Spielberg’s 1979 World War II comedy film was called 1941.
The film is a broad, chaotic farce set in Los Angeles during the panic that followed the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Its story imagines Americans preparing for a possible Japanese assault on California, mixing military confusion, civilian hysteria and elaborate physical comedy.
The ensemble cast included Dan Aykroyd, Ned Beatty, John Belushi, John Candy, Christopher Lee, Toshiro Mifune and Treat Williams. The screenplay was written by Robert Zemeckis and Bob Gale, who later became famous for the Back to the Future trilogy; John Milius also contributed to the story.
1941 was one of Spielberg’s most expensive productions at the time and received mixed reviews, despite its large-scale set pieces and starry cast. Its theatrical version ran 118 minutes, while a later director’s cut expanded to 146 minutes. Catch-22, Kelly’s Heroes and MASH are also war-related films, but none is Spielberg’s 1979 comedy.