1941 (1979)

The question that often gets asked in Film Studies classes is: Who’s your favorite filmmaker? Without any hesitation I can tell you that my favorite filmmaker is Steven Spielberg. What? Blasphemy, you say! How can you rank Steven Spielberg higher than the likes of Alfred Hitchcock or Jean Luc Godard? Okay, maybe you’re not saying this, but this response was common amongst the UW-Milwaukee film professors. One of my professors had nothing but disdain for Spielberg, claiming that his films were “manipulative.” Which is true, but then again so are the films of Hitchcock and for that matter Jean Luc Godard.  In fact, the underlying success to all GREAT cinema is manipulating the audience into caring about the characters that inhabit the screen.  Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho is possibly the most manipulative movie ever made; for the first 45 minutes the audience roots for Marion Crane, completely sympathetic to her plight, and are thus horrified when she is brutally murdered right before their eyes. The whole success of this scene is dependent on whether or not the audience cares for Marion, if they don’t, then it’s a complete bust! 

Now a film professor might respond with, “The shower scene is terrifying regardless as to whether or not the audience sympathizes with Marion.”  It might be, if the shower scene happened at the very beginning of the film, but it happens midway through the actual movie, after the audience has spent a good deal of time observing Marion Crane. If they don’t connect with her character on some level, then more than likely, they won’t make it to the shower scene, thus rendering it useless.  

I bring this point up, because the idea that Spielberg is a lesser filmmaker for being  manipulative is a completely INVALID point. In fact, what makes Spielberg a great filmmaker is his ability to get an emotional reaction out of his audience, despite the fact that what’s onscreen is absolute fiction (I’m of course talking about his wonderful fantasy films, as opposed to his problematic attempts at history).   E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial became one of the highest grossing films of all time, because Spielberg was able to make his audience care about a rubber puppet.  This may not seem impressive at first, but once you watch the 1989 rip off Mac and Me, you’ll totally appreciate just what Spielberg was able to accomplish. Jaws was a movie that in lesser hands could have been laughable, but thanks to Spielberg’s expertise became a classic. Again, if you doubt my word, watch any of the Jaws rip offs that have cluttered the video shelves and the Syfy channel for the last few decades, you will greatly appreciate the restraint Spielberg brought to the material.  Whether they admit or not, one of the main reasons why people from my generation got into film was because of Steven Spielberg. His films played a crucial part in most of our lives. 

Now, I’m sure one of the three people reading this article will say to him/herself, “Yeah, those films were good, but, God almighty did that last Indiana Jones film suck!  What was with that awful scene in which that annoying Shia kid swings from vine to vine like Tarzan? How embarrassing! Worst…Movie…EVER!”   First off, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull is far from being the worst movie ever made, that dubious distinction belongs to the Robin Williams movie Patch Adams. Secondly, it’s true that Spielberg has had a few misfires in his long career, but then again, so has just about every director in cinema history. It happens. However, even Spielberg’s misfires often have a few scenes that make it worthwhile; Crystal Skull maybe laughable in many parts, but the chase scene through the college campus is a lot of fun.  The Lost World is a dreadful film, but I personally like the scenes of the T-Rex rampaging through the streets of San Diego; there’s very little logic at work, but they are amusing.  And this is when I turn my attention to Spielberg’s first major misfire 1941; a big budgeted comedy about the paranoia that enveloped the West Coast following Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. 

1941 was a God send for Spielberg’s detractors, “At last,” they proclaimed, “that Spielberg is finally being exposed for the fraud that he is.” They gleefully chuckled as the film died at the box office, hoping that this would be the last they would ever see of this “upstart” filmmaker, only to have their hopes dashed two years later when Raiders of the Lost Ark would prove to be a huge box office smash.  At this point in his career, Spielberg had never really tasted failure before; his first theatrical film The Sugarland Express did very little business at the box office, but it was made for a rather modest budget, hence it proved to be a low risk venture for the studio.  Jaws essentially created the blockbuster and Close Encounters of the Third Kind was a huge hit, even if its success was overshadowed by Star Wars. Spielberg was riding a hot hand and was thought to have the Midas touch; he could do no wrong in the studio’s eye. 

In theory 1941 had all the ingredients of a box office bonanza; a great director at the helm, a screenplay by two gifted writers (Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale), an impressive array of stunts and special effects, and more importantly, an all star cast.  The most inspired piece of casting was getting John Belushi to play the small, but pivotal role of Wild Bill Kelso. Belushi at this point was a huge star on “Saturday Night Live” and was coming off his scene stealing role as Bluto in National Lampoon’s Animal House; he was a hot commodity and thus making it more impressive that he was willing to play a supporting role.  However, despite his limited screen time, Belushi is given prominent billing in the credits and it’s usually his face that is seen on the posters as well as most merchandise and promotional items. 

