This is the true story of Jimmy Doolittle's raid over Tokyo in April of 1942, which lead directly to the battle of Midway, the turning point of the war in the Pacific. It is told through the eyes of pilot Ted Lawson and his crew, and was based on his real life account of his experiences. Van Johnson does a fine job as Lawson, and he gets great support from the remainder of the cast. The scenes on board the USS Hornet, the carrier, and the bombing of Japan, are especially good and absorbing. Most of all, this excellent movie evokes 1942 and the war, at home behind the lines and over Tokyo itself, better than any movie of its era. And the emotional farewell of the pilots and their wives was particularly touching. See it.
Review of Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
