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1941 (1979)

 1941 (1979)
type
TVTItem
 1941 (1979)
label
1941 (1979)
 1941 (1979)
page
NineteenFortyOne1979
 1941 (1979)
comment
1941 is a 1979 American epic war action comedy, directed by none other than Steven Spielberg, which takes place, surprisingly enough, in the year 1941. The script was written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, and John Milius executive produced and co-wrote the story.That story follows the panic that ensues when, in the days after Pearl Harbor, paranoid Californians believe another attack is imminent. It's very loosely based on actual events (which, for one thing, actually occurred two months later, in 1942).Spielberg, with the combined backing of two major studios (Universal and Columbia), spared no expense in making this film. It has special effects rivaling those of "serious" World War II epics, and the All-Star Cast reads like a who's who of movie comedy in The '70s, all in the service of Slapstick. Unfortunately, it was a critical bomb and received disappointing box office numbers (though it wasn't the complete flop it's usually remembered as), and stands as the one misfire in Spielberg's otherwise-outstanding run of blockbusters between 1975 and 1982.Not to be confused with the third game in Capcom's 1942 video game series and the Ukrainian series.
 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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2024-04-15T13:45:07Z
 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
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 1941 (1979)
isPartOf
DBTropes
 1941 (1979) / int_121476bd
type
The Millstone
 1941 (1979) / int_121476bd
comment
The Millstone: The Americans throughout the movie are running on Patriotic Fervor, but they're so gung-ho about fighting and running on such paranoia that they cause more problems for their country's war effort than they solve. They start a huge brawl over an Interservice Rivalry, manage to shoot down two of their own planes while taking out none of their enemy's, and destroy their entire Californian coastal town with a heavy-mounted machine gun. The closest anyone gets to the actual Japanese sub which is trying to attack them is Hollis Wood, and he only manages to trick the Japanese soldiers into letting their guard down so he can escape.
 1941 (1979) / int_121476bd
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1941 (1979) / int_121476bd
 1941 (1979) / int_127fc252
type
Creator Cameo
 1941 (1979) / int_127fc252
comment
Creator Cameo: A deleted scene has John Milius as a man dressed as Santa, doing an impression of "Bigfoot caught in your headlights" that he often amused the rest of the crew with. After filming it they came to their senses, realizing (in those pre-Internet days) that absolutely no one besides the people who worked on the movie would get the joke.
 1941 (1979) / int_127fc252
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1941 (1979) / int_127fc252
 1941 (1979) / int_1282bf4f
type
No Celebrities Were Harmed
 1941 (1979) / int_1282bf4f
comment
No Celebrities Were Harmed: Played with. While General Stilwell and Meyer Mishkin are actual figures, the female singing trio at Stewart's Ballroom was modeled after The Andrews Sisters and called The Anderson Sisters in the credits, while actual songs of The Andrews Sisters are playing in that very scene.
 1941 (1979) / int_1282bf4f
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1941 (1979) / int_1282bf4f
 1941 (1979) / int_13646b1b
type
My Friends... and Zoidberg
 1941 (1979) / int_13646b1b
comment
My Friends... and Zoidberg: From Claude when under fire from the Japanese submarine, directed to Herb:
 1941 (1979) / int_13646b1b
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1941 (1979) / int_13646b1b
 1941 (1979) / int_1420a9b8
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Scenery Censor
 1941 (1979) / int_1420a9b8
comment
Scenery Censor: The nude Susan Backlinie's modesty is protected by the beach's picket fence and the submarine's periscope.
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1941 (1979) / int_1420a9b8
 1941 (1979) / int_14ed6ab7
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Does This Remind You of Anything?
 1941 (1979) / int_14ed6ab7
comment
Does This Remind You of Anything?: The opening scene where a skinny-dipping woman finds herself clutching the upthrusting periscope of a surfacing Japanese submarine (also serves as a hilarious Jaws take-off — it's even the same actress who was in the corresponding scene).
 1941 (1979) / int_14ed6ab7
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1941 (1979) / int_14ed6ab7
 1941 (1979) / int_1785a1ad
type
Ferris Wheel of Doom
 1941 (1979) / int_1785a1ad
comment
Ferris Wheel of Doom: The result of the Japanese sub destroying the wheel's supports when trying to aim for the lookouts that were in it.
 1941 (1979) / int_1785a1ad
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1941 (1979) / int_1785a1ad
 1941 (1979) / int_18dd6739
type
Dressing as the Enemy
 1941 (1979) / int_18dd6739
comment
Dressing as the Enemy: This is what "Madman" Maddox suspects Loomis is doing. He even considers Loomis might be wearing stilts to appear bigger.
 1941 (1979) / int_18dd6739
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1941 (1979) / int_18dd6739
 1941 (1979) / int_1b65dfad
type
The Cameo
 1941 (1979) / int_1b65dfad
comment
The Cameo: John Landis plays the dust-covered soldier who delivers a message to Stilwell. James Caan can be glimpsed as one of the participants in the USO brawl. Samuel Fuller played the role of Interceptor Commander in this movie.
 1941 (1979) / int_1b65dfad
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1941 (1979) / int_1b65dfad
 1941 (1979) / int_21c21e1b
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NotWhatISignedUpFor
 1941 (1979) / int_21c21e1b
comment
Not What I Signed Up For: Claude volunteers to become a civil defense air raid spotter due to being told it will only entail sitting in a lawn chair in Ward's yard. Then the army places an AA gun in the yard, and Claude (who is afraid of heights) gets reassigned to a post at the top of a Ferris wheel along with Manchild Herbie.
 1941 (1979) / int_21c21e1b
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1941 (1979) / int_21c21e1b
 1941 (1979) / int_23be181a
type
Patriotic Fervor
 1941 (1979) / int_23be181a
comment
There are a lot of anti-Axis racial epithets tossed around by the protagonists throughout the film (especially Wild Bill). Justified because of the wartime Patriotic Fervor, as well as the fact that the attack on Pearl Harbor was less than a week old at the time the movie takes place.
