1941

19791979
14A14A
1h 58m

John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Nancy Allen in 1941 (1979)

Trailer 1

Play trailer1:47

Action Comedy War

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

Director
- Steven Spielberg
Writers
- Robert Zemeckis(screenplay)
- Bob Gale(screenplay)
- John Milius(story)
Stars

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Nominated for 3 Oscars
- 6 nominations total

Videos1

1941

Ned Beatty in 1941 (1979)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in 1941 (1979)

1941 (1979)

John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Robert Stack in 1941 (1979)

John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, Nancy Allen, and Dianne Kay in 1941 (1979)

John Belushi in 1941 (1979)

John Belushi in 1941 (1979)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in 1941 (1979)

1941 (1979)

John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in 1941 (1979)

1941 (1979)

Eddie Deezen in 1941 (1979)

Capt. Wild Bill Kelsoas Capt. Wild Bill Kelso

Sgt. Frank Treeas Sgt. Frank Tree

Cpl. Chuck 'Stretch' Sitarskias Cpl. Chuck 'Stretch' Sitarski

Donna Strattonas Donna Stratton

Ward Douglasas Ward Douglas

Joan Douglasas Joan Douglas

Murray Hamilton

Claude Crumnas Claude Crumn

Christopher Lee

Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidtas Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt

Capt. Loomis Birkheadas Capt. Loomis Birkhead

Toshirô Mifune

Cmdr. Akiro Mitamuraas Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura
(as Toshiro Mifune)

Col. 'Madman' Maddoxas Col. 'Madman' Maddox

Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwellas Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell

Gas Mama (Eloise)as Gas Mama (Eloise)
(as Lucille Bensen)

Macey Douglasas Macey Douglas
(as Jordan Brian)

Pvt. Foleyas Pvt. Foley

Elisha Cook Jr.

The Patron (Dexter)as The Patron (Dexter)
(as Elisha Cook)

Herbie Kazlminskyas Herbie Kazlminsky

Wally Stephensas Wally Stephens

Director
- Steven Spielberg
Writers
- Robert Zemeckis(screenplay) (story)
- Bob Gale(screenplay) (story)
- John Milius(story)
All cast & crew
See more cast details at IMDbPro

Hysteria grips California in the wake of the bombing of Pearl Harbor. An assorted group of defenders attempt to make the coast defensible against an imagined Japanese invasion, in this big budget, big cast comedy. Members of a Japanese submarine crew scout out the madness, along with a Captain in Germany's Kreigsmarine (Navy). —Keith Loh <loh@sfu.ca>

year 1941 slapstick comedy california female rear nudity christmas 116 more

Taglines
- Paranoia meets pandemonium.
Genres
Certificate
- 14A
Parents guide

Trivia
According to co-writer Bob Gale in the DVD documentary, many of the events in the movie are based on real incidents. The Army really put an anti-aircraft gun in the yard of a homeowner on the Maine coast. The Japanese submarine I-17 shelled a refinery in Ellwood on the California coast on the evening of February 23, 1942. Although the shells missed the refinery by a wide margin, the unexpected attack started an invasion panic that late the next night resulted in an air raid false alarm over Los Angeles. Civil Defense and Army weapons ended up firing into the air for about an hour, thinking they were being attacked by the Japanese. The infamous Zoot Suit Riots, between Hispanic youths and servicemen, took place in June 1943.

Goofs
Herbie and Claude change position on the ferris wheel. Spielberg did that deliberately for comedic effect.

Quotes
Japanese soldier: [trying to squeeze a large radio into the sub] We've got to figure out how to make these things smaller!

Crazy credits
End credits feature scenes showing cast members screaming.

