Half Shot Shooters (1936) User Reviews

changes for the final section

[SnoopyStyle · 7/10 · 6 December 2019]

Larry, Curley, and Moe sleep through most of the war and are the bane of Sgt. MacGillicuddy's existence. Despite being lazy soldiers, they are honorably discharged with awards. They find themselves as bums on the streets. They are tricked into signing up for the US Army again under the command of MacGillicuddy. I like most of this. The guys and MacGillicuddy have great chemistry. I would change the targets of the final sequences. The targets need to be funnier. They could blow silly billboards or setting off an explosion which flips a car crash back to its normal place. The final explosion should be the boys blowing themselves up. That's the only truly hilarious finish.

On the Army Twice

[elo-equipamentos · 7/10 · 29 April 2017]

Since my childhood The Three Stooges was in my Life and l grew up watching the show until now....in this episode our friends are in World War I sleeping behind the walls when the war is over,a mad Sergeant catch they and beats on them...after discharge they made a revenge...in 1935 unaware they are on Army again...you can guess who they meet again???....The Three Stooges Forever!

When is a comedy not a comedy?

[JohnHowardReid · 6/10 · 27 August 2017]

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.

Excellent short

[holme-1 · 7 June 2002]

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+

HALF SHOT SHOOTERS (Jack White, 1936) ***

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 9 February 2008]

This army comedy, a favorite milieu with star comedians, is one of the better Three Stooges shorts I've watched. Its plot – starting in WWI and then moving on to the present (1935, in this case) – anticipates one of Laurel & Hardy's best feature-films, BLOCKHEADS (1938). The boys are layabouts during the war (they even manage to sleep through combat!) who fall foul of their sergeant; years later, we find them as tramps willing to do any work. They're eventually directed to an office building which, unbeknownst to them, is the city's army recruiting post: there they meet again their old sergeant, who's naturally keen to get even with them! During the film's surreal climax, where they're assigned to cannon-fire practice, The Stooges contrive to sink a visiting Admiral's ship and demolish a number of buildings in the vicinity – for which they're soon facing the firing squad…only the weapon turns out to be the cannon itself and the executor of the sentence is none other than their vindictive sergeant!

Every time you think you weaken the nation....

[simeon_flake · 10/10 · 13 September 2014]

Perhaps one of the more controversial stooge shorts, regardless of who was 3rd stooge. I've seen many take issue with this one--in particular, the character of Sergeant MacGillicuddy played by Stanley Blystone; the argument being that the violence he dishes out on the stooges is too real.

I think I can see where those views are coming from--but, I've always looked at MacGillicuddy as being a more extreme version of the already cartoonish stooges. Besides, some of the pain he dishes out on the boys is just plain funny--i.e. the punch that Larry gets after he kisses Blystone on the cheek.

And there are just too many funny moments in this short for me not to give it a passing grade--maybe the best of them all being the stooges free-wheeling destruction with the cannon--which leads to another moment that a lot of fans take issue with; the ending with the Sarge blowing the stooges away.

Maybe I'm weird, but that scene never fails to crack me up--especially that slo-mo pan to the smoking boots. Overall, "Half-Shot" is one of the best by the stooges during a time period (1936) where they never turned out a bad short.

Gee I wish I was back in the army

[bkoganbing · 7/10 · 8 February 2016]

As this 3 Stooges short was rolling I could hear in my mind Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye singing that Irving Berlin tune Gee I wish I was back in the army from White Christmas. The boys actually got to do just that.

Despite their service in the trenches we did win World War I and note their contribution on Armistice Day. They get out and take Stooge like revenge on their Sergeant Stanley Blystone who's been giving them a hard time since being drafted.

But even the hard times of the Depression and harder I'm sure for a stooge don't make them want to be soldiers again. In fact in those days the army was small and selective. But on a bad day and being tricked into it, the boys join up and get their old sergeant again.

The final sequence has them manning a field artillery piece during a training exercise that was called off but no one gave the boys the word. The damage they do with a cannon is agonizingly funny.

They might have given Hitler a wrong impression of the state of our readiness.

Half-Shot Shooters!

