General Joseph W. Stilwell: This isn't the state of California, it's a state of insanity.
Sergeant Frank Tree: If there's one thing I can't stand seeing, it's Americans fighting Americans.
Wally Stephens: I've learned a very important lesson today, I'll never shop east of Beverly Hills.
[Reporting over the radio on a riot at the USO.] Raoul Lipschitz: Ladies and gentlemen, every where I look... soldiers are fighting sailors, sailors are fighting marines. Directly in front of me, I see a flying blond floozy. Everywhere I look, everywhere, pure pandemoninium -- pandemonium.
[trying to squeeze a large radio into the sub] Japanese soldier: We've got to figure out how to make these things smaller!
Trivia:
Spielberg has revealed that he almost made this film a musical.
Both John Wayne and Charlton Heston were offered the role of General Stilwell. Wayne phoned director Steven Spielberg, who had given him the script, and not only turned it down due to ill health but tried to get Spielberg to drop the project. Wayne felt it was unpatriotic and a slap in the face to WWII vets. Heston is thought to have turned it down for the same reasons.
The dialog between Claude and Herbie was written along the same lines as Ralph Kramden and Ed Norton. In fact, Jackie Gleason and Art Carney were offered the roles but Gleason refused, saying he would not and could not work with Carney any longer.
The scene where Wild Bill Kelso slips and tumbles off of the wing of his airplane as he is about to take off was a real accident. John Belushi slipped as he was climbing into the plane. It was kept in the movie because it fit his character.
Credits Fun:
End credits feature scenes showing cast members screaming.
DVD Easter Eggs: (Hidden So You Don't See Anything You Don't Want To See)
Edition: Universal
Region: 1
Description: Isolated music score
From the disc’s main menu go to the 'Language Selection' and there select 'Spoken Language'. As one of the entries you will then see 'Isolated music score'. Select it and you will be able to enjoy John Williams’ fabulous score in its entirety.
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