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American Pop (1981)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1980
Running Times: 96 minsFormat: colour 35mm
Ratio:
Sound: Dolby

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Production Companies: Columbia Pictures Corporation/Polyc International BV
Executive Producers: Richard R. St Johns, Maggie Abbott
Producers: Ralph Bakshi, Martin Ransohoff

SCRIPT
Script: Ronni Kern

DIRECTION
Director: Ralph Bakshi

ANIMATION
Animation: Steven E. Gordon
Design Layout: Louise Zingarelli, Johnnie Vita, Marcia Adams, Barry Jackson

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: Frances Grumman

EDITING AND POST PRODUCTION
Editor: David Ramirez

MUSIC
Music: Lee Holdridge
Music Editors: Jeff Carson, La Da Productions
Music Arranged By: Lee Holdridge (American Pop Overture)
Songs: Bob Dylan (A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall; Don't Think Twice It's All Right); Cole Porter (Anything Goes); Herman Hupfeld (As Time Goes By); Kern/Wodehouse/Hammerstein (Bill); Carl Perkins (Blue Sued Shoes); Green/Heyman/Eyson (Body and Soul); The Mamas and Papas (California Dreamin'); Herbie Hancock (Cantaloupe Island); Cecil Mack, Jimmy Johnson (Charleston); Anne Wilson, Nancy Wilson, R. Fisher (Crazy on You); Collins, Vanzandt (Free Bird); George M. Cohan (Give My Regards to Broadway); Pat Benatar (Hell Is for Children); Sullivan, Lennox (I Don't Care); George Gerschwin, Ira Gerschwin (I Got Rhythm); Lou Reed (I'm Waiting for The Man); Scott Joplin (Maple Leaf Rag); Bobby Timmons (Moanin'); Livingston/Evans (Mona Lisa); Jimmy Van Heusen, Phil Silvers (Nancy (With The Laughing Face)); Bob Seger (Night Moves); George M. Cohan (Over There); Scott Joplin (Palm Leaf Rag); The Doors (People Are Strange); Johnny Rotten, Glenn Matlock, Paul Cook, Steve Jones (Pretty Vacant); Jimi Hendrix (Purple Haze); Louis Prima (Sing, Sing, Sing); Lee Roberts, J. Will Callahan (Smiles); George Gerschwin (Somebody Loves Me); Darby Slick (Somebody to Love); George Gerschwin, Ira Gerschwin (Summertime); Bernie/Casey/Pinkard (Sweet Georgia Brown); Peter, Paul and Mary (This Train); Jim Web (Up, Up and Away); Sam Cooke (You Send Me)
Songs Performed By: Heart (Crazy on You); Lynyrd Skynyrd (Free Bird); Al Blakey (Moanin'); The Sex Pistols (Pretty Vacant); The Jimi Hendrix Experience (Purple Haze); Dave Brubeck Quartet (Take Five); Fabian (Turn Me Loose)

VOICE
Ron Thompson (Toni Bolinski/Pete Bolinski)
Marya Small (Franki)
Jerry Holland (Louie)
Lisa Jane Persky (Bella)
Jeffrey Lippa (Zalmie Bolinski)
Roz Kelly (Eva Tanguay)
Ben Frommer (Nicky Palumbo)
Amy Levitt (Nancy)
Elsa Raven (Hannele)
Leonard Stone (Leo Stern)
Eric Taslitz (Little Pete)
Gene Borkan (Izzy)
Hilary Beane
Beatrice Colen (prostitute)
Frank DeKova (Crisco)
Richard Moll (poet)
Vincent Schiavelli (theatre owner)
Richard Singer (Benny)
Lynda Wiesmeier (the blonde)

PLOT SUMMARY

Starting in 19th century Russia, American Pop charts the development of American popular music seen through the eyes of a single family which relocates to the United States and finds their lives touched in many ways by jazz, rock, soul and punk. As the 80s dawn, the family's connections with music culminate with one of them becoming a rock star.

CAPSULE REVIEW

Potentially, this was a fantastic idea (following the development of American popular music through four generations of an immigrant family) but the result is a disappointingly routine film that never quite comes to life. Bakshi's overuse of rotoscoping is deeply irritating and the pacing is erratic. A few excellent scenes make it worth seeking out but it never really gels as a cohesive whole.

AVAILABILITY

USA
Theatrical Distributor: Columbia-EMI-Warner
Video Distributor: Columbia TriStar
DVD Distributor: Columbia/Tristar (19595); Columbia/Tristar (19599)

CENSORSHIP HISTORY

UK
Rating: AA

USA
Rating: R

TIMELINE

1981
August

20: UK - theatrical release

1998
June

16: USA - DVD release (Columbia/Tristar (19595); Columbia/Tristar (19599))

POSTER TAGS

All those years, all those dreams, all those men... one of them is going to be a star.

The State Of The Art In Living Animation.

ALTERNATIVE TITLES

Amerykanska muzyka pop - Polish title

REFERENCES

MAGAZINES

Films November 1981 p.32
review

BOOKS

Rock On Film p.109
credits, review

Virgin Film Yearbook 1983 p.9
credits, review

KEYWORDS

animation; drugs; folk music; rock music; jazz; music industry; musicians; rotoscoping


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