1941 Movie - MoviesOnline!

1941
This movie has a 0% Approval Rating Based on 0 Reviews Read Reviews

It's December of 1941, and the people of California are in varying states of unease, ranging from a sincere desire to defend the country to virtual blind panic, in the wake of the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Thus begin several story threads that comprise the "plot" of this strange period comedy, a sort of satirical disaster movie, from Steven Spielberg.

The stories and story threads involve lusty young men, officers (Tim Matheson) and civilians (Bobby Di Cicco) alike, eager to bed the young ladies of their dreams; Wild Bill Kelso, a nutsy fighter pilot (John Belushi) following what he thinks is a squadron of Japanese fighters along the California coast; a well-meaning but clumsy tank crew (including John Candy) led by straight-arrow, by-the-book Sgt. Tree (Dan Aykroyd), who doesn't recognize the thug (Treat Williams) in his command; homeowner Ward Douglas (Ned Beatty), who is eager to do his part for the nation's defense, and, despite the misgivings of his wife ({Lorraine Gary), doesn't mind his front yard overlooking the ocean being chosen to house a 40mm anti-aircraft gun; a pair of grotesquely inept airplane spotters (Murray Hamilton, Eddie Deezen) who are doing their job from atop a ferris wheel at a beachfront amusement park; a paranoid army colonel (Warren Oates) positive that the Japanese are infiltrating from the hills; and a big dance being held on behalf of servicemen, being attended by a lusty young woman of size (Wendie Jo Sperber) eager to land a man in uniform; and General Joseph ("Vinegar Joe") Stillwell (Robert Stack), in charge of the defense of the West Coast, who can't seem to get anyone to listen to him when he says to keep calm.

And, oh yes, there's also a real Japanese submarine that has gotten all the way to the California coast under the command of its captain (Toshiro Mifune) and a German officer observer (Christopher Lee), only to find itself without a working compass or usable maps -- its captain won't leave until the sub has attacked a militarily significant, honorable target, and the only one that anyone aboard ship knows of in California is Hollywood . . . . By New Year's Eve, all of these characters are going to cross paths, directly or once-removed, in a comedy of errors and destruction strongly reminiscent of the finale to National Lampoon's Animal House (as well as several disaster movies from the same studio), but on a much larger and more impressive scale.

Director:
Cast: Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, Lorraine Gary, Murray Hamilton, Christopher Lee, Tim Matheson, Toshirô Mifune, Warren Oates, Robert Stack, Treat Williams, Nancy Allen, Lucille Benson, Jordan Brian, John Candy, Elisha Cook Jr., Eddie Deezen, Bobby Di Cicco, Dianne Kay, Perry Lang, Patti LuPone, J. Patrick McNamara, Frank McRae, Steven Mond, Slim Pickens, Wendie Jo Sperber, Lionel Stander, Dub Taylor, Iggie Wolfington, Christian Zika, Joe Flaherty, David L. Lander, Michael McKean, Susan Backlinie, E. Hampton Beagle, Deborah Benson-Wald, Don Calfa, Dave Cameron, Vito Carenzo, Mark Carlton, Gary Cervantes, Paul Cloud, Luis Contreras, Carol Culver, Lucinda Dooling, Gray Frederickson, Brian Frishman, Samuel Fuller, Marjorie Gaines, Dian Gallup, Denise Gallup, Trish Garland, Barbara Gannen, Brad Gorman, Jerry Hardin, Diane Hill, Robert Houston, Audrey Landers, John Landis, Mark Marias, John McKee, Ronnie McMillan, Dan McNally, Dick Miller, Dr. Akio Mitamura, Antoinette Molinari, Walter Olkewicz, Mickey Rourke, Whitney Rydbeck, Donovan Scott, Kerry Sherman, Hiroshi Shimizu, Geno Silva, Rita Taggart, Maureen Teefy, Andy Tennant, Jack Thibeau, Galen Thompson, Frank Verroca, John Voldstad, Carol Ann Williams, Jenny Williams, Sydney Lassick, James Caan, Penny Marshall, Debbie Rothstein, Denise Cheshire

Submit Update: Do you have an update or addition to add to this movie listing? Please feel free to contribute your update. As a reader of our site you are encouraged to contribute casting updates, dvd release dates, etc. Share your knowledge and have your say by contributing updates.