Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

This was probably meant to be used originally as a propaganda film since this came out in 1944. Doolittle himself saw this raid as a failure, however morally it was a victory to our armed forces. We proved we could fly to Japan and bomb a city (not just any city but Tokyo itself) and inflict some damage. A raid planned out just months after the attack on Pearl, it's amazing we pulled it off half as well as we did. It appears to be accurate, but since i wasn't alive then cant truly say save for what i have read. James Doolittle was probably one of the greatest military thinkers next to Dwight Eisenhower.

An excellent film that was well written and directed. The performances of Van Johnson and his crew were topnotch. Spencer Tracy was wonderful as General Doolittle. A great film for any World War II aficionado.

Well made film about the first bombing raid on Japan. Fantastic blending of studio film and combat footage of the real Doolittle Raiders taking off from the Hornet. Van Johnson and Spencer Tracey are good in their rolls but this film almost has a documentary flavor. It seems told be very faithfull to the book written by Ted Lawson (Van Johnson). The story is riveting and every time I see it I am in awe of the 80 men who executed this daring raid. This film is historically accurate in every way as far as I can tell. Naturally, the wartime production is full of GIs cheerfully going off to face danger leaving their one and only love behind. That said , this film is a classic that tells the story of the beginning of Americas comeback after the Pearl Harbor attack. Every school boy and girl should watch this film for no other reason than to get an appreciation for the sacrifices made by our fathers mothers and grandparents during the war. Two Thumbs up, and a tip of my hat to iTunes for helping to keep history alive. Well Done!!!!

Given the 1944 production date, it's not surprising that this film has many of the formula heroic elements of period war movies -- but the factual story and tersely energetic direction take it far beyond the typical. Especially noteworthy and praiseworthy is that it doesn't just stop after the successful raid -- the harrowing story of the crew's struggle to return home is an epic in itself.

What a great movie!