Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944)

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo
Directed by Mervyn LeRoy
Written by Dalton Trumbo based on the book by Ted W. Lawson and Robert Consodine
1944/USA
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
First viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Lt. Ted Lawson: And out there is Japan. My mother had a Jap gardener once. He seemed like a nice little guy.

Lt. Bob Gray: You know I don’t hate Japs yet. It’s a funny thing. I don’t like them, but I don’t hate them.

Lt. Ted Lawson: I guess, I don’t either. You get kind of mixed up.[/box]

This story of the 1942 Doolittle Raid bombing over Tokyo made for appropriate Veteran’s Day viewing but is hardly distinguishable from other combat pictures of the war years.  It doesn’t help that Air Force (1943) covered the same ground.

The plot is drawn from the factual account of the mission by one of its pilots.  Lt. Col. James Doolittle (Spencer Tracy) advocates bombing the Japanese home islands early in 1942, long before an invasion could even be contemplated, in order to bolster U.S. morale and divert Japanese fighters back to Japan.  He calls for volunteers for the ultrasecret mission.  Among these is newlywed pilot Ted Lawson (Van Johnson).  His faithful, adoring wife Ellen (Phyllis Thaxter) is expecting their first baby.  The first part of the story details the rigorous training of the crews Stateside for the specialized flying required by the dodgy logistics for the raid.

We get some pretty spectacular but brief footage of the raid.  The story then continues in China where Lawson and his crew are severely injured when their bomber crashes on the coast en route to safe haven in the interior.  Kindly Chinese attempt to care for the men with the few resources at their disposal.  With Robert Walker as the bombardier on Lawson’s crew and Robert Mitchum in a small role as another flyer.

The scenario has become routine to me by now.  At least they didn’t kill off Walker shortly after he pulled out his sweetheart’s picture!  Thaxter’s acting talents are wasted in the vapid romance during the first half of the film.  I thought part in China was more interesting.  Don’t watch this just to see Tracy as he has a relatively small role.  The protagonist is definitely Johnson.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo won the Oscar for Best Effects, Special Effects.  It was also nominated for Best Cinematography, Black-and-White (Robert Surtees and Harold Rossen).

Trailer