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Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

  • 1944
  • Passed
  • 2h 18m
IMDb RATING
7.2/10
6.2K
YOUR RATING
Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson, and Phyllis Thaxter in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
Watch Official Trailer
Play trailer3:06
1 Video
99+ Photos
DramaHistoryWar

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.

  • Director
    • Mervyn LeRoy
  • Writers
    • Dalton Trumbo
    • Ted W. Lawson
    • Bob Considine
  • Stars
    • Spencer Tracy
    • Van Johnson
    • Robert Walker
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    7.2/10
    6.2K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Writers
      • Dalton Trumbo
      • Ted W. Lawson
      • Bob Considine
    • Stars
      • Spencer Tracy
      • Van Johnson
      • Robert Walker
    • 65User reviews
    • 18Critic reviews
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 2 wins & 1 nomination total

    Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 3:06
    Watch Official Trailer

    Photos119

    "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" Spencer Tracy, Robert Walker, Don Defore, Van Johnson 1944 MGM
    "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" Robert Walker, Van Johnson, Spencer Tracy 1944 MGM
    "Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo" Phyllis Thaxter, Spencer Tracy, Van Johnson 1944 MGM
    Robert Mitchum, Spencer Tracy, and Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Robert Mitchum, Spencer Tracy, and Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Robert Mitchum, Spencer Tracy, and Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Spencer Tracy in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Spencer Tracy and Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Van Johnson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)
    Selena Royle and Phyllis Thaxter in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Spencer Tracy
    Spencer Tracy
    • Lieutenant Colonel James H. Doolittle
    Van Johnson
    Van Johnson
    • Ted Lawson
    Robert Walker
    Robert Walker
    • David Thatcher
    Tim Murdock
    • Dean Davenport
    Don DeFore
    Don DeFore
    • Charles McClure
    Herbert Gunn
    Herbert Gunn
    • Bob Clever
    • (as Gordon McDonald)
    Phyllis Thaxter
    Phyllis Thaxter
    • Ellen Lawson
    Stephen McNally
    Stephen McNally
    • 'Doc' White
    • (as Horace McNally)
    John R. Reilly
    John R. Reilly
    • 'Shorty' Manch
    Robert Mitchum
    Robert Mitchum
    • Bob Gray
    Scott McKay
    Scott McKay
    • Davey Jones
    Donald Curtis
    Donald Curtis
    • Lieut. Randall
    Louis Jean Heydt
    Louis Jean Heydt
    • Lieut. Miller
    William 'Bill' Phillips
    William 'Bill' Phillips
    • Don Smith
    • (as Wm. 'Bill' Phillips)
    Douglas Cowan
    Douglas Cowan
    • 'Brick' Holstrom
    Paul Langton
    Paul Langton
    • Captain 'Ski' York
    Leon Ames
    Leon Ames
    • Lieut. Jurika
    Bill Williams
    Bill Williams
    • Bud Felton
    • Director
      • Mervyn LeRoy
    • Writers
      • Dalton Trumbo
      • Ted W. Lawson
      • Bob Considine
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      When Lawson's plane arrives in Tokyo and sees the fire and smoke from the previous bomber, Davy Jones, we are not looking at a special effect. During the making of the film, there was a fuel-oil fire in Oakland, near the filming location. The quick-thinking filmmakers scrambled to fly their camera plane and B-25 through the area, capturing some very real footage for the movie.
    • Goofs
      The injuries of the crew of the Ruptured Duck are not completely correct. Lawson was hurt the worse, as the movie tries to portray, but in fact his face was pushed in from going through the windscreen of his plane. All of his front teeth were loosened and fell out into his hand when he tried to straighten them. His lower lip was laid open to the cleft in his chin. In addition to his leg being gashed open, his left bicep was severed in half. McClure's injuries were accurately portrayed; both shoulders were broken from hitting the backs of Lawson and Davenports seats. Davenport was shown was being non-ambulatory in the movie and generally helpless; however, other than a bad cut on his forehead (he went through the windscreen too), he was able to move around and help his three more badly injured crew mates. Clever was as badly injured as the movie portrayed him. Thatcher was the least injured, although he had a bleeding bump on his head, which was not shown in the movie. Thatcher received commendation for his efforts to help the three badly-injured crew members.
    • Quotes

      Ted Lawson: Goodbye.

      Young Dr. Chung: I have one sorrow, Lieutenant. that we did not have the medicine to ease your pain.

      Ted Lawson: You saved my life, Doc.

      Young Dr. Chung: I hope that someday you'll come back to us.

      Ted Lawson: We'll be back. Maybe not us ourselves but a lotta guys like us, and I'd like to be with them. You're our kind of people.

      Young Dr. Chung: Thank you, sir.

    • Crazy credits
      Intro: "One-hundred and thirty-one days after December 7, 1941, a handful of young men, who had never dreamed of glory, struck the first blow at the heart of Japan. This is their true story we tell here."
    • Alternate versions
      There is an alternate colorized version.
    • Connections
      Edited into Bridge to the Sun (1961)
    • Soundtracks
      The Army Air Corps Song
      (1939) (uncredited)

      Written by Robert Crawford

      Played during the opening credits

    User reviews65

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    10/10
    One of the best WWII films made and it's true.
    I think this film is one of the best WWII films (if not the best) made during the war. The principal reason is that it's true and based on the famous Doolittle Raid on Japan on April 18, 1942. The movie follows the lives of a few of the members of that raid and focuses specifically on the experiences of Lt. Ted Lawson, who wrote the book. While a few of the stateside scenes are a bit corny and mushy, it nicely weaves in the story of one flyer and his wife and the way they handle their impending separation due to the upcoming mission. One needs to remember the need to portray and establish patriotism and an "apple pie and mom" sense during a difficult wartime environment when the film was released in 1944. In fact, just as the Doolittle Raid was carried out to bolster flagging US morale after Pearl Harbor (Dec 7, 1941)and a series of US and allied losses in the Pacific war in early 1942, this movie of the raid again plays the role of morale booster for the home front in 1944. The flying scenes, as well as the special effects, are pretty good for the 1940's movie making era and perfect for most WWII aviation buffs. This Hollywood movie version of the book of the same name written by Lt. Ted Lawson and edited by Robert Considine is fairly true to the book, with very minor changes for story continuity and some levity. Spencer Tracy does a good job as Lt. Col. Jimmie Doolittle and adds the needed seriousness to the early part of the film. Van Johnson's role of Lt. Ted Lawson was perfectly played and Phyllis Thaxter as his wife is charming. The story of the early part of their marriage adds the right tone to this movie and sort of personifies all of these types of marriages and relationships that were "put on hold" because of a war. The movie turns quite serious, of course, once the raid begins. The underlying story is quite serious and relates the story of a group of flyers who volunteered for an extremely dangerous mission without even knowing what the mission is. I think this is one of the main attractions of this movie for me...that someone is willing to sacrifice their life for their country when asked to possibly do just that. It is selfish acts like this that we in the US should continue to recognize and to be eternally grateful to those of the WWII generation such as those who took part in this famous and unique event in US aviation history.
    helpful•49
    7
    • Yayo-3
    • Aug 25, 1999

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • November 1944 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Languages
      • English
      • Mandarin
    • Also known as
      • 30 sekundi nad Tokijom
    • Filming locations
      • Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach, Florida, USA
    • Production company
      • Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

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    • Budget
      • $2,900,000 (estimated)
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      2 hours 18 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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