 1941 (1979) / int_23be181a
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1941 (1979) / int_23be181a
 1941 (1979) / int_24321e44
type
Only Sane Man
 1941 (1979) / int_24321e44
comment
Only Sane Man: General Stilwell, incidentally a real person, played by Robert Stack in the film.
 1941 (1979) / int_24321e44
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1941 (1979) / int_24321e44
 1941 (1979) / int_26bccc6e
type
Ash Face
 1941 (1979) / int_26bccc6e
comment
Ash Face: While riding in the tank, Pvt. Jones gets a sack of flour on his face, while Pvt. Foley takes a blast of ash on his face. Foley starts laughing at Jones because of lighter complexion, until Jones points out that Foley has darker complexion and laughs while telling Foley to "go to the back of the tank."
 1941 (1979) / int_26bccc6e
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1941 (1979) / int_26bccc6e
 1941 (1979) / int_26ce6ea7
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Title by Year
 1941 (1979) / int_26ce6ea7
comment
Title by Year: A 1979 film taking place in the titular year.
 1941 (1979) / int_26ce6ea7
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1941 (1979) / int_26ce6ea7
 1941 (1979) / int_26eb6287
type
Funny Background Event
 1941 (1979) / int_26eb6287
comment
Funny Background Event: During Wally's speech to the General, Sgt. Tree can be seen holding a mannequin arm close to his chest and stroking it affectionately.
 1941 (1979) / int_26eb6287
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1941 (1979) / int_26eb6287
 1941 (1979) / int_281de59f
type
Extremely Short Timespan
 1941 (1979) / int_281de59f
comment
Extremely Short Timespan: The extended edition of the movie is about two hours and twenty minutes long, but the movie begins at 7:01 a.m. on December 13th and ends somewhere between 8:00 and 10:00 on the morning of December 14th. About 2/3rds of the movie takes place between 7:00 p.m. and midnight.
 1941 (1979) / int_281de59f
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1941 (1979) / int_281de59f
 1941 (1979) / int_28ea0e57
type
Cock Fight
 1941 (1979) / int_28ea0e57
comment
Cock Fight: Between Wally and Stretch for Betty.
 1941 (1979) / int_28ea0e57
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1941 (1979) / int_28ea0e57
 1941 (1979) / int_2dc0d2bf
type
Hidden Depths
 1941 (1979) / int_2dc0d2bf
comment
Hidden Depths: General Stillwell is tougher than leather, coldly competent, and takes charge of every situation, but he gets misty-eyed while watching Dumbo. Given that he can mouth along to "When I See an Elephant Fly", this isn't the first time he's seen the movie, either. (Robert Stack's performance is one of the highlights of the film.)
 1941 (1979) / int_2dc0d2bf
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1941 (1979) / int_2dc0d2bf
 1941 (1979) / int_2e8441c9
type
The Bad Guy Wins
 1941 (1979) / int_2e8441c9
comment
The Bad Guy Wins: The Americans manage to level their own town, and shoot down two of their own planes. The Japanese destroy a land-based American target (although it's just a middle-of-nowhere fair on the coast when they were aiming for Hollywood), and suffer no damages to their submarine. On the other hand, they are all now trapped on a submarine with "Wild" Bill Kelso, who is an Axe-Crazy General Ripper, so the Japanese troops don't get off completely unscathed. Oh, and Von Kleinschmidt is apprehended, possibly becoming the first German POW in the US of the whole war.
 1941 (1979) / int_2e8441c9
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1941 (1979) / int_2e8441c9
 1941 (1979) / int_31a2a33c
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Stuff Blowing Up
 1941 (1979) / int_31a2a33c
comment
Stuff Blowing Up: Plenty of it given the premise and setting. After the Video Credits for the performers are rolled, there are still more explosions under the first two-thirds of the credit scroll!
 1941 (1979) / int_31a2a33c
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1941 (1979) / int_31a2a33c
 1941 (1979) / int_31bd1ba1
type
Twin Threesome Fantasy
 1941 (1979) / int_31bd1ba1
comment
Twin Threesome Fantasy: Wally's friend Dennis seems to be taken with a pair of twin sisters they meet at the clothing store, and seems pretty happy when he shows up with both of them as dates for the jitterbug competition.
 1941 (1979) / int_31bd1ba1
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1941 (1979) / int_31bd1ba1
 1941 (1979) / int_3403abfc
type
Mugged for Disguise
 1941 (1979) / int_3403abfc
comment
Mugged for Disguise: Wally acquires a Shore Patrolman's uniform in this manner in order to get into the USO dance.
 1941 (1979) / int_3403abfc
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1941 (1979) / int_3403abfc
 1941 (1979) / int_35ce3388
type
Fight Bell Hijinks
 1941 (1979) / int_35ce3388
comment
Fight Bell Hijinks: Played for Laughs. Groups of U.S. military personnel (Army soldiers, Marines and Navy sailors) are squaring off to fight. A fight bell sounds and the groups attack each other.
 1941 (1979) / int_35ce3388
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1941 (1979) / int_35ce3388
 1941 (1979) / int_392372f9
type
Actor Allusion
 1941 (1979) / int_392372f9
comment
Actor Allusion: When Hollis P. "Holly" Wood has his belongings inventoried by the Japanese aboard the sub, he says "one box of genuine cracker jacks. One genuine rabbit's foot" and the like. This is a nod to Slim Pickens' role as Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove, where his character does the same thing with the survival kit.
 1941 (1979) / int_392372f9
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1941 (1979) / int_392372f9
 1941 (1979) / int_39d37c25
type
The Ruins I Caused
 1941 (1979) / int_39d37c25
comment
The Ruins I Caused: Parodied. The Douglas' house finally slides off the cliff when Ward Douglas intents to nail a Christmas wreath on its door just after the final battle is over.
