Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil DVD Cover Country UK Directed by Andrew Grieve Release Date 1999 Language English French Spanish Studio A+E Networks Meridian Broadcasting Distributor ITV A&E Main Cast Character Actor Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower Ioan Gruffudd Captain Sir Edward Pellew Robert Lindsay Katherine Cobham alias the Duchess of Wharfedale Cherie Lunghi Midshipman Hunter Christopher Fulford Don Alfredo de Massaredo Ronald Pickup Midshipman Archie Kennedy Jamie Bamber Matthews Paul Copley Styles Sean Gilder Sir Hew Dalrymple John Woodvine Colonel Etienne de Vergasse Jean-Yves Berteloot

Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil is the third installment of the Hornblower series of British historical war television films based on the works of C. S. Forester and starring Ioan Gruffudd as Royal Navy officer Horatio Hornblower during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. The Duchess and the Devil depicts Hornblower as an acting lieutenant on the HMS Indefatigable on the Mediterranean. Hornblower and his men capture the French ship Le Reve, and Captain Pellew orders Hornblower to command the ship and sail to England with extremely important dispatches and with an unusual passenger - the widowed Duchess of Wharfedale. But during the voyage Le Reve meets the Spanish fleet and is forced to surrender. The crew is imprisoned in a Spanish fortress, but the Duchess persuades Hornblower to give her the dispatches, promising to deliver them safety. The film is based on the chapter Hornblower, the Duchess and the Devil from the novel Mr. Midshipman Hornblower.

The following weapons were used in the film Hornblower: The Duchess and the Devil:

Pistols

Heavy Dragoon Pistol

Unlike the previous films, Acting Lieutenant Horatio Hornblower's (Ioan Gruffudd) sidearm is a Heavy Dragoon Flintlock Pistol (not a similar looking Sea Service pistol as the gun lacks the belt hook).

British Heavy Dragoon Pistol - .62 caliber

Hornblower fires his pistol during the boarding of Le Reve. Note that there is a flash on the flintlock but no muzzle flash, probably due to the safety of an actor as in this scene Hornblower fires at his opponent point-blank.

A close-up of the pistol. This is definitly a modern replica but the exact manufacturer is unknown.

New Land Pattern Flintlock Pistol

Midshipman Hunter (Christopher Fulford), Seaman Matthews (Paul Copley), Styles (Sean Gilder) and Oldroyd (Simon Sherlock) hold New Land Pattern Flintlock Pistols in several scenes. Judging by the flat heel of the grip, these pistols match the East Indian Pattern. Its appearance is anachronistic as it was introduced in 1796 and came into widespread production only by 1802. Tower Sea Service pistols would be more correct for the Royal Navy personnel.

New Land Pattern Flintlock Pistol - .65 caliber

Styles (at the left) and Matthews (at the right) hold their pistols during the ambush on the crew of the French ship Le Reve that gets ashore.

Oldroyd holds his pistol in the same scene.

Midshipman Hunter holds his pistol in the same scene.

Hunter takes aim.

Styles aims at the French sailors.

Styles' and Hunter's pistols are seen.

Matthews and Oldroyd carry pistols while on the deck of the captured Le Reve.

Charleville Mle 1777 Flintlock Pistol

A French officer on Le Reve is armed with a Charleville Mle 1777 Flintlock Pistol. The gun is fitted with a belt hook which is common for naval rather than cavalry model. Very likely it is a replica by Armi San Marco which just has the belt hook.

Charleville Model 1777 Cavalry Officer Flintlock- .69 cal

The Mle 1777 pistol hangs on the belt of a French officer. The belt hook is seen.

A slightly blurry close-up of the pistol.

The flintlock is seen.

The French officer aims at Hornblower.

Hornblower picks up the pistol of the slain officer and aims it at the French captain, demanding surrender.

A good view of the pistol in Hornblower's hands.

Queen Anne Flintlock Pistol

Don Alfredo de Massaredo (Ronald Pickup), the commandant of the Spanish fortress, carries a Queen Anne Flintlock Pistol. The high-rank Spanish officer could obtain this English pistol as a private purchase or a war booty. The screen gun is definitely a replica by Pedersoli.

English "Queen Anne" breech-loading pistol with detachable barrel

Don Alfredo fires at Hunter.

The grip is seen.

Hornblower stands between the gun and the rest of his men.

Muskets

Brown Bess Flintlock Musket

Unlike other films of the series, a Brown Bess Flintlock Musket is seen only once and very briefly.

Modern reproduction "Long Land Pattern" Brown Bess Infantry musket made from 1722-1768 - .75 caliber.

One of Hornblower's seamen holds a Brown Bess musket during the ambush on the Le Reve crew that gets ashore.

Charleville Flintlock Musket

Spanish soldiers are armed with French Charleville Muskets (probably because no replicas of Spanish muskets are manufactured). During the escape attempt, Hunter (Christopher Fulford) and several seamen capture muskets from slain or stunned Spanish sentries. These guns are also claimed to be Pedersoli production.

Charleville Mousquet Mle 1777 - .69 caliber

Spanish Infanteria de Marina soldiers hold Charleville muskets when Le Reve surrenders to superior forces.

The flintlock of a musket is seen at the background left.

A Spanish sentry holds a musket with bayonet.

A Spanish sentry in the fortress.

The muzzle cap of the musket is seen.

Oldroyd (Simon Sherlock) fires a captured musket.

The musket in Oldroyd's hands.

Hunter holds a captured musket.

A Spanish soldier at the right takes aim.

Other Weapons

Swivel Gun

Four Swivel Guns are mounted on Le Reve.

Swivel Gun

Close-ups of a swivel gun on Le Reve.

Styles (Sean Gilder) and Oldroyd (Simon Sherlock), disguised as French sailors, stealthily load and aim the gun, pretending they are cleaning it.

Naval Cannons

Numerous naval cannons are seen on several Spanish warships.

Naval cannon - 18th century

A Spanish ship-of-the-line fires one of her cannons.