Spielberg's One Comedy Attempt — 1941

Steven Spielberg has left his mark on nearly every genre, but he attempted a straightforward comedy only once: 1979's 1941. Co-writer Robert Zemeckis says the film is loosely built around three real events tied to the panic after Pearl Harbor — the sighting of a Japanese submarine off Santa Barbara, the so-called Great Los Angeles Air Raid hours later, and the 1943 Zoot Suit Riots.

Turning that material into comedy proved difficult. Hollywood heavyweights John Wayne and Charlton Heston, both considered for General Stillwell, objected to the film, while the cast included comic talents such as John Belushi, Dan Aykroyd and John Candy, plus a humorous turn from Robert Stack.

Spielberg later acknowledged he never had a clear vision, leaning on chaos and slapstick; Belushi’s Captain “Wild Bill” Kelso is the one performance that consistently plays to its strengths.

United States, Santa Barbara, Los Angeles

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