Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

Synopsis: After the attack on Pearl Harbor, a young pilot (Van Johnson) volunteers for a General’s (Spencer Tracy) secret mission to bomb Japan.

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo is best during the actual thirty seconds over Tokyo. The bombing run is well done, with great effects and interspersed government footage. You feel the tension, and eventual relief, just as if you were on board the plane with Van Johnson and crew.

The hour and change leading up to this point are decent as well, with Van Johnson doing a nice job carrying the film, with good supporting turns by Spencer Tracy and Robert Mitchum.

Unfortunately, it’s after the bombing run that the film falters. Since it’s based on true (and at the time, recent) events, you can understand why the filmmakers might have been reluctant to mess with the story, but the fact is the film shifts gears after the bombing run and never quite recovers.

Perhaps its because the film, up to that point, had been about flying and now the pilots are on the grounded, or perhaps its because many of the supporting players, like Spencer Tracy and Robert Mitchum seem all but forgotten, or perhaps it’s just the jarring realism after the rather white-washed opening, but whatever the reason, the ending doesn’t work well with the film’s first three-quarters.

That said, Thirsty Seconds Over Tokyo isn’t a bad film, just a flawed one. Fans of war pictures, or of lead Van Johnson, will undoubtedly enjoy it, but others may want to look elsewhere.