War has played a key role in the history of the United States, from the nation's founding

right down to the present. War made the U.S. independent, kept it together, increased its

size, and established it as a global superpower. Understanding America's wars is essential for understanding American history.

Welcome to Key Battles of American History,

a podcast in which we discuss American history through the lens of the most important battles of America's wars.

Here is your host, James Early.

Thank you. your host, James Early. Hello and welcome to another episode of the Pacific War on film.

This week, Sean and I are discussing another classic, another very old movie, a movie

that was actually made during the war when the war was still going on. And that is the movie 30 seconds over Tokyo made in 1944. This is a movie about the Doolittle Raid. And I have to stop and say that as I record this, it is pouring down rain outside in Houston and there's thunder and lightning.

So folks, if you hear thunder in the background, that's why.

You might hear it.

Who knows?

It's pretty darn loud.

But anyway, before we get into the plot, let's talk about, as we always do, some of the

basics of the movie.

The movie is two hours and 15 minutes long.

That's our third one in a row, Sean.

That's over two hours. Which that's long for a 1944 movie. Yeah, exactly. It's long even today,

but especially then. Very highly rated movie on Rotten Tomatoes. The critics gave it 100%. Sean,

we should have a bell go off.

Like, ding, or a trumpet blast. It's one of the few out there. I don't think we've ever done

one that was 100% so far. But the audience gave it 75%. I don't know. That may be because it's black

...