Half Shot at Sunrise (1930)

Bert Wheeler and Robert Woolsey were a Broadway comedy team before transitioning to films in 1929. Before Robert Woolsey’s untimely death in 1938, Wheeler and Woolsey made 24 films in 8 years. Half Shot at Sunrise (1930) was the fourth film (affiliate link) starring Wheeler and Woolsey.

Set in Paris during World War I, Half Shot at Sunrise tells the story of two American deserters causing problems for both the army and the spies around Paris at the time. The Colonel of their regiment puts every MP on the case of catching the men.

Colonel Marshall tells the MPs the deserters have impersonated officers, taken liberties with local woman and jilted the Russian ambassador’s mother-in-law at the altar. At one point, Woolsey impersonating an officer to impress two Parisian women tells them, “The Colonel is crazy about us. He shows our picture to almost every soldier in the regiment.”

One of the counter spies is the Colonel’s own daughter, who falls for Bert Wheeler’s character Tommy Turner. Due to Tommy’s affection for Annette Marshall, Tommy and Gilbert Simpson, played by Wheeler, help Annette bring the espionage case to a close.

Half Shot at Sunrise runs about 78 minutes. What surprised you about this film? Did you find the plot easy to follow? You can leave a comment or ask a question about this or any post on my Facebook page and Twitter profile.

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