The Three Fat Men (Tri tolstyaka)
Original Theatrical Poster
The Three Fat Men Tri tolstyaka ) is a Soviet 1966 children's adventure film directed by Aleksey Batalov and Iosif Shapiro and based on the eponymous novel (1924) by Yuriy Olesha. The story is set in a fictional state, similar to mid-19th century Europe. The state is ruled by a trio of ruthless dictators - Three Fat Men. Twelve years old girl Suok, a circus dancer, participates in the struggle against the Three Fat Men.
The following weapons were used in the film The Three Fat Men (Tri tolstyaka) :
Pistols Chatellerault Cavalry Model 1822 The leaders of the rebellion circus gymnast Tibul (Aleksey Batalov ) and armorer Prospero (Roman Filippov ), and government officers and soldiers, notably Gen. Karaska (Pavel Luspekaev ) and Capt. Bonaventura (Boris Ardov ), use French Chatellerault Cavalry Model 1822 Percussion Pistols (or very similar Model 1842). At least two slightly different props can be seen, reused in many scenes.
Note: see additional images on talk page .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Chatellerault Model 1822 T Percussion Cavalry Pistol - .69 cal Error creating thumbnail: File missing Chatellerault pistols are seen on Tibul's bundle of handguns. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Gen. Karaska holds a pistol in the scene in palace. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Capt. Bonaventura holds a pistol during the hunt for Tibul. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Bonaventura aims at Tibul who goes on a rope over a city square. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A General (Sergei Karnovich-Valua) holds two pistols during the panic in the palace of Three Fat Men. One of his pistols is slightly longer than another one. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A good view of Tibul's pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A closeup of officer's pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Dr. Gaspar Arneri (Valentin Nikulin ) looks absently at the pistol, brought to him by his housekeeper Auntie Ganymede (Rina Zelyonaya). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Prospero amidst victorious rioters. Percussion Dueling Pistol Tibul (Aleksey Batalov ) also uses a Percussion Dueling Pistol .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Percussion Cap Ardesa 1871 Dueling Pistol - .45 inch Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul holds a percussion dueling pistol during his escape. Quadruple Percussion Pocket Pistol In one scene Gen. Karaska (Pavel Luspekaev ) uses a Quadruple Percussion Pocket Pistol . Same prop is carried by a courtier (Vladimir Kazarinov) of Three Fat Men. The pistol appears to be the same movie prop that was used is other Lenfilm productions, like Solomennaya shlyapka Ostrov sokrovishch
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Quadruple percussion pistol Error creating thumbnail: File missing A courtier carries a pocket pistol shoved into the vest. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Plainclothes Gen. Karaska holds a quadruple pocket pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He aims at Suok on the rooftop... Error creating thumbnail: File missing ...but he drops the pistol after Tibul's well-aimed shot. Howdah Pistol A kind of Howdah Pistol is used by Tibul (Aleksey Batalov ) and one of his comraders-in-arms. Such features of this gun as the ramrod below the barrels and the carved handle allow to identify it as an original double barreled pistol, not a sawed-off shotgun that is often used as a screen substitution.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Alexander Henry Howdah - .577 pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soon after the opening of the movie, Tibul prepares to join the rioters and take a bundle of pistols. Double barreled Howhah pistol is seen at the left, a Webley flare pistol is in center, and a common percussion pistol at the right. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Howdah and Webley flare pistol at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Howdah and Webley flare pistol at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul, disguised as a soldier, holds a double barreled pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A rioter throws double barreled pistol to Tibul in another scene. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul catches the pistol. The ramrod under the barrels can be seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A view of the muzzles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul fires at soldiers. Percussion Cap Pistol Some other Percussion Cap Pistols are seen throughout the movie.
