Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

User Rating:

7.5/10   

Director:

Mervyn LeRoy

Writers:

Dalton Trumbo (screenplay)
Ted W. Lawson (book) ...

Release Date:

November 1944 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | History | War

Tagline:

Heart-Warming Romance . . . Stark, Sensational Drama! Thrills! Action! Adventure! ...Ripped From The Heart!

Plot:

In the wake of Pearl Harbor, a young lieutenant leaves his expectant wife to volunteer for a secret bombing mission which will take the war to the Japanese homeland.

Plot Keywords:

Aircraft Carrier | Bomber | China | Japan | Doolittle Raid

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 1 nomination

Cast

Van Johnson	...	Ted Lawson - Crew of the Ruptured Duck
Robert Walker	...	David Thatcher - Crew of the Ruptured Duck
Tim Murdock	...	Dean Davenport - Crew of the Ruptured Duck
Don DeFore	...	Charles McClure - Crew of the Ruptured Duck
Herbert Gunn	...	Bob Clever - Crew of the Ruptured Duck (as Gordon McDonald)
Phyllis Thaxter	...	Ellen Lawson
Stephen McNally	...	'Doc' White (as Horace McNally)
John R. Reilly	...	'Shorty' Manch
Robert Mitchum	...	Bob Gray
Scott McKay	...	Davey Jones
Donald Curtis	...	Lieut. Randall
Louis Jean Heydt	...	Lieut. Miller
William 'Bill' Phillips	...	Don Smith (as Wm. 'Bill' Phillips)
Douglas Cowan	...	'Brick' Holstrom
Paul Langton	...	Captain 'Ski' York

Runtime:

138 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Mandarin

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #10248) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Canada:PG (video rating) | Australia:PG | Finland:S | Spain:T | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Chico, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

When Lawson's plane arrives in "Tokyo" and sees the fire and smoke from the previous bomber, Davy Jones, we are not looking at a special effect. During the making of the film, there was a fuel-oil fire in Oakland, near the filming location. The quick-thinking filmmakers scrambled to fly their camera plane and B-25 through the area, capturing some very real footage for the movie.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Ted Lawson's amputated left leg is briefly visible when he puts the sandal on his right foot.

Quotes:

Ellen Lawson: Oh, Ted, I'm going to write you a letter every day you're gone. I know they won't deliver them. I won't even mail them, but I'm going to write them anyway. That way we'll kind of be in touch. That way we'll feel close.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Jeopardy!: (#22.96)" (2006)

Soundtrack:

There's a Long, Long Trail

Great WWII Flick!

I felt this was a great movie. Having read "I Could Never Be So Lucky Again" by Jimmy Doolittle, I am happy to report that the film's storyline is very much like the events actually unfolded. I thought that Vance Johnson did a great job with "Lawson" as well as his supporting cast. The special effects for the film seem to be ahead of their time. The flying, bombing, and ship sequences are very good for the 1940's. Although some of the characters may seem "campy" (especially Cpl. Thatcher) with today's movie characters, they do reflect the way that movies were made during WWII. It is nice just to see the B-25's that they used in the film since not many exist anymore. If you ever get a chance to see one in person I would suggest doing so; it really gives you a sense of what these brave men actually dealt with on a daily basis. This movie is a must see for any history buff.