A Tale About Nipper-Pipper
Original Theatrical Poster
A Tale About Nipper-Pipper Skazka o Malchishe-Kibalchishe ) is a 1965 (filmed 1964) Soviet children's film directed by Evgeniy Sherstobitov and adapted from the 1933 heroic tale A tale about a war secret, about the boy Nipper-Pipper, and his word of honour by Arkady Gaidar. The Soviet state is attacked by Bourgeoish army. The Red troops on the border are defeated, and the grown-ups from a village perish in battle. Then the village boys, led by brave Malchish-Kibalchish (Nipper-Pipper in the English translation of the original tale), take weapons and firmly stand in defence, waiting for the Red Army coming.
The following weapons were used in the film A Tale About Nipper-Pipper (Skazka o Malchishe-Kibalchishe) :
Revolvers Glisenti M1874 One of two revolvers of the spy Uncle 518 (Sergey Martinson ) is a Glisenti M1874 . This is very likely the same prop that is seen in several Dovzhenko Film Studios productions of 1950s-1960s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Glisenti M1874 revolver - 10.35x20 mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing Uncle 518 with two revolvers: Glisenti and Smith & Wesson. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A good view of the Glisenti. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of both revolvers. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The spy tries to intimidate the old villager. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A decent drawing of the Glisenti revolver on a film poster. Smith & Wesson Double Action Revolver Another revolver of Uncle 518 is a Smith & Wesson double action revolver in .38 or .32 caliber. The revolver looks similar to Smith & Wesson 4th Model but some details, like the shape of the trigger guard, are different, so possibly the gun is a European manufactured replica of the original S&W model. This is very likely the same prop that is seen in several Dovzhenko Film Studios productions of 1950s-1960s.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing For comparison: Smith & Wesson 4th Model Double Action - .32 S&W. Note that the screen revolver is blued, unlike nickel plated Model 4. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Uncle 518 with two revolvers: Glisenti and Smith & Wesson. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of both revolvers. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The spy tries to intimidate the old villager. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The lanyard ring on the grip of the S&W revolver is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Another view of the Smith & Wesson. Pistols Luger P08 Bourgeoish officers, notably Chief Bourgeoish General (Dmitriy Kapka ), carry Luger P08 pistols.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Luger P08 - 9x19mm Error creating thumbnail: File missing An officer at the right holds a Luger. Error creating thumbnail: File missing An officer (Aleksandr Tolstykh ) carries a Luger holster. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing The General brandishes two pistols, ordering his panically retreating soldiers to stop. Rifles and Assault Rifles Mosin Nagant M1891 Dragoon and M1891/30 The boys are armed with a mix of Mosin Nagant M1891/30 and Mosin Nagant M1891 Dragoon rifles (or M91/30 with removed front sight hoods).
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Imperial Russian Mosin Nagant M1891 Dragoon - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soviet Mosin Nagant M1891/30 - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing In the opening scene the Red Army men fire a volley salute at the grave of Malchish-Kibalchish. One of the rifles has a hooded front sight and is definitly an M91/30, others may be M91/30 with removed hoods or M91 Dragoon rifles. The rifles at the background are Karabiner 98k . Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kibalchish's father (Alfred Shestopalov) carries a rifle when he goes to war. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Red Army cavalryman (Anatoli Yurchenko ) appears in the village with the grievous news that the enemy defeats the Red troops on the border. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kibalchish reloads his rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A boy holds an M91/30 rifle with hooded front sight. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Boys prepate to repel the enemy attack. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kibalchish fires his rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Boys with rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A boy reloads his rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A boy aims the rifle with bayonet at Uncle 518. Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry Some Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry rifles are also seen.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891 Infantry - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing A boy holds an M91 Infantry rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing M91 rifles are seen at the right and at the left. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kibalchish (in red shirt) holds an M91 Infantry rifle. Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Sniper Rifle Two Bourgeoish snipers are armed with Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Sniper Rifles . An M91/30 rifle with turned down bolt handle, like on the sniper version, but without the scope, is carried by a Red Army cavalryman (Anatoli Yurchenko ) in the final scene.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Mosin Nagant M1891/30 Sniper Rifle with PU 3.5x sniper scope and down turned bolt handle - 7.62x54mm R Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two snipers aim at the red banner. