Films about Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor-Now It Can Be Shown (1942)
- Al Brick of Fox Movietone made the only commercial footage of the Dec. 7 attack but this footage was not allowed to be shown for two months, with censored versions released by the government Feb. 27, 1942. The complete footage was not allowed to be shown until one year later, on Dec. 10, 1942, when Fox Movietone released this exclusive newsreel containing 900 feet (9 minutes) of previously censored film. The full-screen version of this newsreel is on the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Edition DVD (see below).
Avenge December 7 (1942)
- War bond sales promotional short film of 1:45 mins. that stridently advocates vengeance against Japan for the bombing of Pearl Harbor. MPEG2 may be downloaded from Prelinger Archive
December 7th (1943)
- This 34 min. documentary by director John Ford won an Academy Award in 1943 for Best Short Subject, online version may be viewed at Movieflix and the full-screen version is on the Pearl Harbor Commemorative Edition DVD (see below).
Tora! Tora! Tora! (1970, DVD)
- This 3-hour epic cost $25 million and told a fairly accurate binational story that included equal time for the Japanese and American viewpoints, but neglected the political context of the China War and isolationism.
Pearl (1978 TV miniseries)
- A fictional story of naval officer foolishness in Pearl Harbor, with Dennis Weaver, Robert Wagner, Brian Dennehy, and Angie Dickinson.
Final Countdown (1980)
- The modern aircraft carrier USS Nimitz with 6,000 men and 100 jet aircraft is caught in a strange vortex and thrown back in time to 1941 near Hawaii, just hours before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, with Kirk Douglas and Martin Sheen.
War and Remembrance (1985, DVD)
- This sequel to Herman Wouk's The Winds of War (1981) follows naval officer Pug Henry (Robert Mitchum) and his family from the Pearl Harbor attack to the end of the war.
The Philadelphia Experiment (1984, DVD)
- In 1943, sailors David and Jim are conducting a series of radar experiments, when something goes wrong and they are thrown 40 years into the future. The film was based on a supposedly real incident, when the destroyer escort USS Eldridge was allegedly teleported from Philadelphia to Norfolk in the fall of 1943. But the incident is a myth. The Eldridge was never in Philadelphia during its career with the U.S. Navy. For the claim that the Eldridge's re-materialization at Norfolk was witnessed by Andrew Furuseth, records show that he left Norfolk on August 16, 1943 and did not return to the U.S. until January 17, 1944. Also on record is a letter from the ship's captain stating that no unusual events took place while the Andrew Furuseth was at Norfolk. (see the links at http://home.xnet.com/~warinner/phexp.html)
Pearl Harbor: Surprise and Remembrance (1991 TV)
Pearl Harbor (1999 DVD)
- documentary from The History Channel
Pearl Harbor Commemorative Edition (2001 DVD)
- This two-disc set includes the Fox Movietone newsreel shot by Al Brick "Pearl Harbor-Now It Can Be Shown" and "Recognition of the Japanese Zero Fighter" information film narrated by Ronald Reagan, and "Know Your Enemy" by Frank Capra and "December 7, 1941" by John Ford and the full-length documentary "Kamikaze" on the Pacific War.
Pearl Harbor: The Real Story (2001 DVD released April 6)
- The 3-disc documentary from Terra Entertainment includes rare film from the day of the attack, with interviews of veterans
Pearl Harbor (2001 film released May 5, DVD released Dec. 4)
- This $200 million Bruckheimer blockbuster bombed at the box office due to bad acting and a ridculous lovestory subplot; see filmnotes and trailer
National Geographic documentaries Pearl Harbor: Legacy of Attack (2001 DVD released Nov. 6) and Beyond the Movie - Pearl Harbor (2001 DVD released Dec. 4)
- The National Geographic documentary Legacy follows Robert Ballard's unsuccessful attempt to locate a Japanese midget sub in Pearl Harbor (91 mins.) and Beyond corrects mistakes of the Disney movie (52 mins.)