  

1941 is from the “the bigger the better” style of comedy that is seen in movies like: It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, The Great Race, Catch-22, and The Russians Are Coming, The Russians Are Coming. These films are not just comedies, but grand spectacles as well.  The irony is that, especially in the case of 1941 and It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, the biggest laughs often come from a well known dramatic actor, instead of the big named comedians that mug endlessly for the camera. Spencer Tracy’s performance in It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World is easily the best thing about the movie, largely due to his understated acting; Tracy is able to get a laugh by slightly changing the expression on his face. In 1941, the funniest scene is not of Belushi hamming it up, but of Robert Stack (as General Stilwell) getting overwhelmed with emotion while watching Dumbo. Stilwell up until this point in the movie (and after) is a fairly straightforward, no nonsense character and it’s absolutely hilarious to see this rather uptight man tear up to the song “Baby Mine” and sing along to “When I See An Elephant Fly.”

I have a confession to make….I absolutely love 1941. It’s true that as a whole the film simply doesn't work; it never quite gels together and too often the characters get lost in all the chaos. The film’s main flaw is not the lack of original ideas, but it’s that there are just too many ideas onscreen. It is littered with endless subplots and supporting characters, so along with Stilwell watching Dumbo, we are shown the following stories:

1)      Bobby is a young man from the “wrong side of the tracks,” whose main goal is to dance with the lovely Betty as the USO. However, he is constantly being thwarted by the Neanderthal that is Corporal “Stretch” Sitarski (Treat Williams), who has his eyes on Betty as well, despite her resistance to him. In theory, Bobby is the true protagonist of 1941 as he’s the only character given an actual character arc; he goes from being a disrespected "hoodlum" to being put in charge of sinking the Japanese sub at the film’s end.  Bobby Diciccio is likable enough as Bobby and Dianne Kay is appealing as Betty, but Spielberg doesn’t do them any favors by constantly cutting away from their story line  Whenever it seems you’re just about to get caught up in their lives the film will cut another story line, already in progress. 

2)      Captain Birkhead’s (Tim Matheson) attempts to go all  the way with  Donna Stratton (Nancy Allen). It is revealed that Stratton has an airplane fetish and will only go all the way if she is up in an airplane. Birkhead finally gets her up in the air and is nearly killed for his effort.

3)      Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi) is a crazy airplane pilot, who is convinced he is chasing a squadron of Japanese fighter pilots.  Kelso really doesn’t come into prominence until  the second half of the film, but ends up tying the stories together. (He shoots down the plane with Birkhead and Stratton, tells Stilwell about the sub, and orders Wally (after being trapped underneath a giant plastic Santa Claus) to sink the sub. Belushi is always amusing, but never really funny (except for the fall he does off the wing of the airplane).

4)      The Japanese submarine crew, whose mission it is to destroy Hollywood in hopes it will demoralize the Americans. They blow up an abandoned amusement park instead and think they have accomplished a great victory for Japan. The scenes are amusing largely due to the interaction between horror great Christopher and Kurosawa regular Toshiro Mifune. 

5)      Sgt. Frank Tree and his incompetent tank crew. Though, in one of the rare instances, the Frank Tree storyline nicely intertwines with Bobby’s, as Sitarski is a member of Tree’s crew. Tree himself is often the voice of sanity, when Sitarski is about to punch Bobby at the beginning, he intervenes saying, “I hate see Americans fighting Americans.” Later on, he suppresses a riot between the Zoot Suits, the Navy, and the Army by giving a similar speech.

6)      The army installs an anti-aircraft gun in Betty’s father’s (Ned Beatty) backyard and he destroys his house while trying to sink the Japanese sub with it.

7)      And there are minor scenes thrown in the mix, like those involving the insane Col. Maddox (the great Warren Oates), who is convinced the Japanese have already mounted a land invasion of the West Coast. And the scenes between two air raid wardens sitting on a ferris wheel, Claude Crumm (Murray Hamilton) and the ever annoying Herbie (Eddie Deezen) and his dummy. 

It’s like Spielberg and friends had a checklists of ideas they wanted to see in the movie and put them in there, regardless as to whether they worked or not. I actually think the film would work better without the Japanese submarine crew, instead have it be a figment of everyone's imagination. The film is about panic that swept the West Coast after Pearl Harbor, and in a way the submarine justifies the panic. Sure, they don't bomb anything important and no one is killed, but they were still threatening to do so.  

