BOOBY TRAPS

"Booby Traps" is one of a series of "Private Snafu" short cartoons produced between 1943 and 1945. The Snafu character (the name is an unofficial military acronym for "Situation Normal, All F*cked Up") was created by famed director Frank Capra, who served during WWII as chairman of the U.S. Army Air Force First Motion Picture Unit. Most of the shorts were produced by Warner Brothers with Mel Blanc supplying the voice of Snafu. Some of the shorts were written by Theodor "Dr. Seuss" Geisel and directed by animation superstars Chuck Jones, Friz Freleng, Bob Clampett, and Frank Tashlin. The plots of most Snafu cartoons are straightforward, with the title character showing through his irresponsible behavior what NOT to do in the Army. The plot of "Booby Traps" revolves around tripwires, snares and booby traps -- which were a menace for front line soldiers in the war. Here, Private Snafu is shown on patrol in North Africa, where he manages to find a hookah of TNT, a shapely harem girl with bombs for thighs, and a booby-trapped piano which seals his fate.