Outpost
About Outpost
Private Snafu is the whole garrison of a Pacific speck with one palm and one bird. He has been there 249 days, and the radio turns down his 249th transfer request. He and the bird dream about girls and wake up fighting. The bird finds a floating can labeled pickled fish eyes with rice, marked Imperial Japanese Navy. Snafu reports it. American bombers then destroy a Japanese fleet. That evening he throws the can back in the water and complains that the Army still has not found him anything important to do.
Cast & crew
More about Outpost
Chuck Jones directed. Dr. Seuss and P. D. Eastman are the credited writers. Eddie Selzer produced. Mel Blanc voices Snafu. Robert C. Bruce is also billed. The short was first released in August 1944 for the Army series. A circulating copy runs 5 minutes 9 seconds.
Themes
Background
Outpost is one of the 1944 Army Snafu shorts about reports from isolated posts. The joke is that a bored soldier's accurate label is the information that matters.
Making
Jones sets the whole lesson on one tree, one bird, and one can. The fleet is destroyed off screen from Snafu's point of view.
Music
Mel Blanc performs Private Snafu's voice.
Preservation
A print survives, running 5 minutes 9 seconds.
Notes
- The can reads pickled fish eyes with rice, and the bottom marks it as Imperial Japanese Navy.
- Snafu's 249th transfer request is refused on the radio.
- He and the bird mix up their dreams about girls, and he threatens the bird with a charge of insubordination.
- He never learns that the can he reported brought the bombers.
- His last line asks why the Army cannot find him something important to do.
Scenes
- The radio denies transfer request number 249.
- The bird fishes up a can of pickled fish eyes stamped by the Imperial Japanese Navy.
- Snafu throws the can back and says he still has nothing important to do.
Quotes
Wouldn't you think they could find something important for me to do in this here army?
