Half Shot at Sunrise
Encyclopedia
Half Shot at Sunrise is a 1930 slapstick comedy film starring the comedy duo Wheeler & Woolsey
and Dorothy Lee
. The film is about US army soldiers in Paris
during World War I
and their efforts to escape just about everything to do with the military.
, more interested in picking up women than in military duty. Along the way, Tommy falls for a girl named Annette (Dorothy Lee
), unaware at first that she's the daughter of Colonel Marshall (George MacFarlane), their commanding officer; Gilbert, meanwhile, falls for Mademoiselle Olga (Leni Stengel), the Colonel's lady friend.
Hoping to turn the two soldiers into heroes so they won't be court-martial
ed, Annette and Olga persuade the boys to deliver a set of sealed orders ("borrowed" from the Colonel) to the front lines. After an uncharacteristically dramatic scene at the front, the two are apprehended by the MPs
and brought to Colonel Marshall, but escape punishment by pointing out that the envelope they'd carried was the wrong one; it actually contained a love letter from Olga to the (married) Colonel!
The Tiller Sunshine Girls also present a dance number.
Wheeler & Woolsey
Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a famous American film comedy team of the 1930s....
and Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
. The film is about US army soldiers in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and their efforts to escape just about everything to do with the military.
Plot summary
During World War I, soldiers Tommy (Bert Wheeler) and Gilbert (Robert Woolsey) go AWOL in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, more interested in picking up women than in military duty. Along the way, Tommy falls for a girl named Annette (Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee
Dorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
), unaware at first that she's the daughter of Colonel Marshall (George MacFarlane), their commanding officer; Gilbert, meanwhile, falls for Mademoiselle Olga (Leni Stengel), the Colonel's lady friend.
Hoping to turn the two soldiers into heroes so they won't be court-martial
Court-martial
A court-martial is a military court. A court-martial is empowered to determine the guilt of members of the armed forces subject to military law, and, if the defendant is found guilty, to decide upon punishment.Most militaries maintain a court-martial system to try cases in which a breach of...
ed, Annette and Olga persuade the boys to deliver a set of sealed orders ("borrowed" from the Colonel) to the front lines. After an uncharacteristically dramatic scene at the front, the two are apprehended by the MPs
Military police
Military police are police organisations connected with, or part of, the military of a state. The word can have different meanings in different countries, and may refer to:...
and brought to Colonel Marshall, but escape punishment by pointing out that the envelope they'd carried was the wrong one; it actually contained a love letter from Olga to the (married) Colonel!
Cast
- Bert Wheeler as Tommy Turner
- Robert WoolseyRobert WoolseyRobert Woolsey was an American stage and screen comedian and half of the 1930s comedy team Wheeler & Woolsey....
as Gilbert Simpson - Dorothy LeeDorothy LeeDorothy Lee was an American actress and comedian during the 1930s, usually appearing alongside the popular Wheeler & Woolsey comedy team....
as Annette Marshall - George MacFarlane as Colonel Marshall
- Edna May OliverEdna May OliverEdna May Oliver was an American stage and film actress. During the 1930s, she was one of the best-known character actresses in American films, often playing tart-tongued spinsters.-Early life:...
as Mrs Marshall - Leni Stengel as Olga
- Hugh Trevor as Lieutenant Jim Reed
- Roberta Robinson as Eileen
- Jack Rutherford as MP Sergeant
The Tiller Sunshine Girls also present a dance number.