1941 (1979)

The story begins on December 13, 1941, just days after the attack on Pearl Harbor. Panic and paranoia have spread across the city, and rumors of potential enemy attacks have heightened tensions. An army pilot, Captain Wild Bill Kelso, accidentally flies into Los Angeles and mistakes a freeway for a runway, causing a major traffic jam. Meanwhile, a brilliant but eccentric young man named Wally Stephens is introduced, who is obsessed with war movies and dreams of becoming a hero.

At the same time, two prankster friends, Max and Willy, steal an army tank for a joyride through the city streets. They soon meet up with a beautiful young woman named Betty, who takes them to a USO dance, where tensions among the soldiers are high, and fights break out.

On the other side of town, Colonel "Madman" Maddox, an ambitious and trigger-happy officer, plans to defend the city from Japanese attacks. While he orders his troops to set up anti-aircraft guns, he clashes with his subordinate, Captain Loomis Birkhead, who questions his methods.

Meanwhile, Wally finally gets the chance to become a hero when a Japanese submarine, commanded by Captain Sakomoto, enters the California coast. Believing Wally to be an enemy saboteur, a group of soldiers plans to capture him. Wally manages to escape and finds himself stranded on the submarine.

Back in the city, the chaos continues to escalate. The army tank driven by Max and Willy wreaks havoc, destroying homes and causing widespread panic. The tank eventually arrives at the Hollywood Palladium, where a USO dance is being held. The dance turns into a frenzied battle between soldiers, sailors, and civilians.

As the night progresses, various subplots intertwine. A housewife, Joan Douglas, is convinced her husband is having an affair and decides to seduce a soldier, unaware that her husband is actually part of Colonel Maddox's anti-aircraft planning.

Meanwhile, the Japanese submarine that Wally is on crashes into a stranded ferris wheel on the coast, trapping the soldiers and Wally in a precarious situation. They manage to escape just as the army surrounds the ferris wheel, believing it to be a strategic enemy target.

In the final chaotic sequence, the army mistakenly bombards an amusement park, causing destruction and mayhem. The film culminates with a massive battle between soldiers, sailors, pilots, and civilians in a Hollywood neighborhood.

Amidst the frenzy, Captain Kelso manages to escape in his plane after receiving a hero's send-off. The film ends with a shot of a Japanese submarine commander emerging from the water, realizing he inadvertently invaded Hollywood.

In the aftermath of the chaos, the characters come together and reflect on the absurdity of war. Despite the vast destruction and misunderstandings, everyone manages to find a sense of unity and understanding.