[Movie Nuttball · 10/10 · 10 March 2003]

This Stooges short is a very good one and I love the performance by Stanley Blystone.The Stooges are very funny Half-Shot Shooters.The explosions are excellent especially for the time period.If you like the Stooges then I think you'll love this!

Violence Plays for Laughs in Stooges' Classic

[springfieldrental · 8/10 · 27 July 2023]

The Three Stooges were known for their physicality, but most of the antics were supplied to themselves. In April 1936' "Half Shot Shooters," Clyde Bruckman's script was unusually violent for its time. The legendary screenwriter Bruckman, who co-wrote many of Buster Keaton's silent movie classics, inserted many unusual cruel scenes for this, the Stooges' 14th episode.

Actor Stanley Blystone, as Sgt. MacGillicuddy, dishes out the brutally sadistic punishment to our three heroes. "Half Shot Shooters" opens in the last day of World War One on the front. The sergeant spots our three heroes sleeping while the morning battle rages, and proceeds to punch Curly and Larry in the face, giving them both black eyes while he twists Moe's arm so much he breaks it. The three are subsequently given medals for their 'wounds.' The short jumps to year 1935, with the Stooges out of work, and are coerced into joining the Army again. They meet up with their same sergeant, who takes them to the bathroom, makes them dunk their heads in a large sink, and shoots his gun into the water, making them deaf. Lastly, after the Stooges are firing a coast artillery canon in what they think is a practice session, MacGillicuddy arrives, lines them up as if taking their picture, aims the canon at them and fires. All that's left of the Three Stooges are the smoking shoes they left behind.

"Half Shot Shooters" is famous for being the first Columbia Pictures short to not contain any females. In addition, the studio's logo, designed in 1928, was last seen in the opening of this Stooges short. The new logo, introduced in the studio's next film, has the Torch Lady standing on a pedestal, not adorning any headdress, and having the text 'Columbia' chiseled in letters behind her.

"Half Shot Shooters" also introduces to the Three Stooges series veteran actor Vernon Dent, playing the restaurant patron whose chicken is stolen by the Stooges' dog. A Mack Sennett actor in the early 1920s, Dent played in a number of Harry Langdon's movies, and worked alongside comedians Buster Keaton, Charley Chase and Bert Wheeler. Dent appeared in more Stooges' shorts than any other supporting actor-96. He became especially good friends with Shemp Howard when he returned to the Stooges after replacing Curly.

"Half-Shot Shooters" is half-baked

[jimtinder · 5/10 · 1 July 2003]

It's World War I, and the Stooges are tormented by their sergeant (Stanley Blystone). Even when the war ends, Curly and Larry receive black eyes and Moe gets his arm broken by the sarge. The Stooges exact some delicious revenge upon him, however!

Cue ahead 17 years to the depression. The Stooges are tricked into re-enlisting in the army, and their good ol' sarge is their to take them by the hand once again. Will the Stooges and the sarge mend fences this time?

"Half-Shot Shooters" was banned in Holland, and it's not difficult to see why: ultra-violence permeates this short. One reason the Stooges are funny is that the slaps and pokes they receive are brief and the pain is minimal. We can relax knowing that and enjoy their films.

What is NOT funny is seeing the Stooges inflicted with long-lasting pain that is fully in view of the audience (black eyes, a broken arm, busted eardrums). In addition, this torment is inflicted by a sadistic sergeant who enjoys what he does to the boys.

"Half-Shot Shooters" has some funny moments, but the violence level here can make even the most devoted Stooge fan uncomfortable. 5 out of 10.

"Were you born in this country?" "No. Milwaukee."

[slymusic · 5 August 2006]

Directed by Preston Black, "Half Shot Shooters" is a very good Three Stooges short starring Moe, Larry, & Curly. When the boys accidentally enlist as soldiers in the United States Army, you can be sure that a lot of mishaps await!

