FILM · 1979 · USA
1941
69 archived facts 6 topics 1 source Last reviewed Oct 2026
All facts (69)
- #001
After the film failed to set the box office on fire, John Belushi was seen in Los Angeles wearing a T-shirt bearing the crest "Steven Spielberg 1946-1941."
- #002
The scene in which Captain "Wild Bill" Kelso (John Belushi) slips and tumbles off the wing of his plane just as it is about to take off was a real accident. Belushi slipped while climbing onto the plane. It was kept in the film because it suited his character.
- #003
According to co-writer Bob Gale in the DVD documentary, most of the events in the film are based on real incidents. The Army really did place an anti-aircraft gun in the yard of a homeowner on the coast of Maine. The Japanese submarine I-17 bombarded a refinery at Ellwood on the California coast on the evening of February 23, 1942. Although the shells missed the refinery by a wide margin, the unexpected attack triggered an invasion panic and led to a false air-raid alarm over Los Angeles late the following night. Civil Defense and Army guns fired into the air for about an hour, believing the Japanese were attacking. The famous Zoot Suit Riots between Hispanic youths and servicemen took place in June 1943.
- #004
During filming, some scenes were so loud that the crew could not hear Steven Spielberg shout "Cut." He had to fire a propeller-driven machine gun into the air to stop the action.
- #005
Charlton Heston and John Wayne turned down the role of Major General Joseph W. Stilwell. Wayne telephoned director Steven Spielberg, who had given him the script, and not only declined the script because of his health but also tried to persuade Spielberg to abandon the project. Wayne felt it was unpatriotic and in poor taste to satirize the fear and paranoia Americans felt after the attack on Pearl Harbor, that it disrespected the thousands killed in the attack, and that it was a slap in the face to World War II veterans. Heston is thought to have declined for the same reasons and because he was still angry at Spielberg for not casting him as Chief Brody in Jaws (1975). The role went to Robert Stack, who bore a striking resemblance to the real General Stilwell in costume and makeup.
- #006
In a deleted scene, Captain Wild Bill Kelso (John Belushi) meets Sergeant Frank Tree (Dan Aykroyd) just before boarding the Japanese submarine. They look at each other as if they know one another, a nod to their real-life friendship. This was the only scene in which they interacted in the film.
- #007
The man eating spaghetti in one of the riot and fight scenes was also played by John Belushi.
- #008
Susan Backlinie, who played the Polar Bear Club woman seen at the beginning of Jaws (1975), repeated her first-victim role here.
- #009
The first teaser trailer focused on John Belushi's character, described as "Wild Wayne" Kelso. By the time the film was shot, the character's name had been changed to "Wild Bill" Kelso.
- #010
The gas station that "Wild Bill" Kelso accidentally blows up early in the film is the same one seen in Duel (1971), and Lucille Benson appears as its owner in both films.
- #011
After Slim Pickens and John Belushi signed on, their characters, Hollis "Holly" P. Wood and Captain "Wild Bill" Kelso, were significantly expanded.
- #012
Preparing the final shot of the house's destruction took so long that the cast and crew started a betting pool on which day and time the shot would begin. Dan Aykroyd won the bet.
- #013
Steven Spielberg said that the march John Williams composed for this film is his favorite among the marches Williams has written.
- #014
The dialogue between Claude and Herbie was written along the same lines as the interaction between Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton in The Honeymooners (1955). Jackie Gleason and Art Carney were offered the roles, but Gleason declined, saying he would not and could not work with Carney again. Gleason and Carney did reunite one last time for Izzy & Moe (1985).
- #015
John Belushi failed to show up several times because his nightlife had left him too exhausted to work.
- #016
In the director's cut, when Pops throws Wally and Dennis out of Malcomb's Diner and into the street, a group of children dressed like the Little Rascals stands in front of the restaurant.
- #017
Reese and Foley are the names Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale use for police officers or government agents in the films they write. Other examples include I Wanna Hold Your Hand (1978), Used Cars (1980) and Back to the Future Part II (1989).
- #018
The coastal location at the beginning (Cannon Beach, Oregon) is the same one used in The Goonies (1985), where the characters look through the stones and match the rocks while searching for the treasure.
- #019
This was Mickey Rourke's first feature film.
- #020
According to Steven Spielberg's appearance in the documentary Stanley Kubrick: A Life in Pictures (2001), Stanley Kubrick felt the film should have been marketed as a drama rather than a comedy, because he did not find it funny.
- #021
When Hollis P. "Holly" Wood's (Slim Pickens) belongings are inventoried by the Japanese aboard the submarine, he says, "One box of genuine Popperjacks. One genuine rabbit's foot," and so on. This is a reference to his role as Major Kong in Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964), in which his character does the same thing with his survival kit.
