90 Day Wondering is a jointly produced Warner Brothers/United States Army animated short, directed by Chuck Jones. It is an instructional short aimed at encouraging discharged soldiers to re-enlist.
Plot[]
Ralph Phillips, a young American soldier, is ecstatic to finally be able to leave Fort Itude, spinning out of the base like a tornado. He makes a stop to buy some civilian clothes and eventually returns to his hometown of Spooner — Ralph and his family are happy to be reunited after so long and have a joyous reunion.
Readjusting to civilian life is challenging for Ralph -- for example: all of his old friends (from before he enlisted in the military) are nowhere to be found and all of his old girlfriends have long since moved on from him (being married and/or having kids of their own).
While sitting on a park bench later that night, Ralph laments how different civilian life seems compared to how it was from before he enlisted. As Ralph considers reenlisting in the military, he is approached by Pete ("The Civilian's Friend") and Re-Pete ("E-5¼"), a pair of imps who give presentations to Ralph.
- Pete's presentation tries convincing Ralph not to re-enlist in the Army, making points of how workers in the military tend to not make as much as civilians who have the same jobs as well as being forced to wear uniforms.
- Re-Pete's presentation is about why Ralphs should consider re-enlisting in the Army—while Re-Pete's presentation acknowledges that while people military might not make as much money as civilians working the same (or similar) jobs, but some of the benefits include receiving many services for free (whereas civilians would have to pay for them), having more financial security and getting things like automatic raises and promotions. There are also multiple benefits that would extend to Ralph's family as well.
Ultimately, Ralph is convinced to re-enlist and Re-Pete helps him race back to the base to "re-up."
Availability[]
Looney Tunes Golden Collection: Volume 4, Disc Three (restored)
Looney Tunes Platinum Collection: Volume 1, Disc Three (restored)
Notes[]
- The MPAA logo appears on the credits, but not its number.
- As this short was created for the United States government, it was never copyrighted, thus it is in the public domain in the United States.
- While not directly touched upon in the short, it is subtly implied that Ralph was having a hard time finding a job after leaving the military and returning home, since one of the incentives of him re-enlisting was financial security.
Gallery[]
