Review of The Vanishing Private

. . . THE VANISHING PRIVATE blazed a trail for the "Draftee's Pipe Dream" (aka, "fragging"). This animated short initially features what could be termed "reverse fragging," as the abusive drill sergeant begins lobbing live hand grenades at Private "Donald Duck" (6:05). However, in a clear case of "ducky see, ducky do," Donald soon engineers a more complete demolition of BOTH the hapless sergeant and his CO--the General--through the mid-air explosion of about 26 grenades (7:08). This latter example of "letting off some steam" by eliminating superior officers (THE VANISHING PRIVATE indicates that the General was mortally wounded) was encouraged by the U.S. "War Department" censors serving as judge, jury, and executioner for every frame of film Hollywood churned out during World War Two. (Of course, THE VANISHING PRIVATE concludes with Donald standing guard over the wounded sergeant as the latter awaits his court martial for endangering privates.) The military "Brass" recognized that a mostly conscript Army needed the "safety valve" fragging represents to deal with the more sadistic "Commissioned" and "Noncom" salute recipients attracted by such totalitarian groups when they get out of line and become too much for the privates to stomach (giving rise to the Armed Services adage, "A frag in time boosts troop morale to Nine!").