What type of gun did John Wayne use in Legend of the Lost?

Answer 1

I believe, but am not certain, that it was a Bodeo Model 1889. It was, per my reading around on the web, and browsing old firearms books at the book store, an Italian service revolver, which was manufactured by a number of different companies -- including Glisenti and Bernadelli-- and in different countries, such as Italy and Spain. A solid weapon, per what I read. Some were made with a trigger guard, like the one John Wayne carried in the movie, but some were made with a folding trigger, and without a guard.

It was a double action revolver, but was loaded via a loading gate, rather than a swing-out cylinder; and I recall John Wayne reloading the pistol, at one point, as though he were using a loading gate. It also is supposed to have had a heavy double-action trigger pull, and I remembered that Dita, the character played by Sophia Loren, was operating the pistol in one climactic scene by hauling back on the trigger with her middle finger instead of using her index finger. Maybe she could get more leverage that way?

I started my search by reading up on some old French revolvers, but none I looked at had the straight grip I saw on John Wayne's pistol. Then I started looking at Italian revolvers, when I read that The Legend of the Lost was a joint US/Italian production, much of it filmed in Libya, which was at one time an Italian colony. So all those impressions together brought me to my "best guess" that John Wayne was using a Bodeo Model 1889. If anybody knows more about it, and can either confirm I'm correct, or post a different answer, I'd love to read your input. I'm going to try to get the movie on DVD, and study the pistol a bit more closely.