I'm amazed that any big engine is pulled through on the starter. The oil comes out of the big Pratts and Wrights so slowly that you'll pull through a couple of blades fairly easily and then it suddenly comes to a stop, and then you're heaving, or rather leaning on the blade as it moves ever so slowly as the oil pours out, then frees up for another few blades until it comes to the oiled pot again which pulls through with less resistnce than before and produces another run of oil, and the third time around (by blade 9 (or 12 on the '29) the resistance is pretty even. Then you can try a start, but its going to be a while running on 8 or 16 before the fuel washes the plugs on the bottom pot(s) clean enough for to fire and its hitting on all cylinders. Music!
That old B23 covered visitors fifty yards away with oil spots on the start pictured, and they didn't half holler. In true Texan fashion they were informed that if they chose to walk behind an aircraft that was starting up what did they expect.