1941 (1979)

User Rating:

5.6/10   

Director:

Steven Spielberg

Writers:

Robert Zemeckis (story) &
Bob Gale (story) ...

Release Date:

14 December 1979 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | War

Tagline:

A Comedy Spectacular!

Plot:

Hysterical Californians prepare for a Japanese invasion in the days after Pearl Harbor.

Plot Keywords:

California | Pearl Harbor | Submarine | Captain | Military

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Dan Aykroyd	...	Sgt. Frank Tree
Ned Beatty	...	Ward Douglas
John Belushi	...	Capt. Wild Bill Kelso
Lorraine Gary	...	Joan Douglas
Bobby Di Cicco	...	Wally Stephens
Murray Hamilton	...	Claude Crumn
Christopher Lee	...	Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
Tim Matheson	...	Capt. Loomis Birkhead
Toshirô Mifune	...	Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura
Warren Oates	...	Col. 'Madman' Maddox
Robert Stack	...	Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell
Treat Williams	...	Cpl. Chuck 'Stretch' Sitarski
Nancy Allen	...	Donna Stratton
Lucille Benson	...	Gas Mama (Eloise) (as Lucille Bensen)
Jordan Brian	...	Macey Douglas

Also Known As:

The Night the Japs Attacked (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

118 min | USA:146 min (director's cut) | West Germany:111 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Japanese | German

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.20 : 1

Sound Mix:

Stereo (35 mm prints) | 70 mm 6-Track (70 mm prints)

Certification:

Brazil:12 | Argentina:Atp | Australia:M | Chile:TE | Finland:K-12 | France:U | Iceland:L | Netherlands:AL | Norway:12 (original rating) | Norway:15 | Peru:PT | Singapore:PG | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:PG (certificate #25726) | West Germany:12

Filming Locations:

Cannon Beach, Oregon, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Major stars such has Charlton Heston and John Wayne turned down the role of Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell. Wayne phoned director Steven Spielberg, who had given him the script, and not only turned it down due to ill health, but tried to get Spielberg to drop the project. Wayne felt it was unpatriotic and a slap in the face to WWII vets. Heston is thought to have turned it down for the same reasons. The role was taken by Robert Stack who, once in costume and make-up, actually bore a striking resemblance to the real General Stilwell.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Wally is dancing on the table the real dancer's feet are seen jumping up as Wally is jumping down.

Quotes:

Captain Wild Bill Kelso: War nerves? Who said war nerves?
The Patron: I heard it on that radio there.
[Kelso shoots the radio]
Captain Wild Bill Kelso: Radio's wrong.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Indiana Jones: Making the Trilogy (2003) (V)

Soundtrack:

Daddy

What do the critics know?

Those who can't find humor in "1941" need to loosen up. This is one of the few movies I have ever purchased for my own personal collection. The Ferris wheel scene alone is an all-time classic. This is the type of picture that is fun to watch after a hard day at work. Open up a beer and enjoy.