1941 (1979)

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:

Motorcycle | Christmas Tree | Sidecar | Box Office Flop | Japanese Navy

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

US TV Schedule:

Fri. May 23

4:00 AM

TCM

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)
1941 (Argentina) (Spain) [es]
1941 (France) [fr]
1941 (Finland) [fi]
1941 (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
1941 - Uma Guerra Muito Louca (Brazil) [pt]
1941 - Ursäkta, var är Hollywood? (Sweden) [sv]
1941 - Wo bitte geht's nach Hollywood (West Germany) [de]
1941 - anteeksi, missä on Hollywood? (Finland) [fi]
1941: allarme a Hollywood (Italy) [it]

Runtime:

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

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:Livre | 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:

Writers Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale met while attending the University of Southern California Film School. One of the USC inside jokes was naming the Nazi officer played by Christopher Lee von Kleinschmidt. One of USC's most famous school presidents was Rufus von Kleinschmidt and several buildings on campus bear his name. Ironically, one of von Kleinschmidt's many accomplishments was helping start the film school.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: After Kelso crashes his plane, he opens his parachute and the wire pulling the chute away from him is visible.

Quotes:

General Joseph W. Stilwell: This isn't the state of California, it's a state of insanity.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Mystery Science Theater 3000: Master Ninja I (#4.22)" (1992)

Soundtrack:

Swing, Swing, Swing

I cant understand why this movie is so reviled...

1941 is considered to be Steven Spileberg's folly, a screwball farce about the Japanese invading America after pearl harbour, starring some of the greatest actors and comedians that ever lived. Some people hate it, I love it. Sorry for all you haters, but I guess the things I like are the things you dislike, but for the life of me, I can't understand why this movie is considered Spielberg's worst movie. For one, it's watchable, and for another, it's not full of Spielberg Schmaltz, (the thing i hate most about Senior Speilbergo's later movies, i.e Hook, Always, AI).

Treat Williams is an a$$hole but no-one plays a$$holes better (see; things to do in Denver when your dead), Robert Stack crying while watching Dumbo when a full scale dogfight rages outside the theatre, Ned Beatty destroying his house in an attempt to fight the Japanese, Slim Pickens faking doing a sh!t while Toshiro Mifune and Christopher Lee wait to find out if he's passed a compass. I'm sorry but but those are all comedic gems. Okay, so Belushi is wasted and is seemingly in this move for no reason, but Belushi in a cockpit without a bottle opener is funnier than anything with Sean William Scott in it. For me this movie hits all the right notes, and on reflection makes some very good points (the two numbskull's who mistakenly think Belushi's plane is a German fighter...the paranoia of anyone living in a coastal town after pearl harbour).

Give it another chance, then watch Jaws if you still don't like it.