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of the sniper rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The snipers, blinded by sunlight spots, fail to hit the target. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Red cavalryman finds the body of Malchish-Kibalchish. The turned down bolt handle of his rifle is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing The barrel of the cavalryman's rifle is seen. Karabiner 98k Most Bourgeoish soldiers are armed with Karabiner 98k rifles. Many of the 98k are fitted with long Gewehr 98-style sword bayonets.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Karabiner 98k - 7.92x57mm Mauser. Manufactured in Germany, 1937. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Bourgeoish soldiers in human wave attack, holding Karabiner 98k rifles with attached bayonets. They carry rifles in strange manner - turned sideways. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A soldier on the car holds a 98k rifle. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers sturm the positions of Kibalchish's squad. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Several soldiers fall and drop their rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A boy picks up a rifle. Note that the bolt is open. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers hold rifles with bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers hold rifles without bayonets. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A closeup of the barrels and bayonets in the scene when Kibalchish is led to execution. The rifle at the right has simplifed barrel bands. Sturmgewehr 44 Many Bourgeoish soldiers are armed with Sturmgewehr 44 assault rifles, without magazines, and some with Gewehr 98-style sword bayonets.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Sturmgewehr 44 - 7.92x33mm Kurz Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of an StG 44 with bayonet and without magazine. The image is blurry due to fast motion. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A standard bearer carries an StG 44 with bayonet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A standard bearer in center carries an StG 44 without bayonet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing One of the soldiers in the human wave attack carries an StG 44 without bayonet. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers with Karabiner 98k and StG 44 rifles. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Soldiers with StG 44. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A closer view of an StG 44. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Guards with StG 44 with bayonets in the residence of the Head Bourgeoish. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A guard with StG 44 with bayonet in prison. Shotguns ZK Shotgun In one scene Malchish-Kibalchish stands of the watchtower, armed with a single barreled shotgun that seems to be a ZK shotgun .
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Izhmekh IZh-K - 16 Gauge. ZK, the direct predecessor of the IZh-K, looks nearly the same except for the lack of the rear iron sight and the groove on the stock. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Malchish-Kibalchish spots Uncle 518 who sets fire to a field of wheat. The spur lever on the trigger guard, common for the ZK/IZh series of the shotguns, can be seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Kibalchish fires at the arsonist. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He reloads the shotgun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing The moving hammer is seen. Error creating thumbnail: File missing He extracts the spent cartridge and is upset that the gun was loaded with salt rather than the shot. Machine Guns Maxim M1910/30 The boys use a Maxim M1910/30 machine gun.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Maxim M1910/30 - 7.62x54mmR Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Maxim, painted in red, in action. Error creating thumbnail: File missing A Maxim is seen in the armory. Other Weapons M1917 Chemical Hand Grenade The large hand grenades, seen in the Red Army armory, are M1917 Chemical Hand Grenades . In the movie these grenades represent high-explosive ones. As the grenades are thrown by underage boys, they must be only empty shells, without inert fill.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Russian M1917 Chemical hand grenade Error creating thumbnail: File missing Malchish-Plokhish takes two crates with grenades from the armory but drops the half, being unable to tug heavy crates. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Plokhish carries two grenades on his belt. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing A close view of Plokhish's grenades. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Grenades in the crate. 45mm 53-K AT Gun The boys use two 45mm 53-K AT guns, painted in red.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing M1937 (53-K) Soviet anti-tank gun - 45 mm (1.77 in) Error creating thumbnail: File missing The Bourgeoish General looks in his spyglass at the boys firing the 53-K gun. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two 45-mm guns of Kibalchish's squad. Trivia Mauser C96 Mockup The bodyguards of the Head Bourgeoish carry wooden mockups of holstered Mauser C96 pistols. Such props can be seen in several Dovzhenko Film Studios productions, except in this movie they are painted in white.
Error creating thumbnail: File missing Two guards carry mockup Mauser pistols. Error creating thumbnail: File missing Error creating thumbnail: File missing It can be seen that the "grip" and the "holster" are a single wooden piece. 
