Drafty, Isn't It?

In this semi-sequel to "From A to Z-z-z-z-z", daydreamer Ralph Phillips dreams - at night, that is - of being various things, until a figure named Willie N. List appears and shows him the benefits of joining the army (rather than waiting to get drafted). I assume that in 1957, an army life seemed more honorable than it does nowadays. Since "Drafty, Isn't It?" came out, we've had the Vietnam War and the Iraq War. So while Chuck Jones probably had good intentions in making this cartoon, the tragic reality has proved to be quite different from what it shows.

So, this short is pretty funny if you just accept it as a silly cartoon (it turns out that Wile E. Coyote isn't the only one who receives stuff from the ACME Corporation). But I, for one, would never want to join the army. Even if you survive the next military escapade - even if you don't lose any limbs - there's the risk of being homeless after the service. So it's best not to obey this cartoon.

Basically, this is an army recruiting film designed to show teens about to graduate from high school the favorable side of enlistment compared with waiting around to be drafted. What makes this one stand out from the average army-sponsored short is the professionalism involved in putting it together under the guidance of the master cartoonist Chuck Jones, the man behind such classic Warner Brothers cartoons as Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck. Jones both directed and wrote it.

A young man, Ralph Phillips, is shown asleep in his bed dreaming, with his dog curled up on the floor near the door also sleeping. One problem: Each pleasant dream turns into a nightmare with a giant shadowy figure looking very much like a drill sergeant beckoning Ralph to follow him. Who should sneak into the house but a little guy named Willie N. List, dragging with him an ACME Anti-Nightmare Machine. (Chuck Jones had a running joke about the ACME Company as his many fans know.) Willie N. List takes over the dreams and proceeds to show Ralph the positive side of military life. One way he does this is my shooting down many of the myths surrounding today's army (1957). Choice not chance is highlighted. The message: Don't wait around to be drafted but enlist now to receive the kind of training desired. The cartoon also spotlights the many careers available in the military. Though basically an army promotional cartoon, it is entertaining and even funny in places if the viewer keeps an open mind--plus the cartoon artwork is high tech for the 50's.

Chuck Jones did three cartoons featuring the adventurous Ralph Phillips. In "From A to ZZZ" and "Boyhood Days", Ralph is a boy. In this Army-commissioned cartoon, Ralph is of military age and is having nightmares about the call from Uncle Sam – until Willie N. List turns up with his Anti-Nightmare Machine (from ACME corporation, of course), and calms Ralph's fears.

At this stage of Chuck Jones' career, cartooning must have come easy. It is surprisingly good. The Army must has given Jones virtually free rein, because it comes across as informative and fun. It's a cartoon first, an Army recruitment exercise second.

The creative additions add considerably to this cartoon: the dog that must be kept asleep with "Rock-a-bye doggie, in the tree top"; the send-up of Army stereotypes (the sadistic sergeant, KP duty, uniforms that don't fit).

Yes, it's an Army recruitment exercise, but it's more than just that. It's a good cartoon that entertains its audience.