IMDb > American Pop (1981)
American Pop
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American Pop (1981) More at IMDbPro »

Videos (see all 3)
American Pop (1981) -- Ralph Bakshi directs this animated musical that follows a family of musicians from the pre-jazz age through soul, '50s rock, drug-laden psychedelia, punk and more.
American Pop (1981) -- hv post
American Pop (1981) -- Trailerfan.com - Trailer (Flash)

IMDb Holiday Movie Guide

Overview

User Rating:
6.7/10   1,436 votes
MOVIEmeter: ?
Down 6% in popularity this week. See why on IMDbPro.
Director:
Writer:
Ronni Kern (written by)
Contact:
View company contact information for American Pop on IMDbPro.
Release Date:
13 February 1981 (USA) more
Genre:
Tagline:
All those years, all those dreams, all those sons... one of them is going to be a star. more
Plot:
The story of four generations of a Russian Jewish family of musicians parallels the history of American popular music in the 20th century. full summary | add synopsis
Plot Keywords:
User Comments:
Greatest animation ever from the greatest animator... more (49 total)

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Ron Thompson ... Tony / Pete (voice)

Mews Small ... Frankie (voice) (as Marya Small)
Jerry Holland ... Louie (voice)

Lisa Jane Persky ... Bella (voice)
Jeffrey Lippa ... Zalmie (voice)
Roz Kelly ... Eva Tanguay (voice)
Frank DeKova ... Crisco (voice) (as Frank De Kova)
Richard Singer ... Benny (voice)
Elsa Raven ... Hannele (voice)
Ben Frommer ... Palumbo (voice)
Amy Levitt ... Nancy (voice)
Leonard Stone ... Leo Stern (voice)
Eric Taslitz ... Little Pete (voice)
Gene Borkan ... Izzy (voice)
Richard Moll ... Beat Poet (voice)
more
Create a character page for: ?

Additional Details

Runtime:
96 min
Country:
Color:
Aspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 more
Sound Mix:
Certification:
Canada:PG (Manitoba/Ontario) | Singapore:PG | USA:R (No. 25799) | Australia:M | Argentina:13 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Iceland:L | UK:15 (video rating) | UK:AA

Fun Stuff

Trivia:
Director Cameo: [Ralph Bakshi]as the voice of the piano player who tells a pregnant Bella that her song "is going to be a big hit. I think you should try it out." more
Quotes:
[the 1980s - Pete has grown up dealing cocaine. He arrives at a recording studio]
Pete: Pizza Man! We deliver!
Musician: You got the coke, daddy-o?
Pete: What do I look like, man? A soda fountain?
more
Movie Connections:
Edited from Stormy Weather (1943) more
Soundtrack:
Somebody to Love more

FAQ

This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.
6 out of 8 people found the following comment useful.
Greatest animation ever from the greatest animator..., 13 September 2001
9/10
Author: cjwynes

Modern animated features pale in comparison. All we get today is the crum they produce over at Disney (excepting the few very cinematic scenes we get in Dinosaur) and a few decent Dreamworks films that hardly qualify as animation anymore.

This film takes the animation format and explores what it can really do with character and theme. It takes American history and turns it into a chronicle of musical development that satisfies the music-lover as no other film does.

Don't judge Bakshi by LOTR, see this one and Wizards and you'll have a new respect for animation. The only animated film even approaching this one since it was made is the Rats of Nihm, and it's a distant second. Even Nihm seems like Casablanca compared with modern crud like The Emporer's New Groove, or whatever hollow junk Disney is releasing next summer. See this film and remember (or learn for the first time) what truly good animation can be!

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more (49 total)

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