- #022
Steven Spielberg shot one million feet of film over 247 shooting days.
- #023
To create the explosion glare in the far background, A. D. Flowers estimated that he used between 50,000 and 75,000 flashbulbs during the production.
- #024
Ivan Reitman was first approached to direct this film, but he turned it down because he was busy shooting Meatballs (1979) at the same time.
- #025
No character dies in this film. In the final aerial shot after the house collapses, Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt can be seen being captured by US soldiers and dragged away flailing wildly.
- #026
Dianne Kay told a reporter on the film's set that her excitement at making a Steven Spielberg film was diminished by her own exhaustion. Kay was shooting this film at the same time as the television series Eight Is Enough (1977), and the workload was very heavy for her. "Most of the time I don't even know who I am. Am I Nancy Bradford? Am I Betty Douglas? Am I Dianne Kay? It all gets very confusing."
- #027
Harold Ramis was initially hired to write the first draft of the screenplay, but he was fired because of creative differences between executive producer John Milius and director Steven Spielberg.
- #028
Cinematographer William A. Fraker was reportedly fired late in the shoot because of creative differences with director Steven Spielberg and executive producer John Milius. The rest of the film was shot by Frank Stanley. Fraker was later nominated for an Oscar for the cinematography of this film.
- #029
The M3 tank Lulu Belle, designed from a mock-up tractor, was a tribute to its predecessor in Sahara (1943), in which an authentic M3 named Lulubelle features prominently.
- #030
In total, seven directors were involved in the making of this film in some way: Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale wrote it, John Milius was the executive producer and Steven Spielberg directed. Another director involved was Brian De Palma. According to Milius in the DVD "Making of" documentary, De Palma contributed the idea of the Japanese asking Slim Pickens "Where's Hollywood?" and said that Pickens, whose character's name is Hollis P. "Holly" Wood, would answer "I'm here." as a play on Abbott and Costello's "Who's on first?" routine. Samuel Fuller and John Landis also have cameo roles.
- #031
James Caan plays one of the sailors in the street riot. He was walking past the set on the day it was filmed and was persuaded by Steven Spielberg to appear. This was in fact the only time Caan worked with Spielberg.
- #032
This was the first US production to use the French-made Louma crane. It was intended for shooting the miniatures. The Louma proved so flexible that it was often used for the "A" camera.
- #033
This film was first set to be made at MGM, where John Milius had a production deal. Because Steven Spielberg did not want to work at MGM, the job ended up at Columbia Pictures. He had also made Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) for Columbia Pictures and wanted to make another film there. Spielberg took on co-production for Universal because he wanted to fulfill a contractual obligation to the studio.
- #034
The advance trailer, in which John Belushi took on the role of "Wild Wayne" Kelso, was an original production in its own right. It was directed by John Milius, its original music was by John Williams, and it contained thematic material different from the score of the actual film.
- #035
The B-17G used in the film had serial number 44-83514 and was built in late 1944. It currently flies as "Sentimental Journey" with the Commemorative Air Force. Its chin turret was removed so that it would look like an earlier model, and silver tape was used to make it look like the older 10-panel nose.
- #036
Steven Spielberg initially wanted Roy Scheider for the role of Major General Joseph W. Stilwell.
- #037
Toshirō Mifune was not very impressed by the characterization of the Japanese submariners and told Steven Spielberg that it was "inappropriate."
- #038
The Ferris wheel scene was filmed with fog so that the wheel rolling toward the sea would match the special effects shots. Fog effects were used in these shots to make the miniatures look realistic.
- #039
At an advance screening at a movie theater in Texas, Steven Spielberg noted that about a third of the way into the film, half the audience was covering their ears with their hands. He knew then that he was in trouble.
- #040
John Belushi, known for his Japanese impersonations, was initially set to play the Japanese submarine captain, until Steven Spielberg decided it would be better for him to play "Wild Bill" Kelso.
- #041
Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale met while attending the University of Southern California Film School. One of USC's most famous school presidents was Rufus von Kleinschmidt, for whom the character Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt is named. Many buildings on campus bear his name. Among von Kleinschmidt's many achievements was helping to establish the film school.
- #042
Steven Spielberg had found waiting to see the special effects created for Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) to be the most frustrating part of the film. So for this film he insisted on using real set effects, so that he would know immediately exactly what they would look like.
- #043
This was the last project of special effects legend A. D. Flowers.
- #044
According to producer Bob Gale, Steven Spielberg shot the scene with John Belushi on the submarine after the reaction audiences gave it at early screenings.
- #045
The music for the fight and riot scene was set to the same fight-scene music as The Quiet Man (1952).
