In the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941, the city Los Angeles is in turmoil. Panic sweeps the streets and everyone is worried that they will be the next place of attack. Major General Stillman (Stack) is assigned to protect the coast.
Meanwhile, a Japanese submarine is lost along the California coastline. Commander Akiro Mitamura (Mifune) and crew have orders to torpedo Hollywood, but their compass doesn't work, so the Commander sends a group ashore to find out where they are, much to the chagrin of Nazi Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt (Lee).
Meanwhile, panic runs rampant in the Santa Monica / Los Angeles area. The local club is now a USO spot, for military personnel only. And the army puts an anti-aircraft defense battery in the front yard of a coastal home. That evening, at the dance, all hell breaks loose...
Not your typical Steven Spielberg film. Although the opening is reminiscent of Spielberg's Jaws: a woman on the beach alone at night strips down and dives into the ocean, swimming out into the water, and then the notorious "Jaws Theme" as the oblivious woman. From there, the film embraces absurd characters and situations, featuring a slew of big name comedy actors. At the time of it's release, this film was considered Spielberg's first flop. However, since then it has seen some success.
It is a unique movie... following several interlocking storylines. John Belushi steals the show as the slightly off-kilter "Will Bill" Kelso. Most of his screen time is confined to the cockpit of his plane, and he does not interact much with the rest of the cast. Dan Aykroyd and John Candy are underused as the tank crew, but they do get a few laughs. Slim Pickens is another scene stealer, as the prisoner aboard the Japanese sub. The man is hilarious. Tim Matheson does the usual "ladies man" route, which works. Robert Stack's Major General Stillman is the voice of reason, the straight man amid the chaos.
And then there is the love story subplot. Bobby Di Cicco's Wally and Dianne Kay's Betty are teens in love. He just got fired from another job, and she is a new USO host. It is supposed to be the night they win a dance competition, but Wally isn't a cop and isn't allowed in the club. This plot has funny moments, but drags on. Treat Williams is a good villain, but even the prospect of him isn't enough.
In spite of that, everything else works. And the film culminates in the attack on the city, which brings in all of the subplots. It is a great spectacle!
A decent comedy, in the vein of Animal House (which also features Belushi and Matheson).
1941 (1979) 118 minutes
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Dan Aykroyd as Sgt Frank Tree
Ned Beatty as Ward Douglas
John Belushi as Captain Wild Bill Kelso
Christopher Lee as Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
Tim Matheson as Captain Loomis Birkhead
Toshiro Mifune as Commander Akiro Mitamura
Robert Stack as Major General Joseph Stillman
Treat Williams as Corporal "Stretch" Sitarski
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