 1941 (1979) / int_39d37c25
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1941 (1979) / int_39d37c25
 1941 (1979) / int_3c0a4666
type
Noodle Incident
 1941 (1979) / int_3c0a4666
comment
Noodle Incident: Betty's father hates Wally for some reason; it's implied by dialogue he might've somehow damaged or destroyed the Douglas family's barn and car. Loomis Burkhead apparently flunked out of flight school, and was Kicked Upstairs into becoming an aide to General Stilwell, but we get no more details on what happened.
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1941 (1979) / int_3c0a4666
 1941 (1979) / int_3cd71723
type
Acme Products
 1941 (1979) / int_3cd71723
comment
Acme Products: Acme Turpentine.
 1941 (1979) / int_3cd71723
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1941 (1979) / int_3cd71723
 1941 (1979) / int_3eee0728
type
Captain Obvious
 1941 (1979) / int_3eee0728
comment
Captain Obvious: General Stillwell gets off a blistering one after walking out of a movie theater with his men and seeing the chaos caused by panicking civilians who think the Japanese are invading. Later, the soldiers next to Stillwell qualify even better.
 1941 (1979) / int_3eee0728
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 1941 (1979) / int_3f2e21a1
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Prince Charming Wannabe
 1941 (1979) / int_3f2e21a1
comment
Prince Charming Wannabe: Sitarski clearly thinks he's a dashing romantic lead, in reality though he's an inelegant meathead. This is best demonstrated when he and Betty Douglas get on the dance floor, and he throws her about like a ragdoll.
 1941 (1979) / int_3f2e21a1
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1941 (1979) / int_3f2e21a1
 1941 (1979) / int_477bcc9f
type
Greasy Spoon
 1941 (1979) / int_477bcc9f
comment
Greasy Spoon: Malcomb's Cafe is exactly this. Wally and Dennis work there initially. They get fired shortly afterwards, though.
 1941 (1979) / int_477bcc9f
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1941 (1979) / int_477bcc9f
 1941 (1979) / int_494a4104
type
Naked People Trapped Outside
 1941 (1979) / int_494a4104
comment
Naked People Trapped Outside: The aforementioned Polar Bear Club Woman who gets caught naked by the Japanese sailor when he pokes his head out of the sub.
 1941 (1979) / int_494a4104
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1941 (1979) / int_494a4104
 1941 (1979) / int_49fb5ccb
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Combat Pragmatist
 1941 (1979) / int_49fb5ccb
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Combat Pragmatist
 1941 (1979) / int_49fb5ccb
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1941 (1979) / int_49fb5ccb
 1941 (1979) / int_4eb2ef02
type
Vehicle Vanish
 1941 (1979) / int_4eb2ef02
comment
Vehicle Vanish: Got the usual 1941 treatment. Why have one if you can also have a whole string of Vehicle Vanishes, partly even seen from behind?
 1941 (1979) / int_4eb2ef02
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1941 (1979) / int_4eb2ef02
 1941 (1979) / int_4fb60159
type
Do Not Do This Cool Thing
 1941 (1979) / int_4fb60159
comment
Do Not Do This Cool Thing: Referenced in-universe. As the artillery crew is setting up the anti-aircraft gun in the Douglas family's yard, Sgt. Tree explicitly tells Ward what not to do with it - all the while demonstrating every step in the aiming/firing process. Hilarity Ensues when Ward later tries to use the cannon against the Japanese sub and nearly destroys his own house instead.
 1941 (1979) / int_4fb60159
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1941 (1979) / int_4fb60159
 1941 (1979) / int_4ff6f484
type
Trash the Set
 1941 (1979) / int_4ff6f484
comment
Trash the Set: Just imagine this trope applied to the whole of Los Angeles. Another reason it went over budget.
 1941 (1979) / int_4ff6f484
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1941 (1979) / int_4ff6f484
 1941 (1979) / int_51c7574c
type
Abandon Ship
 1941 (1979) / int_51c7574c
comment
Abandon Ship: Parodied. When Kelso's plane has been shot down, he indeed crawls out of the cockpit and deploys his parachute... it's just that said plane has already crash-landed in the streets of Los Angeles.
 1941 (1979) / int_51c7574c
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 1941 (1979) / int_53968093
type
Wet Blanket Wife
 1941 (1979) / int_53968093
comment
Wet Blanket Wife: Mrs. Douglas tries her hardest to be one to her war-wacky husband and children, even as her home is becoming increasingly wrecked from their antics with the Ack-Ack gun.
 1941 (1979) / int_53968093
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 1941 (1979) / int_55232afa
type
Politically Incorrect Hero
 1941 (1979) / int_55232afa
comment
Politically Incorrect Hero: The white Private Folley bullies the new incoming Private Ogden Johnson Jones simply because Jones happens to be black. When the call comes in to suppress the riot in Hollywood Sgt. Tree orders Jones to enter the tank via the rear hatch. There are a lot of anti-Axis racial epithets tossed around by the protagonists throughout the film (especially Wild Bill). Justified because of the wartime Patriotic Fervor, as well as the fact that the attack on Pearl Harbor was less than a week old at the time the movie takes place.
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 1941 (1979) / int_58bf7895
type
Eat the Evidence
 1941 (1979) / int_58bf7895
comment
Eat the Evidence: Hollis P. Wood swallows his toy compass when he sees the Japs are interested in it. So they force-feed him prune juice to make him give it up again. Or down.
 1941 (1979) / int_58bf7895
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1941 (1979) / int_58bf7895
 1941 (1979) / int_5973fab5
type
Does Not Like Spam
 1941 (1979) / int_5973fab5
comment
Does Not Like Spam: Sitarski absolutely despises eggs, even getting them on his clothing. As a result, he ends up as a Butt-Monkey by getting launched into a huge stack of eggs, and spends quite a bit of the film avoiding them as much as he can.
