Half Shot Shooters
| Half Shot Shooters | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Preston Black |
| Produced by | Jules White |
| Written by | Clyde Bruckman |
| Starring |
Moe Howard Larry Fine Curly Howard Stanley Blystone Vernon Dent Edward LeSaint Harry Semels Heinie Conklin Lew Davis |
| Cinematography | Benjamin H. Kline |
| Edited by | Charles Hochberg |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release dates |
|
Running time | 18' 35" |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Half Shot Shooters is the 14th short subject starring American slapstick comedy team the Three Stooges. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures between 1934 and 1959.
Plot
1918 - After getting medals for "Wounds in action" (being beaten up by their sergeant after sleeping through an attack), the Stooges are discharged from the army immediately following the end of World War I, whereupon they rough up Sgt. MacGillicuddy (Stanley Blystone) in retribution for his poor treatment of them.
1935 - The Stooges are traveling the streets hungry and are tricked into signing up for the army again. Naturally, MacGillicuddy is again the sergeant in charge. In the colonel's office the still-hungry Stooges fall upon some tomatoes McGillicuddy brought in. He orders them to throw away the tomatoes and, demonstrating, hits a colonel. As punishment McGillicuddy is assigned to polishing spittoons. The Stooges bring him more to clean but soon fall into the table of shining spittoons. Then they are assigned to coast artillery and begin practicing their skills, such as they are. They first hit a smokestack, then a house, next a bridge, and lastly, a battleship, which just happens to be the admiral's flagship. Sgt. MacGillicuddy and some officers rush up to investigate, and the Stooges point fingers at each other in mutual blame. The frustrated sergeant asks them to line up a photo shoot. The Stooges agree, glad to be awarded for their sharp shooting, and pose as Sgt. MacGillicuddy swings the gun at them and fires, leaving three pairs of smoking boots behind.
Production notes
Half Shot Shooters was filmed on March 18-21, 1936.[1] The film's is a pun on Half Shot at Sunrise (1930), an RKO Radio Pictures movie with Wheeler & Woolsey.[2]
Half Shot Shooters marked the inaugural appearance of Vernon Dent, who appeared in more Stooge shorts than any other supporting actor. It also marked the final appearance the old Columbia Pictures "torch lady" during the credits.[2]
Quotes
- Officer: "Where were you born?!"
- Curly: (unable to hear him) "He says your pants are torn!"
- Moe: "I ain't got any horn!"
- Larry: "No, not warn! Corn!"
- Curly: "What?"
- Larry: "CORN!"
- Curly: "Oh, corn! I got two on both dogs!" (to the officer) "Can you tell where I can get a corn plaster, shorty?"
- Officer: "Were you born in this country?"
- Larry: "What?"
- Officer: "Were you born in this country?!"
- Larry: "No, Milwaukee."
- Officer: "Would you fight for this great republic and-"
- Moe: "Republican? Naw, I'm a Democrat!"
- Curly: "Not me! I'm a pedestrian."
References
- ↑ Pauley, Jim (2012). The Three Stooges Hollywood Filming Locations. Solana Beach, California: Santa Monica Press, LLC. p. 132. ISBN 9781595800701.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Solomon, Jon (2002). The Complete Three Stooges: The Official Filmography and Three Stooges Companion. Glendale, California: Comedy III Productions, Inc. p. 82. ISBN 0-9711868-0-4.
