Pearl Harbor -- December 7. 2024

 

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83 years ago today, a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The 2001 movie Pearl Harbor, starring Ben Affleck, Kate Beckinsale and Josh Hartnett, and directed by Michael Bay, was painful to watch. It somehow works in the Eagle Squadron, and the Doolittle Raid, along with the attack on Pearl Harbor. Very little of it makes sense. I feel embarrassed to mention it in a tribute to Pearl Harbor.

In Harm's Way -- May 27, 2024

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Happy Memorial Day, everyone. I thought this was a good day to write about Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way, which was the last big World War Two epic shot in black and white. It starred John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal and a host of others. Critics didn't like the movie and Kirk Douglas thought the special effects in the final battle were amateurish, but I enjoyed. It starts in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor and shows how the US Navy adjusted to war. I assume that Saul Bass designed the poster.

Saluting Our Heroes With a Big Picture -- December 7, 2023

Memphis Commercial-Appeal, 25-June-1942

82 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The first fiction film about the attack was Republic's Remember Pearl Harbor, which starred Don "Red" Barry, who had become famous playing the lead in the serial The Adventures of Red Ryder.  Joseph Santley directed. 

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I Bombed Pearl Harbor -- December 7, 2021

80 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the Territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The 1960 Japanese movie Hawai Middouei daikaikusen: Taiheiyo no arashi (Storm Over the Pacific, I Bombed Pearl Harbor), looked at a naval aviator's experiences from the attach on Pearl Harbor to the Battle of Midway.

From Here to Eternity -- December 7, 2020

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79 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

From Here to Eternity was directed by Fred Zinnemann and based on the novel by James Jones. The film is set in the time leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor. Much of the film was shot on location in Schofield Barracks. Montgomery Clift played a Regular Army lifer. Burt Lancaster played his friend. Ernest Borgnine played a sadistic jailer. The movie climaxes with the attack on Pearl Harbor.  

December 7th -- December 7, 2019

78 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

John Ford and Gregg Toland, who had both volunteered to make documentaries for the Navy during World War II.  December 7 described the situation in Hawaii before the attack and has many scenes of the attack and the aftermath.  Censors did not like some of the questions that the movie raised, so it was reduced by more than half for its first release in 1943.  Many years later, the full version became available.

Air Force -- December 7, 2018

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77 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

Air Force was a Warner Brothers' movie released in 1943.  The story follows the crew of Mary-Ann, a B-17 being delivered to Hawaii from the mainland.  They arrive during the attack.  They are able to refuel, but have to leave immediately for Wake Island.  They arrive at Wake while it is under attack.  The Marines ask the crew to take their dog, Tripod.

They move on to Clark Field in the Philippines, which is also under attack.  Harry Carey, the crew chief, learns that his son has been killed.  Mary-Ann is damaged trying to attack Japanese ships, and the pilot is badly injured.  He orders the crew to bail out, but John Garfield, who had washed out of pilot training, brings Mary-Ann back to the base.  I cry during the scene where the crew is with the dying pilot in the hospital and they go through a takeoff procedure.

They rush to repair the airplane, defying an order to burn it.  They take off for Australia, but spot a Japanese fleet.  They radio their position and keep track of the fleet until allied bombers arrive to attack.

At the end, surviving members of the crew are preparing to go on a mission to bomb Tokyo.

I watch this movie every chance I get.

Tora! Tora! Tora! -- December 7, 2017

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76 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.  Tora! Tora! Tora! was a unique Japanese-American co-production that tried to show the point of view of both sides.  There were three directors, Richard Fleischer, Toshio Masuda and Kinji Fukasaku.  Akira Kurosawa started to direct the Japanese scenes, but was replaced early on.

I watch it when it turns up on television.  I particularly like the flight scenes.

Remember Pearl Harbor -- December 7, 2016

Showmen's Trade Review, 16-May-1942

75 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The first fiction film about the attack was Republic's Remember Pearl Harbor, which starred Don "Red" Barry, who had become famous playing the lead in the serial The Adventures of Red Ryder.  I suppose the movie took its title from the song.

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Grauman's Chinese -- Abbott and Costello -- February 16, 2016

Comedy team Bud Abbott and Lou Costello left hand and foot prints in the forecourt of Grauman's Chinese on 08-December-1941, the day after Pearl Harbor. My daughter and I have done "Who's on First" together since she was very young.

 Bud Abbott and Lou Costello teamed up in burlesque and went on to Broadway and the radio.  In the 1940s, they made a series of popular comedies for Universal.  Buck Privates and Keep 'Em Flying were two of their many service comedies.

DSCN4148. I took this on 18-July-2009.

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Moving Picture Daily, 14-November-1941

In Harm's Way -- December 7, 2015

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74 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.
Otto Preminger's In Harm's Way was the last big World War Two epic shot in black and white.  It starred John Wayne, Kirk Douglas, Patricia Neal and a host of others.  Critics didn't like the movie and Kirk Douglas thought the special effects in the final battle were amateurish, but I enjoyed.  It starts in Hawaii before Pearl Harbor and shows how the US Navy adjusted to war.  I assume that Saul Bass designed the poster. 

Remember Pearl Harbor -- December 7, 2014

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73 years ago a sneak attack by forces of the Japanese Empire sank much of the US Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbor in the territory of Hawaii. The Japanese Empire came to regret doing this.

The first fiction film about the attack was Republic's Remember Pearl Harbor, which starred Don "Red" Barry, who had become famous playing the lead in the serial The Adventures of Red Ryder.  I suppose the movie took its title from the song.