How the West Was Won, Gregory Peck Stembridge Pistol

original movie prop

Another use for the rare Smith & Wesson pistol, not often seen in film. Stembridge Rental receipt dated Sept. 5, 1961 and billed to MGM Culver City, for Production 1777 (Henry Hathaway's unit for this film as each director had his own assigned) and used by Gregory Peck at the poker game in the back of the wagon crossing the plains. Peck, all in, pulls the piece out of his waist band to offer into the pot as "a fine pistol...London made (not accurate)...and loaded for bear". The Model 2 is easily distinguished from most movie guns, like Colts and Remingtons, in that it lacks a trigger guard and has a short ejector rod underneath the bottom of the barrel. It is also smaller and thinner. The glint of the spur trigger can be seen between his fingers. It is also seen in the just afterward sequence of him jumping on the team to stop the runaway wagon in his belt again. Both these shots were done back in the studio using rear projection. In the location shots framing these, shot at Lone Pine, Peck does not have the pistol, as MGM rented it for one day only to be used for these two process shots. It is the only Model 2 used in the film and the only one listed on the Stembridge document as is it's serial number. The pearl grips and chrome trim were done later to dress it for THE WILD WILD WEST (1998). It was also rented to James Garner's SKIN GAME (1971) and can be seen in THE BEAUTIFUL BLONDE FROM BASHFUL BEND (1949), and SHOWDOWN AT ABILENE (1956) handled by the three male stars, although records from that period do not exist.