The Secret of the Chinese Carnation (Das Geheimnis der chinesischen Nelke)

The Secret of the Chinese Carnation (Das Geheimnis der chinesischen Nelke) Original German Poster Country West Germany France Italy Directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber Release Date 1964 Language German Studio Rapid Film Metheus Film Les Films Jacques Leitienne Distributor Constantin Film Main Cast Character Actor Donald Ramsey Brad Harris Susan Bexter Olga Schoberová Reginald Sheridan Paul Dahlke Dr. Cecil Wilkens Dietmar Schönherr Lieutenant Legget Horst Frank Mary Lou Dominique Boschero Speranzo Klaus Kinski Professor Bexter Corrado Annicelli

The Secret of the Chinese Carnation (Das Geheimnis der chinesischen Nelke) is a 1964 German-French-Italian B&W spy thriller directed by Rudolf Zehetgruber and based on the novel "The Chinese Carnation" by Louis Weinert-Wilton. Prof. Wilkens who discovered a new type of fuel is murdered. He was able to send the microfilm with the formula to his niece Susan (Olga Schoberova) in time. Susan together with the private detective Donald Ramsey (Brad Harris) struggle against the agents of Reginald Sheridan (Paul Dahlke), director of the oil company that would be out of business due to Wilkens' invention. Meanwhile British Secret Service also hunts for the microfilm.

The movie was shot at the Barrandov Studios in Prague.

Note: the HD version of the movie is released in 1920x1080px but with very wide (more than a quarter of the overall width!) black bars on both sides. They are cropped on the screenshots below hence the non-standard aspect ratio.

The following weapons were used in the film The Secret of the Chinese Carnation (Das Geheimnis der chinesischen Nelke):

WARNING! THIS PAGE CONTAINS SPOILERS!

Handguns

British Constabulary

Brooks' henchman Slim (uncredited) carries a British Constabulary revolver, a Belgian version of Webley RIC.

Belgian "British Constabulary" revolver with faceted barrel, c.1894 - .380

Slim holds his revolver when he and Brooks threaten Wilkens. The faceted barrel is seen.

Another view of the revolver.

The typical RIC/Bulldog extractor is seen.

FN Model 1906-style Pistol

An FN Model 1906-style pocket pistol is Donald Ramsey's (Brad Harris) handgun. Same looking pocket pistols are also seen in hands of Mary Lou's henchmen and Secret Service operatives.

For comparison: FN Model 1906 - .25 ACP. The screen gun is very similar but lacks the grip safety.

Ramsey confronts Wilkens.

Another view of the pistol in the same scene.

Ramsey cocks the pistol before the meeting with Mary Lou.

Ramsey holds his pistol in the scene in Mary Lou's office. The pistol lacks the grip safety, so it's not an original FN Model 1906.

A Secret Service operative holds a pocket pistol.

Another view of the operative's pistol.

In the climactic scene Lieutenant Legget (Horst Frank) picks up Ramsey's pistol from the floor.

The pistol is seen near wounded Legget.

Femaru 37M

Speranzo (Klaus Kinski) carries a Pistole M37, German issued version of Hungarian Femaru 37M. This version is identified by the thumb safety. A Femaru 37M is also used by Sheridan's agent Brooks (uncredited). Brooks' pistol is seen only from the right so it's hard to say if this is same Pistole M37 model or an original 37M but probably a single prop is reused throughout the movie.

German issued Pistole M37 - 7.65 x 17mm Browning. Note thumb safety unique to this model

Brooks holds a 37M pistol in the scene in Prof. Bexter's house.

Another view of the same scene.

Speranzo holds the pistol.

Speranzo holds Donald Ramsey at gunpoint.

Speranzo holds his pistol. The typical safety of Pistole M37 version can be seen.

Speranzo carries his pistol in shoulder holster. The grip and the magazine spur are seen.

FN Model 1910

Dr. Cecil Wilkens' (Dietmar Schönherr) handgun is an FN Model 1910. In one scene he gives his pistol to Susan Bexter (Olga Schoberová). In the final scene Mary Lou (Dominique Boschero) holds this gun.

FN Model 1910 - .380 ACP

Wilkens draws his pistol and hands it to Susan Bexter.

Susan aims the pistol at Donald Ramsey, suspecting him to be her uncle's murderer.

Legger confiscates Wilkens' pistol in the climactic scene.

Wilkens holds his pistol.

Wilkens gives the pistol to Mary Lou during the car chase.

Mary Lou holds the pistol.

Walther PP

What is supposed to be a Walther PP is briefly seen in hands of Brooks (uncredited). In the climactic scene Cecil Wilkens (Dietmar Schönherr) disarms Lieutenant Legget (Horst Frank) of his pistol that seems to be a Walther PP.

War Time Walther PP - .32 ACP

Brooks draws his pistol before entering Bexter's house. In the scene in the house Brooks' pistol switches to a Femaru 37M.

Wilkens takes the pistol from Legget's shoulder holster. The pistol is seen unclear but still can be identified.

Walther PPK

During the staged release of kidnapped professor Bexter, an unnamed Brooks' henchman holds a Walther PPK.

Early Waffenamt marked Walther PPK - .32 ACP

Cecil Wilkens (Dietmar Schönherr) in grapple with pistol-wielding henchman.

A close-up of the pistol.

Sauer 38H

A Secret Service operative holds a Sauer 38H pistol when he and his partner come to help to Legget and Ramsey. Later the same character is seen with a CZ 52 (see below).

Sauer 38H - .32 ACP

A Secret Service operative at the left holds a Sauer 38H.

CZ 52

A Secret Service operative holds a CZ 52 pistol when he tries to arrest Speranzo.

CZ 52 with wooden grips - 7.62x25mm Tokarev

The operative aims his pistol at Speranzo.

A good view of the pistol.

Another view of the pistol.

Star compact pistol

In the scene in Mary Lou's office Ramsey orders her henchman to drop the gun. The pistol is a compact 1911-style gun with visible external extractor and without the grip safety, so one of the Star 1911 compact models seems to be a good guess. Star Model S fits best for 1960s.

For reference: Star Model S, mfg 1975 - .380 ACP (9mm Corto)

The henchman's gun on the floor.

Unidentified pistols

In one scene Lieutenant Legget (Horst Frank) carries a pistol in shoulder holster. Only the heel of the grip is seen. It's hardly the Walther PP that Legget carries later.

Shotguns

Double Barreled Shotgun

Several Double Barreled Shotguns are seen on the wall in Cecil Wilkens' cottage.

A shotgun is seen on the wall at the background.

Two more shotguns are seen in another room.

Other Weapons

Unidentified hand grenades

In the final scene Speranzo (Klaus Kinski) uses a hand grenade that has the same BZE39 fuze as the German Model 39 Eihandgranate, but unlike M39 it has the fragmentation sleeve (while a fragmentation sleeve was adopted for M39 grenade, it looks very different). Possibly the grenade body is a kind of replica.

For reference: The Model 39 Eihandgranate hand grenade

Two grenades of said type are seen in Speranzo's briefcase.

When the Secret Service operative aims his pistol at Speranzo, the latter covertly readies the grenade.

Speranzo unscrewes the igniter head...

...and pulls the friction wire.

The fuze produces very authentic sparks.

Except for two abovementioned grenades, three more large fragmentation hand grenades of unclear model are seen in Speranzo's briefcase. Possibly these grenades are mockups.