Americathon (1979)

In a story told in narrative flashbacks, a young TV consultant is hired by the President of a bankrupt USA to organize a telethon in order to prevent the country from being repossessed by wealthy Native Americans.

Director:

Neal Israel

Writers:

Phil Proctor (play), Peter Bergman (play),

Stars:

John Ritter, Harvey Korman, Fred Willard

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
John Ritter	...	President Chet Roosevelt
Harvey Korman	...	Monty Rushmore
Fred Willard	...	Vincent Vanderhoff
Chief Dan George	...	Sam Birdwater
Richard Schaal	...	Jerry
Peter Riegert	...	Eric McMurkin
Nancy Morgan	...	Lucy Beth
Zane Buzby	...	Mouling Jackson
Meat Loaf	...	Oklahoma Daredevil, Roy Budnitz
Elvis Costello	...	The Earl of Manchester
Terence McGovern	...	Danny Olson (as Terry McGovern)
Tommy Lasorda	...	Jimmy Dunphy
Howard Hesseman	...	Kip Margolis
Jay Leno	...	Larry Miller (Poopy Butt)
Peter Marshall	...	Himself

Storyline

In the not too distant future, the United States government is virtually bankrupt and in danger of being foreclosed on by a group of Native Americans, now owners of the massive Nike Corporation. A desperate President decides to make a last-ditch effort to save the country... by raising money with a telethon!

---

Plot Keywords:

native american | telethon | government | future | adultery | 

---

Taglines:

The ultimate spectacle is now a movie.

---

Genres:

Comedy

---

Certificate:

PG

Details

Country:

USA West Germany

Language:

English

Release Date:

10 August 1979 (USA)

Also Known As:

Americanada 1998

Company Credits

Production Co:

Lorimar Filmgesellschaft GmbH

Technical Specs

Runtime:

86 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Dorothy Stratten appears in an uncredited role wearing a Playboy Bunny style costume in the scene where Roy Budnitz donates blood.

---

Goofs

The movie mentions that people all over the country were watching the telethon, including people from the first gay state, North Dakota. We then see a picture of Mount Rushmore which is in South Dakota

---

Quotes

Eric McMurkin: Hard to believe all the these people, independently, came up with this for a career.

---

Connections

Features The Animal World (1956)

---

Soundtracks

"Crawling to the U.S.A."
Performed by Elvis Costello

User Reviews

It Was Something Different For One Great Actor

AMERICATHON is not a great movie, but it is not as bad as many have said. I really can add nothing to existing reviews, but I wish to point out a couple of things you may not have realized.

The always fine Canadian Indian actor Chief Dan George plays a wealthy businessman in the film. This was the ONLY film he ever made that did not trade on his typecasting as an elderly Indian. He actually got to do something different---pity it was not in a better film.

The great actor John Carradine filmed a brief scene as a drunken Uncle Sam, which ended up on the cutting room floor, sadly for Carradine fans.