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1941 (1979) / int_5973fab5
 1941 (1979) / int_616f634b
type
Ventriloquism
 1941 (1979) / int_616f634b
comment
Ventriloquism: Herbie Kazlminsky, one of the plane-spotters perched atop the Ferris wheel, is accompanied by an obnoxious ventriloquist's dummy.
 1941 (1979) / int_616f634b
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1941 (1979) / int_616f634b
 1941 (1979) / int_63b02752
type
Hair-Trigger Temper
 1941 (1979) / int_63b02752
comment
Hair-Trigger Temper: Sitarski, who destroys half of a civilian's garage for no real reason shortly after being reintroduced.
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 1941 (1979) / int_659ef759
type
Implacable Man
 1941 (1979) / int_659ef759
comment
Implacable Man: 'Stretch' Sitarski spends a chunk of the climax chasing after the woman he wants, Betty Douglas, in a manner described by Brad Jones (The Cinema Snob) in his review of the film as "a combination between Michael Myers and Pepe Le Pew" to have his way with her.
 1941 (1979) / int_659ef759
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1941 (1979) / int_659ef759
 1941 (1979) / int_697b5232
type
Those Wacky Nazis
 1941 (1979) / int_697b5232
comment
Those Wacky Nazis: Captain of the Kriegsmarine Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt: to begin with, his ridiculous stereotypical name. He is wearing inside the submarine his full uniform rather than a utility uniform as a submarine crewman should, including many medals, among them the prestigious Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Additionally, he is vaguely Germanic, arrogant, and obsessed with "discipline," criticizing his allies for their incompetence.
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 1941 (1979) / int_697b5232
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1941 (1979) / int_697b5232
 1941 (1979) / int_6b05b601
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Jerkass Has a Point
 1941 (1979) / int_6b05b601
comment
Jerkass Has a Point: Sgt. Tree actually ends the riot with a lengthy speech from atop a tank.
 1941 (1979) / int_6b05b601
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1941 (1979) / int_6b05b601
 1941 (1979) / int_6c52e07a
type
Night Swim Equals Death
 1941 (1979) / int_6c52e07a
comment
Night Swim Equals Death: Parodied. Apparently night swims lead to Japanese submarines stranding you naked on their equipment.
 1941 (1979) / int_6c52e07a
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1.0
 1941 (1979) / int_6c52e07a
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1941 (1979) / int_6c52e07a
 1941 (1979) / int_6ec4232f
type
Casting Gag
 1941 (1979) / int_6ec4232f
comment
Casting Gag: The woman who goes skinny-dipping in the beginning of the film, only to be startled by a Japanese submarine surfacing beneath her, is played by Susan Backlinie, who played Chrissie in the opening scene of Jaws, where she had a rather similar but somewhat less embarrassing / more fatal skinny-dipping encounter with a shark. The gas station owner is played by Lucille Benson who also played a gas station owner in Spielberg's first movie, Duel.
 1941 (1979) / int_6ec4232f
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1941 (1979) / int_6ec4232f
 1941 (1979) / int_701243b8
type
Comical Overreacting
 1941 (1979) / int_701243b8
comment
Comical Overreacting: How Stretch reacts to being in contact with eggs, which he hates.
 1941 (1979) / int_701243b8
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 1941 (1979) / int_701243b8
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1941 (1979) / int_701243b8
 1941 (1979) / int_716d9138
type
Bar Brawl
 1941 (1979) / int_716d9138
comment
The whole Bar Brawl at the Crystal Ballroom also starts only by accident.
 1941 (1979) / int_716d9138
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1941 (1979) / int_716d9138
 1941 (1979) / int_75a91f67
type
Tar and Feathers
 1941 (1979) / int_75a91f67
comment
Tar and Feathers: This is how Birkhead and Stratton end up. Justified, though by accident, as their plane crashes into the La Brea Tar Pits.
 1941 (1979) / int_75a91f67
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1941 (1979) / int_75a91f67
 1941 (1979) / int_7e733dcd
type
Mobile Shrubbery
 1941 (1979) / int_7e733dcd
comment
Mobile Shrubbery: The director's cut includes a scene where the Japanese sailors disguise themselves in this manner at a Christmas tree lot run by Hollis Wood, who shows up and attempts to cut the "trees" down. The first one faints, the second one jumps to avoid his axe, and the third one jumps him.
 1941 (1979) / int_7e733dcd
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1941 (1979) / int_7e733dcd
 1941 (1979) / int_7f9b12a6
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Chairman of the Brawl
 1941 (1979) / int_7f9b12a6
comment
Chairman of the Brawl: The massive Bar Brawl sees the sailors, soldiers, marines and Zoot-suiters use this on each other.
 1941 (1979) / int_7f9b12a6
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1941 (1979) / int_7f9b12a6
 1941 (1979) / int_81c0e175
type
An Ass-Kicking Christmas
 1941 (1979) / int_81c0e175
comment
An Ass-Kicking Christmas: Although it's very hard to tell who's kicking whose ass in this movie, it takes place on December 1941, starting at 7:01 am on the 13th of that month and ending between 8 and 10am on the 14th. As such, Christmas elements are quite prominent, such as Christmas tree decorations at the USO ball and nailing a symbolic Christmas wreath on a door at the film's conclusion.
 1941 (1979) / int_81c0e175
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1941 (1979) / int_81c0e175
 1941 (1979) / int_863fa679
type
What Happened to the Mouse?
 1941 (1979) / int_863fa679
comment
What Happened to the Mouse?: The Polar Bear Club Woman who got caught swimming naked in the opening by the Japanese disappears after that scene, and is never heard from again in this movie.
