The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (Vynález zkázy)

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (Vynález zkázy) Original Czech film poster Country Czechoslovakia Directed by Karel Zeman Release Date 1958 Language Czech Studio Ceskoslovensky Statni Film Filmove Studio Gottwaldov Distributor Warner Bros (USA release) Main Cast Character Actor Simon Hart Lubor Tokos Profesor Roch Arnost Navrátil Count Artigas Miloslav Holub Captain Spade Frantisek Slégr Engineer Serke Václav Kyzlink Jana Jana Zatloukalová

The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (original title Vynález zkázy ("The Deadly Invention" or "An Invention for Destruction") is a Czechoslovakian 1958 science fiction adventure movie in the Steampunk genre, directed by Karel Zeman and loosely based on several novels by Jules Verne, primarily "Face au Drapeau" ("Facing the Flag"). The movie received widespread attention across the world and is considered the most successful Czech film ever made. It won the Grand Prix at the International Film Festival at Expo 58 in Brussels, and was nominated for the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 1962.

The following weapons were used in the film The Fabulous World of Jules Verne (Vynález zkázy):

Handguns

Webley RIC Revolver

In various scenes pirate captain Spade (Frantisek Slégr) carries several revolvers that change places with each other due to continuity errors. First, Spade's revolver is a Webley RIC. This revolver then switches to a Nagant M1895 (see below), and later it is seen again in the scenes on board of the yacht.

Webley RIC No.1 New Model with 4.5" barrel - .476 Webley

Captain Spade draws his revolver when Simon Hart accidentally pushes him.

Spade carries the revolver on his belt.

Nagant M1895 Revolver

During the abduction of Professor Roch, Captain Spade's revolver switches to an anachronistic Russian Nagant M1895 that in turn is replaced with a Rast-Gasser. The Nagant reappears in the scenes on the submarine and on the island base.

Nagant M1895 Revolver - 7.62x38R Nagant. Note the angular front sight which was used from 1930s.

Spade carries the Nagant tucked into his belt.

The angular front sight of the post-1930 version is seen.

Spade holds the Nagant while one of his men captures Simon Hart.

A good view of Spade's Nagant in the scene on the submarine.

Spade fires at a sea bird.

Rast-Gasser M1898 Revolver

When Captain Spade fires his revolver during the abduction of Professor Roch, his Nagant M1895 switches to an anachronistic Rast-Gasser M1898. A possible reason for this was the lack of blank ammo for the Nagant revolver.

Austrian Rast Gasser 1898 - 8x27mm Gasser

Spade fires his revolver.

Another view of the gun.

Lebel Mle 1892 Revolver

In the scene of the battle between the Navy squadron and the pirate's coastal gun, Captain Spade's revolver switches again, this time to an anachronistic French Lebel Mle 1892.

Modele d’Ordonnance Mle 1892 Revolver - 8x27mm SR

Spade carries the Mle 1892 revolver tucked into his belt.

Spade reloads the revolver in the background.

The revolver is seen at the bottom right.

"Automatic" Percussion Cap Pistol

Count Artigas (Miloslav Holub) carries a Percussion Cap Pistol with a fictional clockwork automatic mechanism. The pistol pretends to fire about two dozens shots in full auto (!) mode but in fact the lock doesn't move and the muzzle smoke is imitated by pyrotechnical charges.

Serke (Václav Kyzlink) winds up the clockwork of the pistol.

A closeup.

Count Artigas fires at the balloon in sky. The muzzle produces smoke but no flashes.

Percussion Cap Pistol

Pirates use Percussion Cap Pistols in several scenes.

Two pirates at the left hold percussion cap pistols during the abduction of Professor Roch.

A pirate at the right hides a pistol behind his back when the French sailors search the yacht.

A pirate at the left holds a pistol that seems to have the lock removed.

A pirate on submarine carries a pistol in his belt.

Rifles and Muskets

Werndl M1873/77

Sailors on the battleship (the Navy isn't named but the uniforms closely resemble French ones) carry Werndl M1873/77 rifles. They are fitted with prop spade bayonets. In fact, spade bayonets were issued only for some models of Werndl carbines; the full length rifles were fitted with Yataghan sword bayonets.

Werndl M1873/77 Rifle - 11.15x58mmR

Sailors stand in formation with their rifles.

Sailors search the yacht.

The bayonets can be seen.

A good view of the Werndl rifle.

Vz. 24

In the final scene, some pirates carry anachronistic Czech vz. 24 rifles.

Czech vz. 24 - 7.92x57mm Mauser

Schuetzen Rifle

A pirate holds what appears to be a kind of German Schuetzen single shot rifle, identified by the distinctive shape of the buttstock. This rifle may be a percussion cap gun, but it's hard to say for sure.

Percussion Schuetzen rifle - .42 caliber. Made in 1850.

A pirate at the right holds the rifle. The image is a bit blurry because of the movement, but the caplock can be seen.

Mannlicher M1895

A rifle is seen in hands of a pirate in the final scene. It looks like a Mannlicher M1895.

Original Austro-Hungarian Steyr Mannlicher M1895 - 8x50mmR Mannlicher

What appears to be a Mannlicher magazine can be seen.

The muzzle also looks Mannlicher-ish.

Rook Rifle

In the scene when the train crosses the bridge in the mountains, one passenger fires his rifle at a large eagle. The gun turns out to be a break-action rook rifle (a single shot small game hunting gun, popular in Britain in late 19th century), fitted with a custom wide forend attached below.

For comparison: W.J. Jeffery & Co. break action rook rifle - .22 LR (converted from .255 Rook)

The hunter takes his rifle...

...and tries to shoot the eagle through the train window. To his disappointment, the rifle misfires two times.

The side lever and custom forend is best seen on the promotional image.

Percussion Cap Musket

In the final scene, some pirates are armed with percussion cap muskets.

A pirate holds his musket when leaving the loading position of the huge cannon.

A pirate with a percussion cap musket is seen next to Captain Spade.

Flintlock Musket

A musket with visible flintlock is carried by a pirate in the final scene.

Shotguns

Sawed-off Double Barreled Shotgun

What appears to be a Sawn-off Double Barreled Shotgun, mocked up as a fictional underwater gun, is seen in hands of a pirate when the crew of the submarine plunders the remains of the ship that they recently sank.

The pirate rides on some kind of underwater bicycle and holds the double barreled gun.

It seems to be a real shotgun with sawn-off barrels. The curved barrels are a result of the "underwater" refraction effects.

Single Barreled Shotgun

What appears to be a Single Barreled Shotguns is used by some pirates in the final scene.

A pair of shotguns are seen at the right.

Trivia

In several scenes animation, combined with live action, is used to depict artillery on the battleship and Count Artigas' yacht as well as the huge cannon mounted on the pirate's island base.

Very accurate depiction of a French Redoutable-class ironclad.

Unlike the accurate general depiction of the battleship, its main guns look too cartoonish.

Count Artigas' yacht is armed with short but large caliber muzzleloading cannons.

The monstrous cannon looks like an enlarged Krupp pattern 1860s-1870s naval and coastal guns, widely used in Germany, Russia and Austro-Hungary.

The caliber of the gun can be estimated when comparing the shell with the man next to it.

English language release poster