IMDb > Americathon (1979)

Americathon (1979) More at IMDbPro »

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Overview

User Rating:
3.6/10   385 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?

Down 4% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.

Director:

Neal Israel

Writers:

Phil Proctor (play) &
Peter Bergman (play) ...
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Contact:

View company contact information for Americathon on IMDbPro.

Release Date:

10 August 1979 (USA) more

Genre:

Comedy more

Tagline:

The ultimate spectacle is now a movie.

Plot:

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. full summary | add synopsis

User Comments:

What if Jerry Brown had become President and Linda Ronstadt "First Girlfriend?" more (12 total)


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
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Additional Details

Runtime:

86 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1 more

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Norway:15 | USA:PG | Iceland:12


Fun Stuff

Goofs:

Continuity: When Monty Rushmore is shot, he grabs his left side, just over his hip. Later, there is a bloody bandage on his left shoulder. more

Quotes:

Morning Radio Announcer: [in an overly cheerful voice] ... and we're going to have a complete report right here on K-BOB at 11 tonight! And now the weather. Beautiful beach day if you can get there! Freeway condition's heavy. This report brought to you by Magic Seat! The bicycle seat that fits you like a glove, and grabs you like a friend! And now, here they are, still going strong after 40 years, the Beach Boys!
[lead into "It's A Beautiful Day" by the Beach Boys]
more

Movie Connections:

Edited into 42nd Street Forever Part 4 (2009) (V) more

Soundtrack:

Gold more


FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful.
What if Jerry Brown had become President and Linda Ronstadt "First Girlfriend?", 19 April 2001
Author: sandiego-4 from San Diego, California, U.S.A.

Time capsule of 1970's California life-style...or where it seemed to be headed in the next decade. In the opening we see the residents of California living in permanently parked cars and commuting to work via various bicycles, skateboards, and people-powered scooters. John Ritter plays President Chet Roosevelt, a thinly veiled spoof of then California governor and presidential hopeful Jerry "Moonbeam" Brown (he dated roller skating rock star Linda Ronstadt and slept on a futon). This movie asks the question, what if Jerry became president and Linda the "First Girlfriend?" John Ritter's real life wife Nancy Morgan plays Lucy Beth, President Chet's roller-skating girlfriend. In the eighties the United States is broke and the President decides to throw a telethon on television to raise money. At the time this film was made, most television markets had no more than a few stations and watching Jerry Lewis struggle to keep awake during the MDA telethon was an interesting phenomena. Here Harvey Korman hosts an endless list of bad acts that foreshadows the humor of SCTV. Most of the humor here would be lost on anyone too young to remember the 70's or for those who don't really want to remember. Though the film takes place in the "future" eighties, for campy fun Americathon is an interesting time-capsule of the issues ripe for spoofing at the time.

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Message Boards

Discuss this movie with other users on IMDb message board for Americathon (1979)
Recent Posts (updated daily)User
This Film Needs to Be Remade for 2009 Shuh
Where can I get it? I_kill_Jack
If Chet Roosevelt = Clinton, does Jerry = Bush? rogueforte
Opening Credits/Relevant to 2008 Banquo13
A 'What If?' for Jimmy Carter fans repose1983
Not that bad rogueforte
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Related Links

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