  Earlier, I mentioned that Psycho is a classic movie largely because it has a strong protagonist the audience can relate to (Marion Crane), this is completely lacking in 1941; we might like a few of the characters, but we are not drawn to them they way we are to Marion Crane. Bobby’s best moments often get overwhelmed by the pyrotechnics and stunts that are happening around him, while Betty is a fairly passive character.  General Stilwell has a few nice scenes, but is missing for most of the action; he’s determined to watch Dumbo at any costs and won’t even let a riot outside the cinema get in his way.  However, in spite of its flaws (or because of them) I am absolutely drawn to 1941 every time I watch it.  From a narrative perspective the film is rather weak, but as spectacle it is top notch; it has some of the best set pieces Spielberg has ever filmed. Here are just a few that I really like: 

1.       The opening scene is a parody of Spielberg’s own film Jaws. It opens the exact same way: a young lady (Susan Blacklinie, the same actress in Jaws) goes skinny dipping in the ocean, but instead of being attacked by a shark, finds herself straddling the periscope of a surfacing submarine. Modern day audiences may just shrug with complete indifference, as pop culture references have become prevalent in today’s comedies, but in 1979 this was basically unheard of in the movies. A year later, the Zucker brothers would also open their film Airplane with a parody of Jaws, instead of a sharks fin breaking the water surfacing; it’s an airplane fin breaking the surface of the clouds. 

2.       Stilwell assuring reporters that no bombs will be dropped on  California, while simultaneously a bomb is accidentally dropped from a bomber (after Donna has slugged Birkhead, who lands on the release mechanism) and rolls their way. 

3.       The jiggerbug dance scene in which Wally tries to simultaneously dance with Betty and evade the wrath of Sitarski.  This scene is a lot of fun to watch, thanks largely to its inventive choreography and the energy of the performers.  It would have paid off a lot better had the film been told solely from Wally’s perspective, but it works wonders as standalone sequence. This scene is followed up with an all out brawl after Sitarski punches Wally. 

4.       The scenes of Stilwell watching Dumbo. My favorite bit is when Stilwell is finally informed of the riot outside the movie theatre, but keeps trying to watch Dumbo and getting upset at a MP that is blocking his view of the screen. He orders the guy to sit down and relax. 

5.       The funny scene in which Wild Bill Kelso meets his soul mate in Col. “Madman” Maddox. Kelso is convinced there’s a Japanese squadron flying over California, while Maddox is convinced they have already launched a land invasion. Before Kelso takes off, Maddox asks Kelso if he can hear his guns. Kelso fires his guns, shooting up the place, while Maddox and his men cheer on. 

6.       In a futile attempt to sink the Japanese sub with the anti-aircraft gun in his backyard, Ward Douglas instead destroys his house.

7.       After having suppressed the riots, Frank Tree gives a patriotic speech that unifies the crowd.  It’s actually a fairly funny speech filled with paranoid xenophobia and “American can do” sentiment that was dominant during WWII. At one point Tree asks the crowd, “Look at Santy Claus? Isn’t he cute? Do you think the Japanese believe in Santa Claus? Instead of turkey for your Christmas dinner, how would you like to have raw fish heads and rice? Do you think the Krauts believe in Walt Disney? Yeah, well was that Mickey Mouse I saw blitzkrieging across France? Pluto in Poland? Or Donald Duck at Pearl Harbor?” 

8.       The destruction of the amusement park, which leads to the Ferris Wheel rolling into the ocean. It may be shallow spectacle, but it is impressive nonetheless.

9.       Sitarski getting his just desserts at the hands of Wally. The two foes meet face to face in the street and have the following exchange:
Wally: I know I can’t beat you in a fair fight.
Sitarski: Stupid, I don’t fight fair.
Wally: Neither do I.
Wally then kicks Sitarski in the crotch and hits him across the face with a gun belt. The Sitarski/Wally rivalry is one of the few storylines the film does good job of setting up and it is completely satisfying seeing Sitarski get his.  

      

      1941 has been labeled a flop by many sources; this isn’t true as it actually made a decent profit during its initial release. The reason why it was thought to be a flop was that compared to the box office of Spielberg’s last two films (Jaws, Close Encounters of the Third Kind) it was disappointing. The film was not a great success among critics and understandably so, it is a very loud and busy movie. There’s lots of spectacle, but very little heart.  However, any film that features a scene that has Slim Pickens being interrogated by Christopher Lee (speaking German) and the great Toshiro Mifune (speaking Japanese) can’t be all bad. 

Cast:  Dan Aykroyd (Sgt. Frank Tree), John Belushi (Wild Bill Kelso), Bobby Di Ciccio (Wally Stephens), Dianne Kay (Betty Douglas), Robert Stack (Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell), Ned Beatty (Ward Douglas), Treat Williams (Cpl. Chuck “Stretch” Sitarski), Warren Oates (Col. “Madman” Maddox), Tim Matheson (Capt. Loomis Birkhead), Nancy Allen (Donna Stratton), Toshiro Mifune (Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura), Christopher Lee (Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt), Murray Hamilton (Claude Crumm), Lorraine Gary (Joan Douglas), Slim Pickens (Hollis Wood), Wendie Jo Sperber (Maxine Dexheimer), Joe Flaherty (Raoul Lipschitz), Penny Marshall (Miss Fitzroy), John Candy (Pvt. Foley), Eddie Deezen (Herbie Kazlminsky), Lionel Stander (Angelo Scioli).

Dir: Steven Spielberg.

Screenplay: Robert Zemeckis, Bob Gale.

Running Time: 146 min.