 1941 (1979) / int_863fa679
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 1941 (1979) / int_863fa679
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1941 (1979) / int_863fa679
 1941 (1979) / int_86ee8070
type
World of Ham
 1941 (1979) / int_86ee8070
comment
World of Ham: And even then, John Belushi's eccentric, overly patriotic Air Corps pilot is a standout. Tellingly, each of the primary and supporting characters is represented in the end credits with a clip of them as their actor's name comes up — and in most of the clips (except for Robert Stack and Lionel Stander), they are making a whole lot of noise, if not outright screaming.
 1941 (1979) / int_86ee8070
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1941 (1979) / int_86ee8070
 1941 (1979) / int_87d70f73
type
Reluctant Fanservice Girl
 1941 (1979) / int_87d70f73
comment
Reluctant Fanservice Girl: The Polar Bear Club Woman ends up naked and trapped in the middle of the ocean thanks to the Japanese submarine surfacing right beneath her, allowing one Japanese soldier to get a good look at her from below when he opens the hatch.
 1941 (1979) / int_87d70f73
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1941 (1979) / int_87d70f73
 1941 (1979) / int_88cee6e2
type
Abhorrent Admirer
 1941 (1979) / int_88cee6e2
comment
Abhorrent Admirer: Exaggerated with both Stretch and Maxine in different ways. Stretch's pursuing of Betty is extremely creepy and evocative of rape, while Maxine, knowing and seeing how Stretch is terrorizing Betty, declares him the "perfect man" and spends the rest of the film chasing after him, screaming his name, and punching anyone who gets between her and "her man".
 1941 (1979) / int_88cee6e2
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1941 (1979) / int_88cee6e2
 1941 (1979) / int_8d5fc8c7
type
Recoiled Across the Room
 1941 (1979) / int_8d5fc8c7
comment
Recoiled Across the Room: The anti-aircraft cannon is not secured to the ground the way it's supposed to be. As a result, when it's fired at the Japanese submarine offshore it rolls backwards along the ground and into a wooden building.
 1941 (1979) / int_8d5fc8c7
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1941 (1979) / int_8d5fc8c7
 1941 (1979) / int_93168fb1
type
It's Quiet… Too Quiet
 1941 (1979) / int_93168fb1
comment
It's Quiet… Too Quiet: Spoken by soldiers Willy and Joe (played by Michael McKean and David Lander, aka Lenny and Squiggy) at a gun installation as they brace for the air raid.
 1941 (1979) / int_93168fb1
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1941 (1979) / int_93168fb1
 1941 (1979) / int_945c8d7d
type
War Hero
 1941 (1979) / int_945c8d7d
comment
War Hero: Subverted with Wally. He steals an army uniform only to attend the USO dance, where he wins the Jitterbug contest, which earns him a seven-year movie contract that will likely keep him from the war... ...and then he still takes part in the actual action, when he joins the tank crew after Sgt. Tree has been knocked out, turning this into a Double Subversion. Also deconstructed with Kelso. He may be a skillful and daring pilot, but he's just plain crazy and hardly causes anything but havoc.
 1941 (1979) / int_945c8d7d
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1941 (1979) / int_945c8d7d
 1941 (1979) / int_94edf56d
type
 1941 (1979) / int_94edf56d
comment
"You!" Squared: Happens when Wally and Stretch just happen to "run into" one another in Ward's garage:
 1941 (1979) / int_94edf56d
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 1941 (1979) / int_94edf56d
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1941 (1979) / int_94edf56d
 1941 (1979) / int_95d67d24
type
Get Thee to a Nunnery
 1941 (1979) / int_95d67d24
comment
Get Thee to a Nunnery: Bizarrely, and probably unintentionally, used. In a deleted scene, Sgt. Tree says he's going to "ream" Sitarski for vanishing during tank maintenance. The common usage of 'ream', to mean 'rebuke', didn't come into American vernacular until 1950. In 1941, however, 'ream' was just coming into usage as a vulgar slang term for anal sex.
 1941 (1979) / int_95d67d24
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1941 (1979) / int_95d67d24
 1941 (1979) / int_98c4ea5f
type
Falling Chandelier of Doom
 1941 (1979) / int_98c4ea5f
comment
Falling Chandelier of Doom: Shortly after regaining consciousness following the inter service Bar Brawl, Wally gets knocked out by one of these.
 1941 (1979) / int_98c4ea5f
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1941 (1979) / int_98c4ea5f
 1941 (1979) / int_9b58cb65
type
Roofless Renovation
 1941 (1979) / int_9b58cb65
comment
Roofless Renovation: The end result of Mr. Douglas manning the cannon and trying to shoot the submarine. By the very last scene, the only thing still standing is the house's door.
 1941 (1979) / int_9b58cb65
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 1941 (1979) / int_9b58cb65
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1941 (1979) / int_9b58cb65
 1941 (1979) / int_9f8a12d7
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Who's on First?
 1941 (1979) / int_9f8a12d7
comment
Who's on First?:
 1941 (1979) / int_9f8a12d7
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 1941 (1979) / int_9f8a12d7
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1941 (1979) / int_9f8a12d7
 1941 (1979) / int_a0412c52
type
Gun Nut
 1941 (1979) / int_a0412c52
comment
Gun Nut: Ward Douglas. He's first seen carrying a shotgun out to the garage, his wife finds a revolver under the couch cushions while cleaning the living room, and he's absolutely fascinated by the anti-aircraft gun emplacement in his front yard.
 1941 (1979) / int_a0412c52
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 1941 (1979) / int_a0412c52
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1941 (1979) / int_a0412c52
 1941 (1979) / int_a07afea2
type
Random Events Plot
 1941 (1979) / int_a07afea2
comment
Random Events Plot: Several turning points just occur incidentally. Wally and Sitarski bump into each other at Malcomb's Cafe, at the Douglas' house and later at the USO dance. The Japanese only make their way to the Santa Monica pier since they randomly captured Hollis Wood and also chose to take his radio with them. It's only after Kelso has met Col. Maddox that he actually turns towards Los Angeles. The whole Bar Brawl at the Crystal Ballroom also starts only by accident.
