Shoulder Arms (1918)
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- Passed
- 36min
- Short, Comedy
- 27 Oct 1918 (USA)
- Short
Charlie is a boot camp private who has a dream of being a hero who goes on a daring mission behind enemy lines.
Director:
Writer:
Photos and Videos
Cast verified as complete
| Charles Chaplin | ... |
Doughboy
(as Charlie Chaplin)
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| Edna Purviance | ... |
The Girl
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| Syd Chaplin | ... |
Charlie's Comrade / The Kaiser
(as Sydney Chaplin)
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| Loyal Underwood | ... |
Short German Officer
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| Henry Bergman | ... |
Fat Whiskered German Soldier / The Kaiser's General / Bartender
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| Tom Wilson | ... |
Dumb German Wood-Cutter
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| Albert Austin | ... |
American Officer / Clean Shaven German Soldier / Bearded German Soldier
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Jack Wilson | ... |
Crown Prince
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| Rest of cast listed alphabetically: | |||
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W.J. Allen | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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L.A. Blaisdell | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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| Alva D. Blake | ... |
U.S. Soldier / German Officer (uncredited)
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Cliff Brouwer | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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E. Brucker | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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F.S. Colby | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Slim Cole | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Wellington Cross | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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E.H. Devere | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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C.L. Dice | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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M.J. Donovan | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Guy Eakins | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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Fred Everman | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Mark Faber | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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G.A. Godfrey | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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Harry Goldman | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Fred Graham | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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W.E. Graham | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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James Griffin | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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William Hackett | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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| Ray Hanford | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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A.J. Hartwell | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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O.E. Haskins | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Tom Hawley | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Carl Herlinger | ... |
Bit Part (uncredited)
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W. Herron | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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Ed Hunt | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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E.B. Johnson | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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J. Parks Jones | ... |
U.S. Soldier (uncredited)
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Charles Knuske | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Sam Lewis | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Tom Madden | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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G.E. Marygold | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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Clyde McAtee | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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| Robert McKenzie | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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A. North | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Louis Orr | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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J.T. Powell | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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| John Rand | ... |
U.S. Soldier (uncredited)
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Jack Shalford | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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J.H. Shewry | ... |
Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Joe Van Meter | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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W.G. Wagner | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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Tiny Ward | ... |
Soldier (uncredited)
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J.H. Warne | ... |
Motorcyclist (uncredited)
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Jack Willis | ... |
Soldier / Bit Part in Street Scene (uncredited)
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Directed by
| Charles Chaplin | ... | (uncredited) |
Written by
| Charles Chaplin | ... | (written by) |
Produced by
| Charles Chaplin | ... | producer |
Music by
| Charles Chaplin | ... | (uncredited) (1957) |
Cinematography by
| Roland Totheroh | ... | (uncredited) |
Editing by
| Charles Chaplin | ... | (uncredited) |
Production Design by
| Charles D. Hall | ... | (uncredited) |
Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
| Charles Reisner | ... | assistant director (uncredited) |
Art Department
| Eric Rohman | ... | poster artist : Sweden (uncredited) |
Camera and Electrical Department
| Jack Wilson | ... | second camera operator (uncredited) |
Costume and Wardrobe Department
| Mother Vinot | ... | seamstress (uncredited) |
Music Department
| Eugene Conte | ... | music compiler: cue sheet (uncredited) |
Transportation Department
| Toraichi Kono | ... | driver: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited) |
Additional Crew
| Nellie Bly Baker | ... | secretary: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited) |
| Elsie Codd | ... | unit publicist (uncredited) |
| Tom Harrington | ... | assistant: Mr. Chaplin (uncredited) |
Production Companies
Distributors
- First National Exhibitors' Circuit (1918) (United States) (theatrical)
- Pathé Frères (1919) (France) (theatrical)
- Associated First National Pictures (1922) (United States) (theatrical) (re-release)
- Adams Filmi (1929) (Finland) (theatrical)
- Playhouse Video (1985) (United States) (VHS) (For CBS/Fox Video)
- Key Video (1989) (United States) (VHS) (For CBS/Fox Video)
- Image Entertainment (2000) (United States) (DVD)
- Koch Vision (2000) (United States) (DVD)
- MK2 Diffusion (2001) (World-wide)
- Reel Media International (2004) (United States) (VHS)
- Warner Home Video (2004) (United States) (DVD)
- Reel Media International (2007) (United States)
- Alpha Video Distributors (2018) (United States) (DVD)
- Antenne 2 (A2) (1986) (France) (tv)
- Penteo Films S.L. (2020) (World-wide) (restored HD)
- Premium Cine (2019) (Non-US)
- The Criterion Channel (2019) (United States) (tv) (digital)
Special Effects
Other Companies
Storyline
| Plot Summary |
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.
Written by Ed Stephan |
| Plot Keywords | |
| 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) See more » |
| Genres | |
| Parents Guide | View content advisory » |
| Certification |
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Additional Details
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Did You Know?
| 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. See more » |
| 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. See more » |
| Movie Connections | Edited into The Chaplin Revue (1959). See more » |
| 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. See more » |
| Quotes |
Officer:
How did you capture thirteen? Recruit: I surrounded them. See more » |