Sure it seems more than a bit stale in this day and age, but consider the state of film when this was made. The audio is a bit weak, but sound in films was still a cutting edge concept. Much of the dialog regarding these two soldiers attempting to pick up women seems sanitized, but this was made a decade before Clark Gable uttered the word damn and caused an uproar. When you look back at it, Half Shot at Sunrise was probably well ahead of its time.
The thin plot involves two US army privates stationed in Paris during WWI who are constantly AWOL and looking to score with any and all ladies they encounter. One of the most pointless and destructive conflicts in history was happening all around them, but these two only care about scoring with women! At least they have their priorities straight! On their trail are a couple tough-talking MPs, a two-timing Colonel, his amorous daughter, and..... well there just isn't a lot of plot here. Some of the dialog is just too parsed to be taken seriously. "These men make love to every woman they meet," an MP warns the colonel's pretty young daughter after he learns she may be smitten by one of these two. Some of the jokes provide more than a few chuckles. In one scene, Woolsey and Wheeler are disguising themselves as officers to impress a table of French ladies. "Why don't you want to play a general?" one asks the other. "Because then there's no chance of promotion!" the other replies. Probably the biggest laugh I had was after one of them whispers a proposition into the ear of a French girl. She replies with a long angry response in her native language. "What did she say?" asks one of our heroes. "She said no," the other replies. Ha! If you want to see one of the earliest and tamest sex comedies imaginable, then check this film out. I think youtube has the entire thing available. See where some of our more contemporary filmmakers may have gotten some inspiration. One of these two main characters is named Tommy Turner. Just like the most raunchy member of the gang in Porkys! 6 of 10 stars.
The Hound.
The thin plot involves two US army privates stationed in Paris during WWI who are constantly AWOL and looking to score with any and all ladies they encounter. One of the most pointless and destructive conflicts in history was happening all around them, but these two only care about scoring with women! At least they have their priorities straight! On their trail are a couple tough-talking MPs, a two-timing Colonel, his amorous daughter, and..... well there just isn't a lot of plot here. Some of the dialog is just too parsed to be taken seriously. "These men make love to every woman they meet," an MP warns the colonel's pretty young daughter after he learns she may be smitten by one of these two. Some of the jokes provide more than a few chuckles. In one scene, Woolsey and Wheeler are disguising themselves as officers to impress a table of French ladies. "Why don't you want to play a general?" one asks the other. "Because then there's no chance of promotion!" the other replies. Probably the biggest laugh I had was after one of them whispers a proposition into the ear of a French girl. She replies with a long angry response in her native language. "What did she say?" asks one of our heroes. "She said no," the other replies. Ha! If you want to see one of the earliest and tamest sex comedies imaginable, then check this film out. I think youtube has the entire thing available. See where some of our more contemporary filmmakers may have gotten some inspiration. One of these two main characters is named Tommy Turner. Just like the most raunchy member of the gang in Porkys! 6 of 10 stars.
The Hound.