 1941 (1979) / int_a07afea2
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 1941 (1979) / int_a07afea2
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1941 (1979) / int_a07afea2
 1941 (1979) / int_a58e5ad7
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Naked People Are Funny
 1941 (1979) / int_a58e5ad7
comment
Naked People Are Funny: It's hard not to laugh at the poor Polar Bear Club Woman (actually the same actress from the opening of Jaws) who went skinny dipping that morning, as she finds herself clinging to the periscope of the Japanese sub - and then endures the further sexual humiliation of having an excited Japanese sailor see her completely naked before submerging.
 1941 (1979) / int_a58e5ad7
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1941 (1979) / int_a58e5ad7
 1941 (1979) / int_a60e3252
type
Rule of Funny
 1941 (1979) / int_a60e3252
comment
Rule of Funny: A film about stupid people in WWII America with stupid axis powers in a submarine? Stupidity at its finest. Especially since it was heavily inspired by several true stories.
 1941 (1979) / int_a60e3252
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 1941 (1979) / int_a60e3252
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1941 (1979) / int_a60e3252
 1941 (1979) / int_a6441fa
type
Gratuitous Ninja
 1941 (1979) / int_a6441fa
comment
Gratuitous Ninja: The Japanese soldiers sent to explore the mainland and later kidnap Hollis Wood are mentioned by Captain Mitamura to be members of ninja families.
 1941 (1979) / int_a6441fa
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 1941 (1979) / int_a6441fa
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1941 (1979) / int_a6441fa
 1941 (1979) / int_a67b86a7
type
General Ripper
 1941 (1979) / int_a67b86a7
comment
General Ripper: Colonel 'Mad Man' Maddox.
 1941 (1979) / int_a67b86a7
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 1941 (1979) / int_a67b86a7
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1941 (1979) / int_a67b86a7
 1941 (1979) / int_a8559a9f
type
RealLife
 1941 (1979) / int_a8559a9f
comment
Also in Real Life — some scenes were so noisy that nobody could hear Spielberg call "cut", so he had crew members shoot off machine guns as a signal that the cameras were no longer rolling.
 1941 (1979) / int_a8559a9f
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1941 (1979) / int_a8559a9f
 1941 (1979) / int_aaece264
type
Rousing Speech
 1941 (1979) / int_aaece264
comment
Rousing Speech: Sergeant Tree (Dan Aykroyd), when he accuses the brawling G.I.s of acting like "a bunch of Tojo stooges".
 1941 (1979) / int_aaece264
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1941 (1979) / int_aaece264
 1941 (1979) / int_aaf19fae
type
Doesn't Like Guns
 1941 (1979) / int_aaf19fae
comment
Doesn't Like Guns: Mrs. Douglas is angrily declaring, "I will not have guns in this house!" when the muzzle of an ack-ack cannon comes crashing through the front door.
 1941 (1979) / int_aaf19fae
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1941 (1979) / int_aaf19fae
 1941 (1979) / int_aba51fc7
type
Nazi Nobleman
 1941 (1979) / int_aba51fc7
comment
Nazi Nobleman: Captain Wolfgang Von Kleinschmidt's name.
 1941 (1979) / int_aba51fc7
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 1941 (1979) / int_aba51fc7
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1941 (1979) / int_aba51fc7
 1941 (1979) / int_b26477dc
type
Reactive Continuous Scream
 1941 (1979) / int_b26477dc
comment
Reactive Continuous Scream: The Video Credits are cut to 90% of the cast's noisy, often screaming, reactions to various moments of the plot!
 1941 (1979) / int_b26477dc
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 1941 (1979) / int_b26477dc
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1941 (1979) / int_b26477dc
 1941 (1979) / int_b4eff8a8
type
Epic Fail
 1941 (1979) / int_b4eff8a8
comment
Epic Fail: Ward does heavy damage to his own house while trying to hit the Japanese sub with the anti-aircraft gun. The next morning, he nails a Christmas wreath to the front door, causing the remains of the house to collapse and fall into the ocean. The door is the only thing left standing on the foundation slab.
 1941 (1979) / int_b4eff8a8
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1941 (1979) / int_b4eff8a8
 1941 (1979) / int_ba236071
type
It Makes Sense in Context
 1941 (1979) / int_ba236071
comment
It Makes Sense in Context: The events of the battle, as explained by Sgt. Tree:
 1941 (1979) / int_ba236071
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 1941 (1979) / int_ba236071
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1941 (1979) / int_ba236071
 1941 (1979) / int_bc74ef27
type
Berserk Button
 1941 (1979) / int_bc74ef27
comment
Berserk Button: Stretch whenever he comes in contact with eggs. So naturally, he gets launched into them quite a bit. Sgt. Tree hates to see Americans fighting each other. He even tries to give a Rousing Speech to the effect, saying that Americans are better because Japanese people apparently don't believe in Sanata Claus. Wild Bill Kelso hates the Japanese, as well as anyone pointing out that he's a crazy incompetent. Claude Crumn is afraid of heights, but is placed on a Ferris wheel. Herbie Kazlminsky constantly pokes fun of this.
 1941 (1979) / int_bc74ef27
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1941 (1979) / int_bc74ef27
 1941 (1979) / int_bd88e905
type
Concussions Get You High
 1941 (1979) / int_bd88e905
comment
Concussions Get You High: After Sgt. Tree is hit on the head in the late third act, he spends the rest of the film acting like a Cloud Cuckoolander.
 1941 (1979) / int_bd88e905
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1941 (1979) / int_bd88e905
 1941 (1979) / int_bda3d97b
type
It's a Long Story
 1941 (1979) / int_bda3d97b
comment
It's a Long Story: Averted by General Stillwell.
