Half Shot Shooters
Encyclopedia
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.
).
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.
Short subject
A short film is any film not long enough to be considered a feature film. No consensus exists as to where that boundary is drawn: the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences defines a short film as "an original motion picture that has a running time of 40 minutes or less, including all...
starring American slapstick
Slapstick
Slapstick is a type of comedy involving exaggerated violence and activities which may exceed the boundaries of common sense.- Origins :The phrase comes from the batacchio or bataccio — called the 'slap stick' in English — a club-like object composed of two wooden slats used in Commedia dell'arte...
comedy team the Three Stooges
Three Stooges
The Three Stooges were an American vaudeville and comedy act of the early to mid–20th century best known for their numerous short subject films. Their hallmark was physical farce and extreme slapstick. In films, the Stooges were commonly known by their first names: "Moe, Larry, and Curly" and "Moe,...
. The trio made a total of 190 shorts for Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
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 BlystoneStanley Blystone
Stanley Blystone was an American film actor who made over 500 films appearances between 1924 and 1956.-Career:Born in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, Blystone's full name was William Stanley Blystone...
).
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
Coastal artillery
Coastal artillery is the branch of armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications....
and begin practicing their skills, such as they are. They first hit a smokestack, then a house, next a bridge, and lastly, a battleship
Battleship
A battleship is a large armored warship with a main battery consisting of heavy caliber guns. Battleships were larger, better armed and armored than cruisers and destroyers. As the largest armed ships in a fleet, battleships were used to attain command of the sea and represented the apex of a...
, which just happens to be the admiral's flagship
Flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of naval ships, reflecting the custom of its commander, characteristically a flag officer, flying a distinguishing flag...
. 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.
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 your corn blaster, shorty?"
- Officer: "Would you fight for this great republic and-"
- Moe: "Republican? No I'm a Democrat!"
- Curly: "Not me, I'm a pedestrian"