A pistol is several times seen in hands of Tibul and also carried by several of his comrades. Possibly it is the same prop, used in Staraya, staraya skazka
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soon after the opening of the movie, Tibul prepares to join the rioters and take a bundle of pistols. Double barreled Howhah pistol is seen at the left, a Webley flare pistol is in center, and a common percussion pistol at the right. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Due to a continuity error, Tibul's (Aleksey Batalov ) percussion dueling pistol (see above) switches to a different percussion pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul's comrade holds a pistol that appears to be the same prop that was hold by Tibul in earlier scene. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another Tibul's comrade with same looking pistol. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The muzzle can be seen (at the right). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul, disguised as a soldier, appears from the secret passage in the palace kitchen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Same pistol is used by Tibul to fire at Gen. Karaska.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another percussion cap pistol with longer barrel is hold by a manservant in oriental dress (at the right) in Three Fat Men's palace. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Fat Man (Evgeniy Morgunov ) grabs the pistol from the manservant during the panic. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Suok (Lina Braknyte) holds a percussion cap pistol in the scene in palace kitchen. This pistol seems to be the same gun, hold by manservent and Fat Man. Several pistols are seen in Dr. Gaspar Arneri's house.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing A percussion cap pistol in oriental style is seen on the wall in Dr. Arneri's house (the one on top). The large pistol in center appears to be a so-called "knee pistol" (see below), and a pistol on the bottom is flintlock (see below). Percussion Pocket Pistol Percussion Pocket Pistols are seen in Dr. Gaspar Arneri's apartments.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Percussion pocket pistol with octagonal steel barrel Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two percussion pocket pistols are seen on the wall (at the right). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of two smaller pistols on the wall. Flintlock Pistol At least one Flintlock Pistol is seen in Dr. Gaspar Arneri's apartments.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Five pistols are seen on the wall. The one at the bottom is a flintlock Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul takes the flintlock pistol from the wall. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Tibul holds the flintlock pistol when he faces Gaspar Arneri. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The flintlock pistol is again seen on the wall (at the bottom). Blunderbuss Pistol A kind of blunderbuss pistol is seen on Tibul's bandle of handguns. It is hard to say if this gun is a mockup or is based on some real gun. This prop can be seen in several Lenfilm productions, such as Snezhnaya koroleva
Error creating thumbnail: File missing For comparison: Mid 17th century blunderbuss pistol Error creating thumbnail: File missing A kind of tromblon pistol is seen on Tibul's bandle of handguns (at the left). Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of troblon pistol (between two percussion cap pistols). "Knee Flintlock Pistol" A pistol with short buttstock is seen in Dr. Arneri's collection. Such guns, not large enough for even shortest of carbines, are sometimes referred as "Knee Pistols". It's seen unclear, but the the jaws with a screw allow to ID it as flintlock (the flint in the jaws is apsent). They were especially popular in Ottoman Empire, on Balkans and in North Africa. The gun seems to be the same prop, used in Snezhnaya koroleva
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Knee-pistol of the Osmanic Empire cal. 45mm. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The pistol with small buttstock is on the wall (in center). Note the lack of the flint in the jaws). Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol A Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol is seen in several scenes. This gun is also used in several Lenfilm productions, standing for large caliber muzzleloading pistol of 19th century.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Webley & Scott No. 1 Mk. III* Signal Pistol - 1 inch - brass frame and barrel Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soon after the opening of the movie, Tibul prepares to join the rioters and take a bundle of pistols. Double barreled Howhah pistol is seen at the left, a Webley flare pistol is in center, and a common percussion pistol at the right. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Howdah and Webley flare pistol at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Howdah and Webley flare pistol at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A rioter at the left fires a Webley flare pistol in air, to distract attention of Capt. Bonaventura and his soldiers from disguised Tibul. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A rioter, disguised as a soldier, appears from the secret passage, holding a Webley flare pistol. Muskets Infantry Musket M1845 Soldiers and rioters are armed with muskets. Those that are seen clear enough for identification appear to be Russian percussion cap Infantry Musket M1845 .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Russian percussion cap musket M1845 - .70 Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers with muskets. The guns are fitted with spike bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier on watch holds a musket with spike bayonet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Rioters with muskets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers with muskets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A closer view of a musket. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier with a musket. This is a shorter gun, possibly a Dragoon musket. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of a barrel of a musket. Other Weapons Field Cannons Government troops and rebels use Napoleonic era style cannons. They appear to be replicas rather than original weapons, but look authentic enough.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing French Gribeauval 12-Pounder Cannon. An example of Napoleonic era style field cannons. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Rioters fire a cannon. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers place a cannon in palace room. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Cannons on palace walls. Error creating thumbnail: File missing When "firing", cannons are motionless. 
