Shoulder Arms (1918)

Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.

Director:

Charles Chaplin (uncredited)

Writer:

Charles Chaplin

Stars:

Charles Chaplin, Edna Purviance, Syd Chaplin

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charles Chaplin	...	Doughboy (as Charlie Chaplin)
Edna Purviance	...	The Girl
Syd Chaplin	...	Charlie's Comrade / The Kaiser (as Sydney Chaplin)
Loyal Underwood	...	Short German Officer
Henry Bergman	...	Fat Whiskered German Soldier / The Kaiser's General / Bartender
Tom Wilson	...	Dumb German Wood-Cutter
Albert Austin	...	American Officer / Clean Shaven German Soldier / Bearded German Soldier
Jack Wilson	...	Crown Prince

Storyline

Charlie is in boot camp in the "awkward squad." Once in France he gets no letters from home. He finally gets a package containing limburger cheese which requires a gas mask and which he throws over into the German trench. He goes "over the top" and captures thirteen Germans ("I surrounded them"), then volunteers to wander through the German lines disguised as a tree trunk. With the help of a French girl he captures the Kaiser and the Crown Prince and is given a statue and victory parade in New York and then ... fellow soldiers wake him from his dream.

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Plot Keywords:

slapstick comedy | sleeping underwater | disguised as a tree | tree | capture | 

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Taglines:

Unprecedented in Film Annals!

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Genres:

Short | Comedy | War

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Did You Know?

Trivia

Considered the first comedy film about war.

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Goofs

When Charlie is disguised as a German officer and meets the Kaiser, he hastily buttons up his tunic wrong. But when he goes outside, it is buttoned properly.

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Quotes

Officer: How did you capture thirteen?
Recruit: I surrounded them.

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Crazy Credits

The short opens with a title card showing a caricature of Chaplin dressed as a World War I soldier, and text reading "Shoulder Arms Written and Produced by" followed by a blank space. A live action hand appears and points to the title, then the drawing, then uses a piece of white chalk to sign "Charles Chaplin" in the blank space, then points to the caricature one more time.

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Connections

Featured in Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011)

User Reviews

Very good Charlie Chaplin film, as a brave soldier who is assigned a dangerous mission behind the enemy lines

Chaplin took so long to direct this 3 reel comedy, his longest to that old date. Once in France and dealing with with Chaplin as a Boot Hill soldier who still looks like an awkward tramp . At the military quarter he doesn't obtain letter from home, at last, he achieves a pack containing limburger cheese. After that, he has the cheese from a mousetrap. Later on, he volunteers to wander behind German lines and posing as a tree takes 13 prisoners , surrendering them from the enemy trench . Finally, with the help a beautiful French girl, Edna Purviance, captures the Kaiser, Syd Chaplin, and the Crown Prince.

The picture had success at boxoffice and the public liked it, specially the following scenes : when Charlie under a gas mask eats the cheese and subsequently he throws it over the enemy lines, as Charlie disguises as a tree trunk and kicks German soldiers in the seat of their pants , and when he takes the Kaiser and is given a statue of victory . In the picture appears two Chaplin's regular : Edna Purviance and Syd Chaplin in a double role as The Kaiser and Charlie's comrade.

This was the longest film to that date and it premiered only 3 weeks before the end of the WWII. This was a 3 reel comedy, he previously directed 1 or 2 reel short movies, such as : Our hero, Night at the show, The fireman, The adventurer, The count, The floorwalker, The circus, The cure, The inmigrant, Burlesque on Carmen, 3 Charlies and one phoney, among others. Shortly after, he directed long time films as The gold rush, the Kid, City lights, Modern times, The great dictator, Monsieur Verdoux, Limelight, A King in NY, and his last one : A countess from Hong Kong. Rating 7.5/10. Better than average Chalie movie. Essential and indispensable watching for Charles Chaplin fans. Well worth seeing

Details

Official Sites:

Instagram Official Site

Country:

USA

Language:

None English

Release Date:

27 October 1918 (USA)

Also Known As:

Camouflage

Filming Locations:

7th Street and Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Charles Chaplin Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

36 min 45 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System) (1959 re-issue) Silent

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1