 1941 (1979) / int_bda3d97b
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 1941 (1979) / int_bda3d97b
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1941 (1979) / int_bda3d97b
 1941 (1979) / int_c3ae004a
type
Re-Cut
 1941 (1979) / int_c3ae004a
comment
Re-Cut: Spielberg's extended director's cut, done for the film's network TV airing and later released on laserdisc and DVD, includes a half hour of additional footage to pad out the running time to a whopping 146 minutes.
 1941 (1979) / int_c3ae004a
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1941 (1979) / int_c3ae004a
 1941 (1979) / int_c75df49a
type
Shout-Out
 1941 (1979) / int_c75df49a
comment
Shout-Out: Spielberg pays homage to his own Jaws in the opening, complete with Susan Backlinie (the same actress who played the luckless first victim). The gas station where Kelso refuels his plane had also appeared in Spielberg's Duel. The music that starts playing as the USO brawl kicks off is "Rakes of Mallow", which was also played during the climactic fight in The Quiet Man. Hollis Wood's enumeration of his effects to the Japanese is done in the same manner as the famous survival kit contents scene in Dr. Strangelove (which featured Hollis Wood's actor, Slim Pickens, as Major Kong).
 1941 (1979) / int_c75df49a
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1941 (1979) / int_c75df49a
 1941 (1979) / int_c914e68d
type
Cigar Chomper
 1941 (1979) / int_c914e68d
comment
Cigar Chomper: Kelso. He even keeps his cigar in mouth when trying to swallow Coca-Cola, and the last thing we see him do in the film is asking the Japanese for a light.
 1941 (1979) / int_c914e68d
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1941 (1979) / int_c914e68d
 1941 (1979) / int_cd809603
type
Tank Goodness
 1941 (1979) / int_cd809603
comment
Tank Goodness: They built an accurate full-scale replica of an M3 tank which reportedly caused yet another budget overrun.
 1941 (1979) / int_cd809603
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1.0
 1941 (1979) / int_cd809603
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1941 (1979) / int_cd809603
 1941 (1979) / int_ce1c73e2
type
Just Plane Wrong
 1941 (1979) / int_ce1c73e2
comment
Just Plane Wrong: In-Universe. After shooting down Birkhead and Stratton, Kelso insists their twin-engined plane was a Japanese Zero fighter. Justified, since he is just a paranoid lunatic.
 1941 (1979) / int_ce1c73e2
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1941 (1979) / int_ce1c73e2
 1941 (1979) / int_d1b4f0ef
type
Everybody Lives
 1941 (1979) / int_d1b4f0ef
comment
Everybody Lives: No characters die in this movie. In the final aerial shot after the house has collapsed, Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt can be seen being apprehended by U.S. soldiers and dragged away, gesticulating wildly. Also, Hollis Wood manages to get back to shore despite being the middle of the ocean, since he can be seen in the final aerial shot.
 1941 (1979) / int_d1b4f0ef
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1941 (1979) / int_d1b4f0ef
 1941 (1979) / int_d54b9eb3
type
Inter-Service Rivalry
 1941 (1979) / int_d54b9eb3
comment
Interservice Rivalry: The Bar Brawl happens after Wally, wearing a stolen Sailor Police uniform, gets punched out by Army man Sitarsky, who is about to be knocked-out by Dennis, who dressed up as a Marine to pick up girls, when he accidentally hits a a sailor with a chair and soon, all three branches are slugging each other.
 1941 (1979) / int_d54b9eb3
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1941 (1979) / int_d54b9eb3
 1941 (1979) / int_d5a9c98e
type
Madness Shared by Two
 1941 (1979) / int_d5a9c98e
comment
Madness Shared by Two: At one point, Claude just gives in to Herb's quirks.
 1941 (1979) / int_d5a9c98e
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 1941 (1979) / int_d5a9c98e
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1941 (1979) / int_d5a9c98e
 1941 (1979) / int_d7472e4f
type
Kicked Upstairs
 1941 (1979) / int_d7472e4f
comment
Loomis Burkhead apparently flunked out of flight school, and was Kicked Upstairs into becoming an aide to General Stilwell, but we get no more details on what happened.
 1941 (1979) / int_d7472e4f
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1941 (1979) / int_d7472e4f
 1941 (1979) / int_dae5c997
type
Action Girl
 1941 (1979) / int_dae5c997
comment
Action Girl: Donna punches Birkhead out for making an unwelcome pass at her early on and can fly a plane well enough to avoid being shot down in an Unfriendly Fire situation despite having zero training or experience.
 1941 (1979) / int_dae5c997
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Hilarious in Hindsight: When Birkhead and Stratton crawl out of their wrecked airplane, they are scared to death for a brief moment when they stare directly at a tyrannosaurus - which happens to be only a model placed by the La Brea Tar Pits. Later, Steven Spielberg would direct a quite famous film about dinosaurs... That scene itself finds itself replicated in Jurassic Park III, yet with an actual dinosaur.
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 1941 (1979) / int_dfe57573
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Historical In-Joke
 1941 (1979) / int_dfe57573
comment
Historical In-Joke We learn how the "HOLLYWOODLAND" sign really lost the last four letters. Also, the Japanese sailor trying to fit an enormous radio down the submarine hatch comments: Robert Stack plays the actual commander of the U.S. coastal defense so accurately that pictures of Stack in costume have been mistaken for ones of the real Stilwell. Kelso boasts to have shot down the first Japanese plane over the Continental US. Historically, nothing like that happened in the whole war.note Actually, Japanese floatplanes launched from submarines operated over the US on one or two occasions, but none was shot down.
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 1941 (1979) / int_e11b003d
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Translation Convention
 1941 (1979) / int_e11b003d
comment
Translation Convention: Inverted — the Japanese sub crew and their German liaison each speak their own languages but have no trouble understanding each other. This sets up a hilarious argument between Captain Von Kleinschmidt and Captain Mitamura where neither will deign to speak to the other in his native language.note  Mostly. Captain von Kleinschmidt, in German, rails how improbable a successful attack on Hollywood would be, finishing with, "Wakarimasu ka?" (Do you understand?) Later, after another rant in German about the crew being unable to even find their way home, Mitamura replies—in German—"Wir werden sehen." (We will see.)