- #046
Heavy Metal published a comic-book adaptation written by Allan Asherman and drawn by Rick Veitch, Steve Bissette and Irwin Hasen. It included an introduction by Steven Spielberg. This was Spielberg's second film adapted into a comic book after Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977).
- #047
Pauline Kael said that watching the film was like having your head squeezed in a tilt machine for two hours.
- #048
Robert Stack played Lieutenant Andrei Sobinski in To Be or Not to Be (1942), while Tim Matheson played him in To Be or Not to Be (1983).
- #049
At one point there was to be a scene in which Wally dances behind the screen to a musical film accompaniment and finally falls out of Joe E. Brown's mouth.
- #050
Writer and director Samuel Fuller took the role of Interceptor Commander in this film. Perry Lang and Bobby Di Cicco appeared in Fuller's The Big Red One (1980).
- #051
In later years Robert Stack claimed he never really understood the script.
- #052
No explanation is ever given for how Herbie and Claude switch places in their seats on the Ferris wheel halfway through the film.
- #053
The film was originally intended to be a biography of General Joseph Stilwell, written and directed by John Milius.
- #054
After being pointlessly shot at one point, Sgt. Tree (Dan Aykroyd) behaves crazily and ends up pulling a nylon stocking over his head and placing two oranges over his eyes. He then declared, "I'm a bug!" In a sketch on Saturday Night Live, Aykroyd had played one of a group of bank robbers wearing Halloween costumes. The character in that sketch also wore a stocking mask with oranges in it and behaved like a bee.
- #055
The scene in which the tank advances toward a paint factory cost as much at the time as a three-bedroom California house.
- #056
Christopher Lee was filming Bear Island (1979) at the same time as this film and was flying back and forth between the sets.
- #057
Steven Spielberg initially wanted to make the film in a musical style, complete with eight 1940s musical numbers. However, because he did not have the confidence to stage all of them, the film turned into a madcap comedy.
- #058
The character Hollis "Holly" Wood was originally meant to appear in only one scene. When Slim Pickens was cast in the role, Steven Spielberg felt that a scene featuring such a legendary actor with that much comedic talent would be a waste. As a result, the role was significantly expanded.
- #059
Dan Aykroyd later appeared in Pearl Harbor (2001), another film about the attack on Pearl Harbor.
- #060
When Steven Spielberg first read the script, he did not find it especially funny or witty, but he saw an opportunity to create some elaborate action sequences.
- #061
During a conversation with Rudy Frasca (the owner of the P40E in the film), he mentioned that his plane had been allowed to be used in the film. If you recall the scene in which Wild Bill Kelso (played by John Belushi) breaks open his soft drink on the plane… that was not written in the script and was not part of the contract with Frasca. The result… the producers paid "dearly" for that action.
- #062
The music that Bobby DeCicco dances to at the USO in 1941 is also danced to at the USO in The Philadelphia Experiment.
- #063
Both Steve Guttenberg and Charlene Tilton were offered roles but were unavailable.
- #064
This film and Airplane! (1980) both open with a sequence parodying Jaws (1975). Robert Stack starred in both films.
- #065
The cast includes roles for Penny Marshall, Michael McKean and David Landers from the TV series Laverne & Shirley. (Note that Penny Marshall appears directly behind Joseph P. Flaherty.)
- #066
This is the first of four films starring Dan Aykroyd and John Candy. The other three are Blues Brothers (1980), The Great Outdoors (1988) and Nothing But Trouble (1991).
- #067
John Belushi's character "Wild Bill" Kelso is a crazed pilot who goes looking for the Japanese after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. In his previous film, National Lampoon's Animal House, his crazed character Bluto thinks the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor.
- #068
John Belushi's character Wild Bill Kelso lands his fighter plane at the gas station used in a scene from Spielberg's Duel (1971), and Lucille Benson appears as its owner in both films.
- #069
The film was far more successful in Europe than in America.
Continue through the archive
- Dan Aykroydas Sgt. Frank Tree
- Ned Beattyas Ward Douglas
- John Belushias Capt. Wild Bill Kelso
Christopher Leeas Capt. Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt- Tim Mathesonas Capt. Loomis Birkhead
Toshirō Mifuneas Cmdr. Akiro Mitamura- Robert Stackas Maj. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell
- Nancy Allenas Donna Stratton
- John Candyas Pvt. Foley
Sources & editorial notes
Reference databases
Sources for the entries on this page
- IMDb IMDb kaydı
Information from external sources is independently selected, consolidated and edited by Arka Evren. Sources are listed for verification and further reading. Encyclopedia text is used under its licence (CC BY-SA). How we work