Half Shot Shooters (1936)

Curly Howard (Curly), Moe Howard (Moe), Larry Fine (Larry), Stanley Blystone (Sergeant MacGillicuddy), Vernon Dent (portly diner), Harry Semels (Captain Burke), John Kascier (soldier), Eddie Laughton, Lew Davis, Bert Young, Heinie Conklin, Lynton Brent.Director: JACK WHITE. Screenplay: Clyde Bruckman. Photography: Benjamin Kline. Film editor: Charles Hochberg. Producer: Jules White. Copyright 27 April 1936 by Columbia Pictures of California. U.S. release: 30 April 1936. 2 reels. 19 minutes.COMMENT: This extremely dark comedy ranks as a most unusual entry from the Stooges. For once, the violence seems real, not play- acting. The sergeant here is not just your typical gruff disciplinarian, he is a really sadistic, cot case; while the Stooges are not well-meaning, likable bunglers, they have been brutalized into becoming uncaring killers. "I hope that shot didn't hit the pool room," Moe casually remarks after accidentally firing off a cannon into the army camp.Also, most untypically, the movie makes a political statement. These three men, like tens of thousands of other veterans, have been literally left to starve by both an uncaring government and hostile fellow citizens. Earlier, our "heroes" clearly identify themselves as Jewish which, although totally accurate, is to say the least, quite extraordinary."Half Shot Shooters" is certainly a product of its time. The movie's implications did not escape the Australian censor who not only removed the ending completely but made at least three or four significant cuts that reduced the running time to less than 16 minutes.

This kind of story happened in at least three of The Three Stooges short, and all of them are pretty funny. This wasn't as good as the others until the last five minutes when it takes a strange turn with a big cannon, and then finishes strong.The basic storyline - see if this sounds familiar - is the boys are in the army, are lazy slobs and then get picked on my a gruff sergeant. They are discharged (or the war is over), the boys immediately get revenge on the sergeant when they find out he has no power over them anymore. Later, through a mistake, they re-up into the army and now face that same sergeant, who is out to kill them, at this point.Here, it's 1918 and World War I is raging. We see real footage of soldiers on the battlefield, running and shooting. Then we see the Three Stooges snoring away in a foxhole. The sergeant gives them the business. The same day, it's announced the war is over and on their way out the door, the Stooges really do a number on the Sarge, beating the crap out of him.There are parts of this comedy, I might say, that almost shocked me in that some of it wasn't slapstick, but almost downright meanness and torture. The violence goes past the normal laughs. For example, in one scene the Sargent has the boys put their heads underwater and then fires a pistol in the water, deafening the boys. That is nasty. It reminded of a brutal scene in the film noir, "The Big Combo."Anyway, fast-forward to 1935. It's the Depression and the boys are desperate for work. (They haven't aged a bit, by the way.) Because they are kind of ignorant and never read signs, they wind up re-enlisting....and, of course, the same sergeant is there! What happens afterward is a bit of a surprise. The gag turns out to be something else besides the animosity between the Stooges and the Sarge, but the boys' misuse of a huge cannon during a supposed practice session. The Stooges wind up blowing up houses, chimneys and finally, a ship in our own Navy! Those scenes with the cannon are very funny and ends this comedic short on a high note.

Half Shot Shooters (1936) ** 1/2 (out of 4) Seventeen years after the end of WW1, the Three stooges find themselves poor and hungry so they accidentally sign up for the Army to cause more trouble. There are a few gags here that work but most of them miss. One of the best gags has Curley pulling his shoe up and another has the three firing off a canon, which hits their Admirel's boat.Now available on Columbia's 2-disc set, which features over 20 shorts, all digitally remastered and looking better than since they were originally released.

I have to disagree with whoever puts down this one because I think there are many hilarious moments! The conflict the stooges have with their sergeant is hilarious! This theme would later be revisited in "Boobs In Arms" (1940). One of the best Curly shorts.Grade: A+