1941 - STEVEN SPIELBERG'S ONLY COMEDY - PREMIERED 35 YEARS AGO TODAY - DECEMBER 14, 1979.
THE BUDGET WAS AN ESTIMATED $42,000,000.00, AT THE TIME, THE HIGHEST BUDGET EVER FOR A FILM COMEDY.
JOHN WAYNE WAS OFFERED THE ROLE OF MAJOR-GENERAL STILLWELL IN THE FILM. HE FELT THE FILM WAS UNPATRIOTIC AND A SLAP IN THE FACE TO WORLD WAR II VETERANS, SO HE TURNED IT DOWN. (HE WAS ALSO VERY ILL AT THE TIME). CHARLETON HESTON ALSO WAS OFFERED AND TURNED DOWN THE ROLE.
SOME SCENES IN THE FILM WERE SO NOISY, WE COULDN'T HEAR STEVEN SPIELBERG SAY "CUT". HE ACTUALLY HAD TO FIRE A PROP MACHINE GUN IN THE AIR TO GET THE ACTION TO STOP.
I SPENT MOST OF 1941 UP IN A FERRIS WHEEL WITH MY PAL, MURRAY HAMILTON. ONE DAY, MURRAY AND I WERE REALLY GETTING WHIPPED AND SPUN AROUND BY STEVEN ON THE FERRIS WHEEL AND I GOT VERY MOTION SICK. STEVEN'S SECRETARY HELPED ME AND TOOK ME TO STEVEN'S DRESSING ROOM TO LIE DOWN.
I LAY ON STEVEN'S BED AND FELT VERY WOOZY AND NAUSEOUS. THEN I SHAKILY WALKED TO STEVEN'S BATHROOM AND THREW UP.
IT DAWNED ON ME THAT I HAD JUST THROWN UP IN STEVEN SPIELBERG'S TOILET. THIS WAS A GREAT HONOR AND I STILL CONSIDER IT ONE OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF MY CAREER.
1941 is the first movie I saw you in, and you were my favorite character in the film. So well played! I watched your scenes over, and over again, and laughed every time.
That's when I started looking for films you were in.
It all started with 1941!
Posted by: DAVE T. | December 30, 2014 at 11:27 PM
That's hilarious. I just watched 1941. Everyone is in that movie & Speilberg wasn't even in the country when the movie premiered.
Posted by: Gene Mullett | January 31, 2015 at 02:17 PM