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Capone
Capone was another cheap Roger Corman-produced gangster exploitation film to attempt to cash in on the success of the gangster films of the early 1970's. The 1975 film starred Ben Gazzara as Capone and a young Sylvester Stallone as Frank Nitti. The film was also directed by Steve Carver, who had teamed with Corman to make the similar gangster flick Big Bad Mama the previous year.
The following weapons were used in the film Capone:
Colt Detective Special
When assigning Al Capone (Ben Gazzara) the task of murdering Jim Colosimo in 1920, Johnny Torrio (Harry Guardino) hands him a Colt Detective Special. Spike O'Donnell is later seen drawing his own during an attempt on his life. Later, Capone's hitmen Frank Nitti (Sylvester Stallone), Tony Lombardo (Tony Giorgio), and Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (Carmen Argenziano) each fire their Detective Specials into rival gang boss Dion O'Banion. Hymie Weiss (John Davis Chandler) also uses a Detective Special during the attempt on Torrio's life. All of these events in the film occur prior to 1927, making the use of the Colt Detective Special anachronistic.
Double Barreled Shotgun
Pete Gusenberg (Martin Kove) uses a Double Barreled Shotgun with exposed hammers as his weapon of choice throughout the film. After he uses it to murder Spike O'Donnell, Capone describes the killing: "Both barrels of a shotgun ... they're pickin' his brains out of the cigars in the store window on 63rd Street". Spike O'Donnell also uses one in 1923 to try and murder the Gusenberg brothers.
Colt Official Police
Two O'Donnell hitmen in 1923 use Colt Official Police revolvers to try and murder the Gusenberg brothers. Angelo Genna (Angelo Grisanti) also draws one when trying to out-drive the Gusenberg brothers in 1925. The Official Police also makes appearance as the sidearm of Deputy Sheriff Joe Pryor (Dick Miller, later to play the pawn shop owner in The Terminator). Capone (Ben Gazzara) takes the Colt from him then, after a few seconds of pointing it at Pryor, opens the cylinder and uses the ejector rod to force the shells out before handing it back.
Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless
Frank Gusenberg (Ben Marino) chambers a Colt Model 1903 Pocket Hammerless before the 1923 attempt on Spike O'Donnell's life.
Star Model B
Star Model B pistols are seen throughout the film as a stand-in for .45-caliber 1911A1 pistols that were unreliable with blanks at the time of the film's production. Frank Nitti (Sylvester Stallone) keeps one as his sidearm, especially in the film's latter half. Several of Capone's other hitmen and bodyguards, such as Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (Carmen Argenziano) and Charlie Fischetti (Joe De Nicola), carry Star Model B pistols, in addition to Capone (Ben Gazzara) himself.
Thompson M1921AC
The Thompson M1921AC is prominently featured throughout the second half of the film, beginning with its use by the Gusenberg brothers to assassinate Angelo Genna in January 1925 after a lengthy car chase. Capone (Ben Gazzara) has Charlie Fischetti purchase one for him, which he later uses in his attempted attack on Hymie Weiss outside the Pony Inn in 1926. The district attorney Crowe describes the gun to Capone as a "machine gun". Pete Gusenberg (Martin Kove) uses one when attempting to murder Capone at his hotel in 1926, with Frank Gusenberg (Ben Marino) wielding one during the later attack on Capone in 1929. Finally, Charlie Fischetti (Joe De Nicola) and Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (Carmen Argenziano) use Thompsons during the infamous St. Valentine's Day Massacre.
Thompson M1928A1
A clip excised from producer Roger Corman's previous film about the same subject matter, 1967's The St. Valentine's Day Massacre features Frank Gusenberg (David Canary, not Ben Marino as in this film) using an anachronistic Thompson M1928A1 during the 1926 attempt on Capone at his hotel.
Browning Auto-5
Jack "Machine Gun" McGurn (Carmen Argenziano) uses a Browning Auto-5 to mow down Hymie Weiss from a second story window in 1926. Two are also used by the St. Valentine's Day Massacre hitmen three years later.
