A.W.O.L. (1918)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Charles R. Bowers

Writer:

Charles R. Bowers (writer)

Genre:

Short | Animation | Comedy | War

Plot:

The animated story of the adventures of a soldier who is Absent WithOut Leave.

Plot Keywords:

Soldier | AWOL | Absent Without Leave | Judge | Joyriding

Also Known As:

All Wrong Old Laddiebuck (USA) (subtitle)

Runtime:

5 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Moving Picture Boys in the Great War (1975)

Of Some Interest, At Least Historically

This animated Charley Bowers feature is of some interest, at least historically, although in itself it is pretty bland. It would have been much more topical upon its original release, and as a result it could have served something of a useful purpose in its time.

The whole story revolves around a soldier who, with the arrival of the Armistice ending the Great War (World War I), has become restless as he waits for a discharge. His adventures that follow are relatively predictable, but at times there are some brief flashes of the creativity that Bowers would later develop much further.

Its original audience certainly would have understood the impatience of soldiers to see their homes and families again. It's interesting, then, that Bowers took a viewpoint that was by no means wholly sympathetic. It also is one of the few of Bowers's many animated features that still survive. So there are a couple of reasons why it is worth seeing.