1941 (1979): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
1941 is a 1979 action comedy directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Dan Aykroyd, Treat Williams and John Belushi. It runs 1 hour 58 minutes and earned $92.5 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. It was nominated for 3 Oscars. Critics gave it 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and 34 on Metacritic.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 58m (118 min)
- Director
- Steven Spielberg
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Universal Pictures
- Budget
- $35M
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is 1941 About?
The premise of 1941 without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Following the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, Los Angeles is thrown into a state of panic and confusion. A ragtag group of soldiers and civilians find themselves caught up in a chaotic series of events as rumors of an imminent Japanese invasion spread. Amidst the escalating hysteria and elaborate special effects, they must navigate a comical and over-the-top situation, ultimately preparing to defend Hollywood's iconic coastline.
1941 Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- year 1941
- slapstick comedy
- nazi
- fighter pilot
- submarine
- female rear nudity
- tank
- christmas
- 1940s
- battle
- lust
- riot
+38 more Show fewer
- bomb
- u.s. army
- pilot
- japanese navy
- anti aircraft gun
- female frontal nudity
- ensemble cast
- paranoia
- end credits roll call
- no opening credits
- skinny dipping
- brawl
- romantic rivalry
- ferris wheel
- world war two
- number in title
- california
- subtitled scene
- explosion
- christmas tree
- airplane
- voyeur
- soldier
- reference to dumbo
- periscope
- colonel
- general
- military
- fighter plane
- exploding house
- admiral
- african american
- punched in the face
- hollywood california
- la brea tar pits
- paint factory
- sex on an airplane
- sociopath
1941 Cast
Dan Aykroyd leads the cast, with Treat Williams and John Belushi. Directed by Steven Spielberg; 5 actors are credited in all.
-
Director Steven Spielberg
Also Starring in 1941
· 1 moreMore from Steven Spielberg
More films directed by Steven Spielberg, best-rated first: Schindler's List, Saving Private Ryan, The Fabelmans and Jaws.
1941 Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave 1941 39% on Rotten Tomatoes and 34 on Metacritic.
-
Rotten Tomatoes 39% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 48%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 34 Metascore
User score 6.0
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 58% User score
See on TMDB
1941 Plot Summary
What happens in 1941 from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
On December 13, 1941, mere days after the devastating Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, a young woman, a member of a daring ‘Polar Bear’ swim club, takes the exhilarating plunge into the ocean off a beach in northern California, unaware of the peril lurking beneath the surface. As she swims, her adventure takes a startling turn when a Japanese submarine rises from the depths, revealing the I-19 and its commanding officer, Akiro Mitamura, played by the legendary Toshiro Mifune. Accompanying him is a stern German naval captain, Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt, portrayed by Christopher Lee. Mitamura reveals to Von Kleinschmidt their audacious mission to eradicate a symbol of American pride along the West Coast, having evaded spotlight during the week of chaos the Japanese Navy created.
Full summary
The whole story of 1941, scene by scene
1941 Box Office & Budget
1941 grossed $92.5 million worldwide on a $35 million budget, 2.6 times what it cost. $31.8 million came from the US and Canada and $60.7 million (66%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$92.5M
2.6× its budget
- US & Canada
- $31.8M
- International
- $60.7M
- Budget
- $35M
1941 Awards & Nominations
1941 was nominated for 3 Oscars.
3 nominations1 ceremony
-
Oscars 1980 3 nominations- Nominated Cinematography
- Nominated Sound
- Nominated Visual Effects
1941 Trailers & Videos
2 videos: 1 trailer and 1 featurette.
- Featurette Mick Garris on 1941
How Well Do You Know 1941?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
What event triggers the chaos in the movie '1941'?
Cars in 1941
36 cars on screen, including the 1941 Chevrolet Special De Luxe and the Harley-Davidson UA.
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1941 Chevrolet Special De Luxe Important role -
Harley-Davidson UA Important role -
1941 M3 Lee Important role -
1939 Buick Special Minor role
1941 Also Known As
15 alternative titles, including “1941 (Director's Cut)” and “The Night the Japs Attacked”.
- Also known as
-
- 1941 (Director's Cut)
- The Night the Japs Attacked
- 1941 - Wo bitte geht's nach Hollywood
- 1941 - Allarme a Hollywood
- 1941 - ursäkta var är Hollywood?
- Meztelenek és bolondok
- 1941... Από Πού Πάνε στο Χόλιγουντ
- Παρακαλώ;
- 1941 - Ano Louco em Hollywood
- 1941 - הפלישה להוליווד
- 1941: Uma Guerra Muito Louca
- 一九四一
+3 more Show fewer
- 1941: Undskyld, hvor ligger Hollywood?
- 1941-ва
- ยุ่นแย็บแยงกี้
Seen 1941?
Movies Like 1941
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Pearl Harbor, Hong Kong 1941 and Best Defense.
1941 FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, awards and post-credit scenes of 1941, each answered in a sentence.
How long is 1941?
1941 runs 1 hour 58 minutes (118 minutes).
When was 1941 released?
1941 was released on December 14, 1979.
Who directed 1941?
1941 was directed by Steven Spielberg.
More films by Steven Spielberg Who is in the cast of 1941?
1941 stars Dan Aykroyd, Treat Williams and John Belushi, among 5 credited actors.
How much did 1941 make at the box office?
1941 grossed $92.5 million worldwide ($31.8 million domestic, $60.7 million international) on a budget of $35 million.
How is 1941 rated?
1941 has 39% on Rotten Tomatoes, 34 on Metacritic and 58% on TMDB.
Was 1941 nominated for any awards?
1941 received 3 nominations across 1 ceremony.
Does 1941 have a post-credit scene?
No. 1941 has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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