1941 (1979) Universal-Columbia/Action-Comedy RT: 146 minutes (Extended Cut) Rated PG (language, slapstick violence, mayhem and destruction, brief nudity) Director: Steven Spielberg Screenplay: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale Music: John Williams Cinematography: William A. Fraker Release date: December 14, 1979 (US) Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, Lorraine Gary, Bobby Di Cicco, Murray Hamilton, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshiro Mifune, Warren Oates, Robert Stack, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, Lucille Benson, Jordan Brian, John Candy, Elisha Cook Jr., Eddie Deezen, Dianne Kay, Perry Lang, Patti LuPone, Frank McRae, Steven Mond, Slim Pickens, Wendie Jo Sperber, Joe Flaherty, Ignatius Wolfington, Lionel Stander, Dub Taylor, David L. Lander, Michael McKean, Don Calfa, Jerry Hardin, Brian Frishman, Donovan Scott, Audrey Landers, Maureen Teefy, Dick Miller, Walter Olkewicz, Mickey Rourke, Kerry Sherman, Andy Tennant, Sydney Lassick, Penny Marshall. Box Office: $31.7M (US)/$92.4M (World)
Rating: ****
Perhaps a better title for the wild WWII comedy 1941 is It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad War. Directed by Steven Spielberg, it features a bunch of crazies running around wildly in anticipation of a follow-up attack by the Japanese six days after the Pearl Harbor bombing. The greatest American tragedy of the 20th century might not sound like the ideal premise for a farce, but it works nonetheless thanks to a game all-star cast, an anarchic spirit and millions of dollars worth of special effects.
At the time of its release, critics weren’t too kind to 1941. They called it excessive, unfunny and heavy-handed. Here’s how I look at it. Remember the kid that lived down the block who loved to break stuff and always had M-80s on him? He’s the kid you weren’t allowed to play with. Imagine this kid collecting all his toys and creating a scenario involving him smashing them all together and blowing them up. That’s what 1941 is like!
I’d like to start by calling attention to the in-joke that opens 1941. A young woman at a beach strips nude and goes for a swim in the ocean. Wait a minute. What’s that familiar music playing over the soundtrack? Why yes, it’s the Jaws theme. This, of course, spells doom for the female swimmer. Only instead of being attacked by a shark, she finds herself clinging for dear life onto the mast of a Japanese submarine. It’s obviously a nod to the famous opening scene of Spielberg’s first blockbuster. BTW, the woman is played by Susan Backlinie who also played the shark’s first victim in Jaws. What a cool way to kick things off!
There’s a lot going on in 1941. By that, I mean several storylines tied together by the Japanese sub that’s been lurking off the coast of L.A. The commander, Mitamura (Mifune, Rashomon), is looking to destroy something of great value to the Americans, namely Hollywood. Naturally, he’s an inept buffoon with an incompetent crew. On top of that, he’s always being criticized by the Nazi officer (Lee, The Curse of Frankenstein), on board as an observer.
If anybody can be considered the main character, it’s Wally (Di Cicco, I Wanna Hold Your Hand), a civilian dishwasher whose only concern is winning the big dance contest with his girlfriend, USO hostess Betty (Kay, Eight Is Enough). Unfortunately, he has to fight cocky serviceman Corporal “Stretch” Sitarski (Williams, Hair) for her affections. In turn, Stretch is relentlessly pursued by Betty’s soldier-crazy friend Maxine (Sperber, Bachelor Party). Betty’s dad Ward (Beatty, Network) is obsessed with keeping his family safe from Japanese invaders. Sgt. Tree (Aykroyd, The Blues Brothers) shows up to inform him that the Army wants to install a large anti-aircraft gun in their yard. He gives Ward specific instructions on how NOT to operate the weapon. General Stilwell (Stack, The Untouchables) tries to calm the public by assuring them there will be NO second attack by the Japanese. He then spends the evening at a movie theater watching Dumbo while all hell breaks loose outside. His aide, horny Capt. Birkhead (Matheson, Animal House), is determined to get his boss’ new secretary Donna (Allen, Carrie) into a plane because they cause her to become sexually aroused. The local leader of the Civil Defense Force, Angelo (Stander, Hart to Hart), convinces acrophobic Claude (Hamilton, Jaws) to watch for planes atop a ferris wheel with nerdy ventriloquist Herbie (Deezen, Grease). Then there’s zany Capt. “Wild Bill” Kelso (Belushi, Animal House), a fighter pilot with a knack for leaving behind a trail of destruction everywhere he goes. He’s the movie’s wild card in every sense.