Alternate versions
The version released on network television and VHS/DVD/laserdisc is Spielberg's original director's cut, running 146 minutes, fleshing out sub-plots and characterizations, including:
Wally and Dennis getting thrown out onto the street by Mr. Malcomb after he fires them from the diner where they work.
Miss Fitzroy lecturing a group of women, Betty and Maxine among them, about tonight's USO dance which is interupted by a group of Army service men and Sailors entering and chanting wanting the women.
A department store scene with Wally fussing about buying an expensive new zoot suit and Dennis sounding a phoney air-raid siren which leads to panic in the store including a gun-toting Santa Claus yelling out command orders which is revealed to be a set up by Wally who walks out of the store wearing the zoot suit while Dennis meets the twin girls for the first time.
A scene with Scioli outside his house arguing with his non-English speaking wife about converting their car into an armored car while talking with Claude about sending him and someone else atop the Santa Monica ferris wheel on a spot mission for Japanese planes.
A extra scene with Ito and the I-19 Japanese submarine shore party disguising themselves as Christmas trees in a remote Christmas tree lot and the drunken Hollis Wood trying to "chop" them down which leads to his capture.
Scioli arriving at the ferris wheel with Claude and Herbie and explaing to them about their mission in the ferris wheel.
A dinner scene at the Douglas home and Ward explaining to Betty about her going to the USO dance and telling her about the pros and cons about meeting servicemen.
A barracks scene with Odgen Johnson Jones arriving for the first time at the barracks and imediately quarling with the racist Foley about property lines within their quarters.
A scene outside the USO club where Wally arrives and meets with Martinez and his Zoot Suit friends where they are denied access to the club where Corporal Stretch shows up and sets Wally's zoot suit afire which nearly leads to a riot between the Zoot Suiters and the Servicemen. Wally then meets Dennis dressed up as a Marine in order to gain entrance into the club with the twins as his dates.
Additional dialoge between Captain Birkhead and Donna in their car on the way to the airstrip and being afraid of the dark.
Another barracks scene where Sergeant Tree breaks up a fistfight between Jones and Foley by informing them about the riot on Hollywood Blvd. and showing them climing into their tank and starting it up.
A scene of the Japanese submarine I-19 arriving for the first time outside the Douglas house and the sub's entire crew on the deck watching Joan Douglas taking a bath through the bathroom window.
A scene of the tank traveling down a residential street and Wally shooting up Officer Miller's police car to pieces, sending the policeman and some paserby's running for their lives.

Connections
Featured in At the Movies: Special Show: The Magic of Spielberg (1984)

Soundtracks
Down by the Ohio
Music by Abe Olman (uncredited)
Lyrics by Jack Yellen (uncredited)
Performed by The Andrews Sisters
Courtesy of MCA Records, Inc.

Top review

7/10

Worth watching at least once.

1941 is a unique movie. 1 part of it is animal house-esque lowbrow humor, 1 part is B-movie love story, and 1 part stoic war movie, and 2 parts insane hilarity.

It is a weird mix to say the least.

First, the problems: 1. The first half of the movie is slow. It grinds on making you wonder why you're watching this movie.

2. The "Love story" subplot is poorly executed for what this movie is trying to do.

3. many of the actors are not used to their fullest potential (especially Dan Akroyd and John Candy) while others receive excessive screen time. (see: The slow moving love story sub-plot) But then there are the good aspects: 1. John Belushi is hilarious. He would have been funnier had he interacted with more characters rather than appearing in many solo shots, but he was funny.

2. The "Epic Battle" was great. It had me laughing as my sides hurt.

3. Slim Pickens: His appearance in the movie was truly where the movie stopped being slow, and the fun really started. He was great in his scenes and between the dialogue and his visual scenes, you can't help but laugh.

There's more, but in short, if you don't mind sitting through a slow build up, the payoff is worth the wait.

It's not the best movie ever, but in the barren entertainment landscape that is Weekend Television: Finding this movie can be like an oasis in the desert. It's solid Saturday afternoon fun.

helpful•72

29

zmanjz
Mar 19, 2005

What are the differences between the Theatrical Version and the Director's Cut?

Release date
- December 14, 1979 (Canada)
Country of origin
- United States
Languages
Also known as
- 1941: La folie gagne Hollywood
Filming locations
- Gold Beach, Oregon, USA
Production companies
See more company credits at IMDbPro

Budget
- $35,000,000 (estimated)
Gross US & Canada
- $31,755,742
Opening weekend US & Canada
- $2,701,898
- Dec 16, 1979
Gross worldwide
- $92,455,742

See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

Runtime
1 hour 58 minutes
Color
- Color
Aspect ratio
- 2.39 : 1

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John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd, and Nancy Allen in 1941 (1979)

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