A potato-peeling soldier vs. German spies? 1927 slapstick doesn't play by your rules.
In France during World War I, an army payroll car containing $250,000 turns up missing. A GI, nicknamed "Spuds" because of his prowess at peeling potatoes, discovers that it was stolen by German spies, and--since his captain was responsible for the car and will be in big trouble if it's not recovered--goes behind the enemy lines to retrieve both the car and the $250,000 payroll.
Practical Effects
Pre-CGI stunts that genuinely risked Semon's neck.
Acting
Semon's rubber-faced expressions need zero dialogue.
Director
Edward Ludwig
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Larry Semon was a massive silent-era star who burned through fortunes and died broke—this film's chaotic energy mirrors his real life.
Made just nine years after WWI ended, the film treats German spies as cartoon villains while real veterans still carried wounds—audiences either laughed or cringed.
US
