The Count of Monte Cristo (1954)

The Count of Monte Cristo (Le comte de Monte-Cristo) Original French Poster Country France Italy Directed by Robert Vernay Release Date 1954 Language French Studio Cineroma Fono Roma La Societe des Films Sirius Main Cast Character Actor Edmond Dantès / Count of Monte-Cristo Jean Marais Mercédès Lia Amanda Fernand Mondego / Count Fernand de Morcerf Roger Pigaut Caderousse Daniel Ivernel Gérard de Villefort Jacques Castelot Abbot Faria Gualtiero Tumiati Jacopo Folco Lulli Haydee Cristina Grado

The Count of Monte Cristo (Le comte de Monte-Cristo) is a 1954 French-Italian two-part screen adaptation of the famous novel by Alexandre Dumas, directed by Robert Vernay and starring Jean Marais.

This page is for the 1954 French film starring Jean Marais. For the 1961 French-Italian film starring Louis Jourdan, see here. For the 1975 British film starring Richard Chamberlain, see here. For the 1979 French mini-series starring Jacques Weber, see here. For the 1998 French miniseries starring Gerard Depardieu, see here. For the 2002 English-language film starring James Caviezel, see here.

The following weapons were used in the film The Count of Monte Cristo (Le comte de Monte-Cristo):

Pistols

Pinfire Pistol

Count Fernand de Morcerf (Roger Pigaut) commits suicide with a single shot breech loading pistol, probably a pinfire gun. It is out of time for 1837 when the scene is set.

French pinfire break-action pistol of unknown manufacturer, circa 1870 - 15.2mm pinfire. This sample is very similar to the screen gun.

A breech loading top-break pistol lies on a newspaper.

Breech Loading Pistol

In the German release of the movie this scene is re-filmed in odrer to replace a newspaper with French text to the one with German text, and a different pistol is used. It is also a breech loading top-break gun, but not a pinfire model.

Same scene in German release features a different pistol.

Chatellerault Cavalry Model 1833

When Count of Monte Cristo (Jean Marais) trains on shooting range in his house, he uses several percussion cap pistols. Two of these guns look like Chatellerault Cavalry Model 1833.

Chatellerault Model 1833 Cavalry Pistol - .69 cal

Monte Cristo aims a percussion cap pistol. Some more pistols are seen in boxes on the table but they cannot be identified.

The pistol after the shot.

Jacopo (Folco Lulli), Monte Cristo's butler, readies another same looking pistol.

Jacopo hands the pistol to the Count.

Monte Cristo holds the pistol.

He fires at target.

Percussion Duelling Pistol

One more pistol, seen in hands of Count of Monte Cristo, is a Percussion Dueling Pistol.

Mang in Graz Match Percussion Dueling Pistol - .38 inch

Jacopo hand a percussion cap duelling style pistol to Monte Cristo.

Monte Cristo holds the pistol.

He fires.

Percussion Cap Pistol

Jeweller Joannès (Louis Seigner), who stops at Caderousse's inn, puts a pair of Percussion Cap Pistols on nightstand.

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

Flintlock Pistol

Several Flintlock Pistols are seen in Count of Monte Cristo's house.

British Heavy Dragoon Pistol - .62 caliber. An example of cavalry flintlock pistol.

A flintlock pistol is seen on the wall in Count of Monte Cristo's house.

Two large cavalry-style pistols are seen on the wall.

Two smaller pistols are seen below.

Two pistols, one large and one small, are seen at the left.

More view of the flintlock pistols on the wall.

Same pistols are seen on a screenshot from widescreen release.

Muskets

Percussion Cap Musket

In several scenes French soldiers carry percussion cap muskets. They appear to be Chatellerault Mle 1822 or St.Etienne Mle 1842. Both models looks almost no different except for details of the lock (Mle 1822 muskets are flintlocks converted to percussion cap).

St.Etienne Mle 1842 Percussion Cap Musket - .69

Napoleon's Guards in palace of Elba island. This scene is set in 1815 when percussion cap lock is out of time.

Soldiers of honor guard in the Chamber of Peers (the upper house of the French parliament).

Soldiers with muskets in the courthouse.

Percussion Cap Carbine

When Edmond Dantès (Jean Marais) explores the island of Monte-Cristo, he is armed with a percussion cap carbine, with shorter stock in comparison with infantry muskets. Similar gun is seen in hands of Jacopo (Folco Lulli). The length of the gun and shape and position of barrel bands allow to guess that the carbine can be French Mle 1777 An IX model cavalry flintlock carbine, converted to percussion cap, most likely in 1830s.

For comparison: French Mle 1777 An IX model Cavalry Flintlock Carbine - .69 caliber. The screen gun looks similar but it has percussion cap lock.

Edmond Dantès carries a carbine.

A closer view of the barrel.

A closer view of the lock.

Edmond Dantès raises his carbine on a screenshot from widescreen release.

Jacopo carries a carbine.

Jacopo holds a carbine.

A close view of top barrel band of Jacopo's carbine.

Flintlock Musket

In several scenes French soldiers carry Charleville flintlock muskets.

For comparison: Charleville Mousquet Modele 1777 - .69 caliber

Soldiers escort arrested Edmond Dantès.

Guards in Chateau d'If prison.

Guards of the bagne (hard labour prison) of Toulon.

Various long guns

A pair of long guns is seen on the wall in Caderousse's inn. The one on the bottom is possibly a percussion cap while the one on top is possibly a flintlock.

A flintlock musket or shotgun with hunting stock is seen on the wall in Count of Monte Cristo's house.

Another musket is seen on the wall in same scene.