Abstract
The essay presents the latest research results on Charles Chaplin’s wartime comedy Shoulder Arms (1918). It provides background information on the production of the film, describes the different camera negatives produced in 1918, and traces their uses for different releases. There were four different negatives (A, B, C, and D) and six official releases (First National domestic first release 1918–1923, international first release beginning in 1918, Pathé domestic re-release 1925–1930, Pathé international re-release 1925–1930, U.S. Army release beginning in 1944, and Revue domestic and international releases beginning in 1959). Five historical film prints/versions have been located in archives and collections so far. A table summarizes the research results and presents frame enlargements of recently discovered film prints. The images allow the attribution of individual prints/elements to one of the four original negatives. Thus, the article lays a foundation for the international research project Mapping Archival Holdings of Charlie Chaplin’s Shoulder Arms (MASh), which was launched in spring 2021.
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