábor Koncz), the two gendarme colonels, both have a FEG M37. Bors and Dániel also get a pair from an officer, when they pretend to be Zentay and Ormándy.

FEG M37

A Hungarian policeman with an M37. This is anachronistic, as the M37 was not yet introduced in 1930, when the episode takes place. However, the FEG M29, which was used at this time looks quite similar.(Ep.7.)

Bors prepares to knock out a soldier with an M37.(Ep.10.)

Ormándy and Zentay with M37s. (Ep.13.)

Luger P08

In Ep.9. Dániel and some of the Nazis have Lugers.

Luger P08

Dániel points his Luger at the station master. (Ep.9.)

Two of the Nazis armed with Lugers(Ep.9.)

Rifles

Mosin-Nagant M91/30

The Russian soldiers and the main characters often carry Mosin-Nagant rifles in the first two episodes, however they are all anachronistic M91/30s. In Ep.11. the Spanish Republicans also have Mosin-Nagants.

Mosin-Nagant M91/30

One of the anarchists armed with a Mosin-Nagant. (Ep.1.)

The republican soldier on the left has a Mosin-Nagant. (Ep.11.)

Mosin-Nagant M44 Carbine

Anachronistically both in episodes 1 and 2 few Mosin-Nagant M44 carbines show up.

Mosin-Nagant M44

The anarchist on the left has an anachronistic Mosin-Nagant M44. (Ep.1.)

Mannlicher M95

Being the standard rifle of the Hungarian Army, Police and Gendarme during this time period, Mannlicher M95s turn up in large numbers, used mostly by extras.

Manlicher M95

A gendarme armed with a Mannlicher M95. (Ep.3.)

Policemen armed with M95s. (Ep.13.)

Mannlicher M90/30 Carbine

Some of the policemen are armed with Mannlicher M90/30 carbines.

Luger P08

Policemen armed with Mannlicher carbines. (Ep.7.)

Mannlicher Hunting Rifles

In Ep.8. there's a big hunt organized by a baron. Several of the hunters are armed with different kind of hunting rifles, most of the appear to be variations of the Mannlicher Hunting Rifle.

The hunter in the front has a Mannlicher Hunting Rifle. (Ep.8.)

Mauser 98K

The Spanish Nationalists in Ep.11. have Mauser 98K-s.

Mauser 98K

Nationalist soldiers arrest Inez. (Ep.11.)

Mauser M1916

At the start of Ep.11. is some stock footage of Republican soldiers from the Spanish Civil War armed with Spanish Mausers.

Mauser M1916

Spanish Republicans with Spanish Mausers. (Ep.11.)

Berthier Mle. 1916 Carbine

At the end of Ep.10. is a montage of stock footage from the 1934 Austrian and French uprising. At one point it shows french policemen armed with Berthier Mle. 1916 carbines.

Berthier Mle. 1916

French mounted policemen with Berthier carbines. (Ep.10.)

Submachine Guns

MP40

The MP40-s first appear in Ep.9., used by German soldiers. This is of course anachronistic, as the MP40 didn't exist in 1933. The situation is the same in Ep.11., where the Condor Legion soldiers are armed with MP40-s. MP40-s appear in large numbers in the last episode, and Bors and his comrades are armed with MP40-s during the final showdown with Zentay and Ormándy.

MP40

Dániel leaves the HQ of the SA. The guards are armed with MP40-s. (Ep.9.)

Vera (Zsuzsa Pálos) uses an MP40 (Ep.15.)

Sa 25

Probably the most egregious case of anachronism in the series is the appearance of the Sa 25 submachine gun, which was introduced in 1948, after the events of the show. Sipos uses on in Ep.9., while in Ep.15. Zentay, Ormándy and the other gendarmes are armed with Sa 25s too.

Sa 25 - 9x19mm

Sipos with the Sa 25. (Ep.9.)

Zentay on the left is armed with a Sa 25. (Ep.15.)

Sa 23

During the final showdown one of the gendarmes is armed with an anachronistic Sa 23.

Sa 23 - 9x19mm

The gendarme with the Sa 23 gets shot by Dániel. (Ep.15.)

Király M50

In Ep.14. Bors and his men infiltrate a military base, where new weapons are tested. They are armed with Király M50 sub-machinegun, a postwar variant of the Király M43, that used 7.62mm Tokarev ammunition instead of the 9mm Mauser. This is of course anachronistic, as the Király M50 was only introduced in the 1950s.

Király M50 - 7.62x25mm

Bors with the Kiraly M50. (Ep.14.)

A closer look at the Kiraly M50. (Ep.14.)

PPSh-41

The main characters and also the soviet soldiers in Ep.15. are all armed with PPSh-41 submachine guns.

PPSh-41

Lukács and Sipos as soldiers of the Red Army. (Ep.15.)

Shotguns

12 Gauge Shotgun

Also in Ep.8. some of the hunters, including Bors and Dániel, have different types of 12 gauge double barreled shotguns. Most of them appear to be Frommer shotguns.

Bors with his shotgun. (Ep.8.)

The baron aiming at a wild boar. (Ep.8.)

Machine Guns

Madsen Machine Gun

Inside the barracks of Bors and his comrades in Ep.15. is a Madsen machine gun. This is not an oddity. Hungary bought Madsen MGs from Denmark near the end of WW1, and they were reissued to reserve troops in 1944. It is possible, that Bors captured a Madsen during the fight.

Madsen

The Madsen is behind Gusztáv Parádi˙(Géza Tordy). (Ep.15.)

Another look at the Madsen in the background. (Ep.15.)

Goryunov SGMB

In Ep.11. the Spanish Nationalists use an anachronistic soviet BTR-40 armored car, which is armed with an Goryunov SGMB machine gun.

Goryunov SGMB, mounted on BTR-152 - 7.62x54mm R

The BTR-40. (Ep.11.)

Other Weapons

RPG 7

Another egregious case of anachronism. In Ep.14. the secret military base Borse and his comrades infiltrate is the place where the Germans test out some new Panzerfausts. These "Panzerfausts" are actually RPG-7s.

RPG-7

The "Panzerfaustsˇ during training. (Ep.14.)