Comedy
United States of America
1941 is a 1979 comedy film directed by Steven Spielberg and starring an ensemble cast including Dan Aykroyd, John Belushi, and Ned Beatty. The film is set in December 1941, shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and follows various characters in California as they deal with the aftermath of the attack and the fear of an impending Japanese invasion.
One of the main plotlines involves Captain Wild Bill Kelso (played by Aykroyd), a pilot in the Army Air Corps who is convinced that a Japanese attack on California is imminent. He teams up with a local waitress named Wanda (played by Belushi) and a crew of eccentric volunteers to track down a Japanese submarine that is believed to be scouting the coast for potential targets.
Meanwhile, a Hollywood producer named Lawrence Finkle (played by Beatty) is trying to film a patriotic movie in the midst of the chaos, and ends up getting caught up in the chase for the sub. Other characters include a paranoid military officer (played by Robert Stack), a young couple trying to elope (played by Bobby Di Cicco and Dianne Kay), and a group of soldiers who accidentally set a Ferris wheel on fire.
The film is notable for its large cast of comedic actors, many of whom had previously worked on Saturday Night Live or other sketch comedy shows. It also features elaborate visual effects and set pieces, including a massive battle scene on a beach and a destructive sequence involving a stranded Ferris wheel. Despite its impressive production values, the film was not a major critical or commercial success upon its release.