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Indy Ploy
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Indy Ploy: Parodied. Hollis Wood manages to eat a compass the Japanese need, forcing them to keep him prisoner until he craps it out. By acting like he's using the toilet, Hollis Wood tricks the Japanese submarine's soldiers into letting their guard down until breaks out of the submarine and gets to the water's surface. But Wood realizes once he's actually out of the sub that he doesn't know which way the nearest land is.
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Double Subversion
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...and then he still takes part in the actual action, when he joins the tank crew after Sgt. Tree has been knocked out, turning this into a Double Subversion.
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Very Loosely Based on a True Story
 1941 (1979) / int_e4b69188
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Very Loosely Based on a True Story: According to co-writer Bob Gale in the DVD documentary, many of the events in the movie are based on real incidents. The Army really put an anti-aircraft gun in the yard of a homeowner on the Maine coast. A Japanese submarine shelled a refinery in Ellwood on the California coast on February 23, 1943. An air raid false alarm over Los Angeles resulted in Civil Defense and Army weapons firing into the air on the night of February 24 and 25, 1942, thinking they were being attacked by the Japanese. The infamous Zoot Suit Riots, between Hispanic youths and servicemen, took place in June 1943.
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Take Me to Your Leader
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Take Me to Your Leader: In the denouement, once on the Japanese submarine Wild Bill Kelso tells the Japanese on board, "Turn this tub around! You're takin' me to Tokyo!"
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Artistic License – Ships
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Artistic License – Ships: In-Universe. Several characters think that the Japanese sub was "sunk" while it was actually just submerging.
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Four Lines, All Waiting
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Four Lines, All Waiting: The various plot lines throughout the movie are as follows: Hollis Wood's kidnapping by the Japanese, the Japanese being unable to find the city of Hollywood to attack, Loomis trying to get in Stratton's panties, Kelso's continuous violent bumbling, a party that gets destructive because of Interservice Rivalry and the panic of an alleged Japanese attack, the Douglas family trying to have a nice Christmas, and then its patriarch tearing the house apart in a bumbling attempt to help the nation because of the aforementioned Japanese popping up nearby. the film typically spends a significant amount of time on one plot/set of characters before switching to another, and the plots don't converge until the USO brawl and the subsequent air battle.
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 1941 (1979) / int_e9784ee6
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Epic Movie
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Epic Movie: It has many of the traditional epic movie markers: an ensemble cast that includes multiple A-list movie and TV stars, a historical wartime setting, a focus on the characters' stories rather than the larger World War II backdrop, hundreds upon hundreds of extras, and gigantic, action-packed, often effects-intensive setpieces such as the dance contest and subsequent brawl that spills into the streets and anything that has to do with the planes. It's just that it's all Played for Laughs, and it's rare for a comedy movie to also be an epic movie. It's taken even further in the director's cut, which drives up the runtime to a whopping 146 minutes.
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Groin Attack
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Groin Attack: When Wally confronts Stretch near the end of the movie, he kicks Stretch in the crotch before hitting him with a belt of ammunition.
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Ham-to-Ham Combat
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Ham-to-Ham Combat: John Belushi and Warren Oates during "Lemme hear your guns!"
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Jerkass
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Jerkass: 'Stretch' Sitarski, constantly looking to prove his alpha maleness by looking for a fight, and picking Wally as a target. He further cements his brutishness by chasing after and nearly assaulting Betty with no remorse. And he goes absolutely bonkers when coming in contact with eggs.
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Earn Your Happy Ending
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Earn Your Happy Ending: Despite the Downer Ending explained above, Wally and Betty have finally gotten together by the end of the film, and Wally's got a 7-picture deal with RKO Pictures (courtesy of a talent agent who saw Wally's incredible dance moves at the USO).
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Drives Like Crazy
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Drives Like Crazy The aerial variant, namely the dogfight between Donna Stratton and Wild Bill Kelso over the streets of L.A. That is, just simply Wild Bill Kelso. The messenger from Col. Maddox' base also runs over several people with his motorcycle when he is to deliver a message from Maddox to Stillwell. When Sgt. Tree gives Wally command over his crew, the tank crushes cars, and destroys a paint factory.
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Mile-High Club
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Mile-High Club: Ice Queen Donna Stratton turns into a raging nymphomaniac whenever she gets into the air. Knowing this, Handsome Lech Captain Loomis Birkhead is willing to risk death (he flunked flying school) to get her up in an aircraft. Just as he's finally mastered the plane (and her) they're interrupted in the act by a machine-gunning John Belushi who thinks they're Japanese.
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 1941 (1979) / int_fb3c0a6
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Firing in the Air a Lot
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Firing in the Air a Lot: Well, Maddox wants to hear Wild Bill Kelso's machine guns. So he fires them while still on ground. Maddox' troops follow suit when Kelso takes off. Also in Real Life — some scenes were so noisy that nobody could hear Spielberg call "cut", so he had crew members shoot off machine guns as a signal that the cameras were no longer rolling.
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Brick Joke
 1941 (1979) / int_fe0330fb
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Brick Joke: General Stillwell ordered a one-block perimeter around the movie theater. Later, Kelso's plane crashes right in front of it:
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Shown Their Work
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Shown Their Work: The events that inspired events in this movie a couple months off — a zoot suit riot took place in 1942, not 1941 — the filmmakers' accuracies were spot on in terms of what happened in those events, their effects on America, and the Patriotic Fervor and casual anti-Japanese sentiment floating through the country at the time.
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1941 (1979)

The following is a list of statements referring to the current page from other pages.

 1941 (1979)
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