The large cast of 1941 also includes Warren Oates (Stripes), Lorraine Gary (Jaws), John Candy (Stripes), Perry Lang (The Big Red One), Frank McRae (Used Cars), Slim Pickens (Blazing Saddles), Joe Flaherty (SCTV), Patti LuPone (Driving Miss Daisy), Don Calfa (Weekend at Bernie’s), Walter Olkewicz (Jimmy the Kid), Donovan Scott (Police Academy), Mickey Rourke (Diner), Maureen Teefy (Grease 2), Michael McKean and David L. Lander (Lenny and Squiggy from Laverne & Shirley). Spielberg didn’t just direct; he also acted as traffic controller.
Once night falls in 1941, it’s bedlam! Tensions are already high with the news that only servicemen will be admitted to the local USO from now on. The zoot suiters outside don’t like the change in policy very much. Wally manages to get in and into another fight with Stretch. It results in a big brawl between soldiers and sailors. When it spills out into the streets, the zoot suiters get into it. That’s before Wild Bill chases a plane being piloted by Birkhead down Hollywood Blvd. And that’s before Ward takes matters into his own hands when he spots the sub mere miles from his home.
A lot of stuff gets destroyed. That’s the first and main thing that struck me about 1941 when I was 12. It still impresses me. 1941 is a technical wonder. It was nominated for Best Visual Effects, Best Sound and Best Cinematography at that year’s Oscars. The effects are AWESOME! Spielberg makes great use of miniatures. The scene where Wild Bill flies over the Grand Canyon is breathtaking. There’s no denying it’s a great example of master filmmaking in terms of its technical aspects. So what if the screenplay by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale (Back to the Future) is all over the place? I don’t mind. I like its disorderliness. I also don’t mind that there’s virtually no character development. 1941 isn’t the kind of movie that calls for complexity. It sees its characters in the most basic terms which is fine since they take a back seat to all the chaos and destruction.
Sadly, 1941 was a box office disappointment. It underwhelmed critics and audiences alike. With a gross of just under $32 million, it fell far short of expectations. After the dual successes of Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, studio execs expected a huge hit NOT a bronze egg laid by a big fat turkey. In my NSH (Not So Humble) opinion, 1941 isn’t that bad. In fact, I think it’s GREAT! It’s funny. That’s the most important thing about a comedy, right? It has several great scenes like the dance number in the USO. It’s a marvel of stunt work and choreography with Wally dancing with Betty with Stretch after him and Maxine after Stretch. There’s some great music too, a combination of John Williams’ score and popular tunes of the era. There’s a terrific recreation of the Andrews Sisters in the USO scenes. It would be difficult to single out any of the performances in 1941. The actors do what they do and do it just fine. Everybody has their moments, especially Gary as the dizzy housewife who refuses to allow guns in her home. This declaration is followed by the AAR crashing through her front door. Oates is a gas as an unstable Army officer known as “Madman”. Belushi and Matheson appear to recreating their roles from Animal House. Beatty looks the part of a 1940s family man. Williams makes a believable bully. Deezen is always great. He’s my favorite nerd character actor. Stack shows a flair for straight-faced comedy. He’s the guy who gets in the last word and it’s a good one.
The “Extended Cut” of 1941 runs 28 minutes longer than the theatrical version. It represents the director’s original vision. Prior to its release, Columbia and Universal (it’s a joint production) felt it was too long and cut it down against Spielberg’s wishes. The same thing would happen with The Blues Brothers the following year.
Okay, so 1941 is clunky at times. So what? I think it adds to its overall appeal. It may not be a classic or even one of Spielberg’s better efforts, but I love it just the same. It’s funny, very funny. It benefits from the riotous albeit slapdash screenplay by dynamic duo Zemeckis-Gale who also wrote two of the most underappreciated comedies from around that time, I Wanna Hold Your Hand and Used Cars. It’s a lot of fun to watch even if it’s exhausting (in a good way).
TRIVIA TIDBIT: When adjusted for inflation, 1941 would cost nearly $115 million in 2020 dollars. It would also be 100% CGI. HOLLYWOOD, PLEASE DO NOT REMAKE IT! I’m pleading with you.
