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Shoulder Arms

  • 19181918
  • PassedPassed
  • 36m
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Cast & crew
  • User reviews
  • Trivia
  • IMDbPro
Shoulder Arms (1918)
  • Short
  • Comedy
  • War
Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.
IMDb RATING
7.3/10
6.8K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Charles Chaplin(uncredited)
  • Writer
    • Charles Chaplin
  • Stars
    • Charles Chaplin
    • Edna Purviance
    • Syd Chaplin
Top credits
  • Director
    • Charles Chaplin(uncredited)
  • Writer
    • Charles Chaplin
  • Stars
    • Charles Chaplin
    • Edna Purviance
    • Syd Chaplin
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 41User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro

    • Photos70

    Charles Chaplin, Henry Bergman, and Syd Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin and Syd Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Syd Chaplin and Edna Purviance in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Henry Bergman, Syd Chaplin, and Jack Wilson in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin and Edna Purviance in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)
    Charles Chaplin and Syd Chaplin in Shoulder Arms (1918)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Charles Chaplin
    Charles Chaplin
    • Doughboyas Doughboy
    Edna Purviance
    Edna Purviance
    • The Girlas The Girl
    Syd Chaplin
    Syd Chaplin
    • Charlie's Comradeas Charlie's Comrade…
    Loyal Underwood
    Loyal Underwood
    • Short German Officeras Short German Officer
    Henry Bergman
    • Fat Whiskered German Soldieras Fat Whiskered German Soldier…
    Tom Wilson
    Tom Wilson
    • Dumb German Wood-Cutteras Dumb German Wood-Cutter
    Albert Austin
    Albert Austin
    • American Officeras American Officer…
    Jack Wilson
    • Crown Princeas Crown Prince
    W.J. Allen
    • Motorcyclistas Motorcyclist
    • (uncredited)
    L.A. Blaisdell
    • Motorcyclistas Motorcyclist
    • (uncredited)
    Alva D. Blake
    Alva D. Blake
    • Soldieras Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Cliff Brouwer
    • Soldieras Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    E. Brucker
    • Bit Part in Street Sceneas Bit Part in Street Scene
    • (uncredited)
    F.S. Colby
    • Soldieras Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Slim Cole
    • Soldieras Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Wellington Cross
    • Motorcyclistas Motorcyclist
    • (uncredited)
    E.H. Devere
    • Bit Part in Street Sceneas Bit Part in Street Scene
    • (uncredited)
    C.L. Dice
    • Motorcyclistas Motorcyclist
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Charles Chaplin(uncredited)
    • Writer
      • Charles Chaplin
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit
    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. —Ed Stephan <stephan@cc.wwu.edu>
    • slapstick comedy
    • sleeping underwater
    • disguised as a tree
    • tree
    • trench warfare
    • 26 more
    • Plot summary
    • Add synopsis
    • Taglines
      • A foot bathtub, a rat trap, a phonograph, a cabbage shredder, a drip pan and an egg beater are on Charlie Chaplin's list of equipment needs when he prepares to battle the Huns in his second million dollar picture, "Shoulder Arms" (Print Ad-The Cambridge Times, ((Cambridge, Ohio)) 13 February 1919)
    • Genres
      • Short
      • Comedy
      • War
    • Certificate
      • Passed
    • Parents guide

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Many in Hollywood were nervous that one of their most famous peers was going to tackle the subject of WWI. It was released shortly before the Armistice, so it did not help boost national morale, but it did end up as one of Charles Chaplin's most popular films and it was particularly popular with returning doughboys.
    • Goofs
      Charlie, disguised as a tree, enters a pipe to escape a German. When the German tries to pull Charlie out, he separates the lower part of the tree costume along with Charlie's shoes. When Charlie emerges from the other end of the pipe, he is still wearing shoes.
    • Quotes

      Officer: How did you capture thirteen?

      Recruit: I surrounded them.

    • 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.
    • Connections
      Edited into The Chaplin Revue (1959)

    User reviews41

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Chaplin wins the war
    Charlie Chaplin wins the war single handedly in this funny amusing film. This was one of Chaplins most successful films and is easy to see why. Made at a time when people needed a diversion from one the most terrifying wars ever Chaplin fins a light hearted way to make people feel good for a while.

    The film starts with him having some funny problems in boot camp when he falls a sleep he finds himself being deployed to to trenches of France and immediately has problems manicuring inside the trench, He finally goes over the top rescues a friend, falls in love with a french lady, and then captures the Kaiser.

    It is all rather light hearted and very amusing a good film to see
    helpful•2
    0
    • sraweber369
    • Mar 25, 2011

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • October 27, 1918 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Official sites
      • Instagram
      • Official Site
    • Languages
      • None
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Camouflage
    • Filming locations
      • 7th Street and Broadway, Downtown, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Charles Chaplin Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      36 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Sound mix
      • Silent
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.33 : 1

    Related news

    Corn Island wins at Athens Panorama
    Corn Island wins at Athens Panorama
    Oct 27ScreenDaily
    Charlie Chaplin and the Tramp: the birth of a hero
    Jan 27The Guardian - Film News

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