Thirty seconds over Tokyo
| Movie | |
|---|---|
| German title | Thirty seconds over Tokyo |
| Original title | Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo |
| Country of production | United States |
| original language | English |
| Publishing year | 1944 |
| length | 138 minutes |
| Age rating | FSK 12 |
| Rod | |
| Director | Mervyn LeRoy |
| script | Dalton Trumbo |
| production |
Sam Zimbalist ( Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer ) |
| music | Herbert Stothart |
| camera |
Harold Rosson , Robert Surtees |
| cut | Frank Sullivan |
| occupation | |
| |
Thirty Seconds About Tokyo is an American feature film (war film) directed by Mervyn LeRoy in 1944 for MGM. The film describes the surprise attack by the US Air Force on Tokyo, known as the " Doolittle Raid ", and is based on an experience report by Ted W. Lawson .
action
The action is initially set at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida , time is the present. After the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor , Lt. Col. James H. Doolittle proposed a surprise attack by the United States Army Air Forces on a number of Japanese cities. Volunteer crews are found for this dangerous attack, which is to be flown with 24 type B-25 bombers .
The further action of the film is portrayed from the crew of one of these aircraft: Ted Lawson, David Thatcher, Dean Davenport, Charles McClure and Bob Clever. The pilot, Ted, has been married to Ellen for a few months. The two love each other dearly and celebrate their feelings again and again with the following dialogue:
Ted: Tell me, Honey, how come you're so cute?
Ellen: I had to be if I was going to get such a good-looking fella.
- German:
- Ted: Tell me honey how come you're so cute
- Ellen: I had to be if I was going to get such a handsome guy.
She can only tell Ted that Ellen is expecting a child after Ted has already committed himself to the dangerous mission. She bravely keeps her worries that Ted might be killed to herself.
Since the operation is strictly confidential, Ted and his comrades do not find out where they are to be deployed. After a ceremony with their wives the pilots received their marching orders and fly to the Naval Air Station Alameda in California, where their machines to the aircraft carriers of the US Navy are loaded. Doolittle appears and personally reports the details of the upcoming military operation to the men. The idea of bombing one of the most densely populated cities in the world makes Ted uncomfortable at first, but eventually overcomes it in hopes of preventing Japanese attacks on American cities.
With five men on board, the plane starts and drops its bomb load over Tokyo as intended. Due to the poor visibility, however, it was not possible to find the runway prepared on the Chinese mainland. When attempting an emergency landing on the beach, the machine crashes into the rock. All the men survive - Ted with a serious leg injury - and are rescued by Chinese partisans . Their joint escape from the Japanese leads the five to an American mission station , where an American doctor finally arrives, who now has to amputate Ted's leg.
After returning to the United States, Ted fears that Ellen will no longer want him with his disability. But through Doolittle's personal mediation, the couple find each other again.
Production and reception
Production history
Filming took place in California (Chico, Monterey, Oakland) and Florida (Eglin Air Force Base, Fort Walton Beach).
Although Van Johnson had previously appeared in larger roles, his appearance in Thirty Seconds over Tokyo first attracted wide attention. The director wanted the comparatively small role of Colonel Doolittle to be cast with Spencer Tracy. However, a renewed collaboration between Tracy and LeRoy did not come about until 1961 with the production of the film The Devil Comes at Four . LeRoy had directed the film Marie Curie (1943) with Van Johnson the year before .
Theatrical release
The premiere took place in the USA in November 1944. The film was very popular with audiences and grossed $ 4,471,000 for distributors.
Warner Home Video released a DVD version in 2007.
Reviews
"Gripping war film, which achieved a strong effect without great artistic ambition, with documentary meticulousness, good representation and time-related patriotic pathos."
Awards
Thirty Seconds Above Tokyo won an Oscar for Best Special Effects . The camera work was also nominated for an Oscar; this award was ultimately won by Joseph LaShelle ( Laura ).
literature
- Donald Deschner: The Complete Films of Spencer Tracy , Citadel, 2000. ISBN 0-8065-1038-2
- Romano Tozzi: Spencer Tracy , New York: Pyramid Publications, 1973. ISBN 0-515-03246-8 ; German edition: Spencer Tracy. His films - his life . Heyne, Munich 1990, ISBN 3-453-86009-8
Web links
- Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo in the Internet Movie Database (English)
- Classic Film Guide
- New York Times Review
Individual evidence
- ↑ Thirty seconds over Tokyo. In: Lexicon of International Films . Film service , accessed May 24, 2017 .