1941 (1979)

***1941*** is a 1979 American war comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg and written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale. The film stars an ensemble cast including Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshiro Mifune, Robert Stack, Nancy Allen, and Mickey Rourke in his film debut. The story involves a panic in the Los Angeles area after the December 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.

Co-writer Gale stated the plot is loosely based on what has come to be known as the Great Los Angeles Air Raid of 1942, as well as the bombardment of the Ellwood oil refinery, near Santa Barbara, by a Japanese submarine. Many other events in the film were based on real incidents, including the Zoot Suit Riots and an incident in which the U.S. Army placed an anti-aircraft gun in a homeowner's yard on the Maine coast.

The film received heavily mixed reviews from critics with criticism towards the script, pacing and humor but praise towards the visual effects, sound, production design, John Williams's score and cinematography.

Although *1941* was not as financially nor critically successful as many of Spielberg's other films, the film was still a box office success and it received belated popularity after an expanded version aired on ABC, with subsequent television broadcasts and home video reissues, raising it to cult status.

## Shooting

* Filming was from October 23rd, 1978 - May 16th, 1979.

## Cast

* Dan Aykroyd - Sergeant Frank Tree
* Ned Beatty - Ward Douglas
* John Belushi - Captain "Wild" Bill Kelso
* Lorraine Gary - Joan Douglas
* Murray Hamilton - Claude Crumn
* Christopher Lee - Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
* Tim Matheson - Captain Loomis Birkhead
* Toshirô Mifune - Commander Akiro Mitamura (as Toshiro Mifune)
* Warren Oates - Colonel "Madman" Maddox
* Robert Stack - Major General Joseph W. Stilwell
* Treat Williams - Corporal Chuck "Stretch" Sitarski
* Nancy Allen - Donna Stratton
* Lucille Benson - Eloise aka Gas Mama (as Lucille Bensen)
* Jordan Cohen - Macey Douglas (as Jordan Brian)
* John Candy - Private Foley
* Elisha Cook Jr. - Dexter (as Elisha Cook)
* Eddie Deezen - Herbie Kazlminsky
* Bobby Di Cicco - Wally Stephens
* Dianne Kay - Betty Douglas
* Perry Lang - Dennis DeSoto
* Patti LuPone - Lydia Hedberg
* J. Patrick McNamara - Private DuBois
* Frank McRae - Private Ogden Johnson Jones
* Steven Mond - Gus Douglas
* Slim Pickens - Hollis "Holly" P. Wood
* Wendie Jo Sperber - Maxine Dexheimer
* Lionel Stander - Angelo Scioli
* Dub Taylor - Mr. Malcomb
* Iggie Wolfington - Meyer Mishkin (as Ignatius Wolfington)
* Christian Brackett-Zika - Stevie Douglas (as Christian Zika)
* Joe Flaherty - Raoul Lipschitz (as Joseph P. Flaherty)
* David L. Lander - Joe (as David Lander)
* Michael McKean - Willy
* Susan Backlinie - Polar Bear Woman
* E. Hampton Beagle - Phone Man
* Deborah Benson - USO Girl
* Don Calfa - Telephone Operator
* Dave Cameron - Reporter
* Vito Carenzo - Vito (Shore Patrol)
* Mark Carlton - Stilwell Aide
* Gary Carlos Cervantes - Zoot Suiter (as Gary Cervantes)
* Paul Cloud - Stilwell Aide
* Luis Contreras - Zoot Suiter
* Carol Culver - Anderson Sister
* Lucinda Dooling - Lucinda
* Gray Frederickson - Lieutenant Bressler
* Brian Frishman - USO Goon
* Samuel Fuller - Interceptor Commander (as Sam Fuller)
* Marjorie Gaines - Anderson Sister
* Dian Gallup - Twin
* Denise Gallup - Twin
* Trish Garland - Anderson Sister
* Barbara Gannen - Interceptor Assistant
* Brad Gorman - USO Nerd
* Jerry Hardin - Map Man
* Diane Hardin - Interceptor Assistant (as Diane Hill)
* Robert Houston - Maddox's Soldier (as Bob Houston)
* Audrey Landers - USO Girl
* John Landis - Mizerany
* Mark Marias - Department Store Kid
* John McKee - Reporter (as John R. McKee)
* Ronnie McMillan - Winowski
* Dan McNally - Reporter
* Dick Miller - Officer Miller (as Richard Miller)
* Akio Mitamura - Ashimoto
* Antoinette Molinari - Mrs. Scioli
* Walter Olkewicz - Hinshaw
* Mickey Rourke - Reese
* Whitney Rydbeck - Daffy
* Donovan Scott - Kid Sailor
* Kerry Sherman - USO Girl
* Hiroshi Shimizu - Ito
* Geno Silva - Martinez
* Rita Taggart - Reporter
* Maureen Teefy - USO Girl
* Andy Tennant - Babyface
* Jack Thibeau - Stilwell Aide
* Galen Thompson - Stilwell Aide
* Frankie Verroca - USO Nerd (as Frank Verroca)
* John Voldstad - USO Nerd
* Carol Ann Williams - USO Girl
* Jenny Williams - USO Girl

**Rest of cast listed alphabetically:**

* Doug Boethin - Sergeant (uncredited)
* James Caan - Sailor in Fight (uncredited)
* Denise Cheshire - Swimming Girl (at U-boat Periscope) (uncredited)
* Alan Doshna - Sailor (uncredited)
* Sandra Gray - Dancer (uncredited)
* Raven Grey Eagle
* Sydney Lassick - Salesman (uncredited)
* Mo Lauren - Girl in Dance Club (uncredited)
* Farley Malorrus - Sergeant Murray, Army Air Corp. (uncredited)
* Penny Marshall - Miss Fitzroy (uncredited)
* Steve Moriarty - Sailor in Dancehall Fight (uncredited)
* Hank Robinson - Officer at Meeting (uncredited)
* Debbie Rothstein - USO Girl (Jitterbugger) (uncredited)

## Link

* https://ww2-movie-characters.fandom.com/wiki/Category:1941