My favorite highlights from this short include the following (do not read on if you have not yet seen it). The sight of the Stooges sleeping through World War I while they are surrounded by explosions is quite funny indeed. Moe, Larry, & Curly go through several amusing bits as they fire the cannon and destroy buildings & ships that they're not supposed to. Sergeant MacGillicuddy (Stanley Blystone) gives the Stooges a "detonation test" by firing a pistol in a water-filled trough that the boys dunk their heads into. In his first of many appearances with the Stooges, supporting actor Vernon Dent (playing the restaurant patron) chases the boys as they steal his chicken dinner. As the Great War comes to a close, the discharged Stooges get revenge on their brutal sergeant. And the boys take a moment to harmonize "You'll Never Know Just What Tears Are" as they return with ammunition from the powder shack.

"Half Shot Shooters" may not be a classic Three Stooges film, but it is still pretty good. However, I am sure that at least some Stooge fans find the ending rather disturbing, as it marks the first time the Stooges get killed in their films. Unfortunately, it would not be the last time.

Stooges soldiers pre WWII, mostly mediocre

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 17 February 2018]

"Half Shot Shooters" is an American black-and-white live action short film from 1936, so this one is already over 80 years old and maybe the names of director White and writer Bruckman tell you already that here we have another Three Stooges short film. If not, then the mentions of Howard² and Fine should. This is one of the earlier works from the trio and this of course means Curly is still on board, even if he is not as much in the focus as he is in other works from around the same time. World War 2 was not happening yet, but maybe the many Stooges films about the military show us that times were tough and political crises seemed omnipresent. Interestingly enough in this one here you get a concrete World War I reference early on, something you don't see too often with the gang. At 18.5 minutes, it is one of their longer works if we are only talking about their many many short films. I think Blystone, a very experienced (western) actor, did a really fine job as the main antagonist, especially in the moment when he knows revenge is his. The part early on where the Stooges humiliate him is rather embarrassing to watch. But still, the negative is way more frequent than the positive. The final scene with the cannon is fairly weak and repetitive. The plays on words are okay at times. I wonder if their military superior is the one here who unintentionally taught Moe all his poking stuff etc. Still, this is not among the most known Stooges shorts, admittedly neither among the least known, but in my opinion it shouldn't be. All the mediocrity cannot be tolerated in the face of 2-3 fun moments. I give this one a thumbs-down. Not recommended.

Nasty, But Last Five Minutes Are A Blast!

[ccthemovieman-1 · 16 August 2008]

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.

The worst Stooges short.

[crusefamily · 1/10 · 14 October 2001]

Actually, when deciding which short is the worst, you have to choose between HALF-SHOT SHOOTERS and THREE PESTS IN A MESS. It's not fair to see the stooges get killed by a cannon at the end of the film. Not one bit of this short is funny. Don't waste your time.

Grade: F--

So-So

[Michael_Elliott · 25 February 2008]

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.

Short and to these points it's The Worst Three Stooges Short subject ever made.

[Stebaer4 · 1/10 · 27 April 2015]

Yes this is The worst Three stooges movie serial that was ever made.

It's depressing both for how because they're poor and hungry they do accidentally rejoin the Army after 17 years as another reviewer pointed out and because they as you'll see why they do so as well as because they end up with the same horrible Superior Soldier in charge of them again.

Without giving too much away this ends just as sadly as it starts off,stays this way in the middle,and ends this way too.

Any time I see the title of the feature when it's on with the other Three Stooges Features on my Local Station of mytv-38(as it's currently addressed and as it's always been whether as TV-38 or UPN- 38 was always the #1 watching Stooge station in all of the Nation.)I just turn off the TV for 20 minutes and do something else.

(10/12/2015)Now just to add to this today and since 2 months ago my Mom,Mary and I were watching this and the other 3 Stooges Features on mytv-38.The only funny used over dialogue is when Larry said "You know I've been thinking" Then Moe said to him "Every time you think you weaken the Nation."But I wasn't going to turn it off while she was watching it but this still doesn't change my opinions as to how it's depressing all the way through and is still the worst one.In a Latter Feature it's Shemp who said What Larry said above and then Moe said that same ending quote.

Truthfully,Stephen "Steve" G. Baer a.k.a. "Ste" of Framingham,Ma USA

Very dark

[WeNeedJohnWayne · 5/10 · 13 January 2019]

Dark humor on this one. Still, it was entertaining