American Pop

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer for American Pop
  • Trailer

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Ralph Bakshi

Producer:

Martin Ransohoff

Writer:

Ronni Kern

Release Date:

Feb 13, 1981

Runtime:

1hr 36m

Synopsis

The story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.

Cast

  • Ron Thompson
  • Mews Small
  • Jerry Holland
  • Lisa Jane Persky
  • Jeffrey Lippa
  • Roz Kelly
  • Frank DeKova
  • Rick Singer
  • Elsa Raven
  • Ben Frommer

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.8
15.3K
9.4K
5.5K
RATINGS 294 FANS
3.8
  • May 4, 2026

    I can’t sit here and pretend to claim connoisseur status of the animated arts, but American Pop may be the single most unique film I’ve ever seen in the medium. Also my introduction to Ralph Bakshi -- what a shock to the system! Absolutely spectacular. The soundtrack alone…

    374 Likes
    Iman Vellani
    Iman Vellani

    Pete: [Slamming down briefcase full of cocaine on table] Pizza man! We deliver! Musician: You got the coke, daddy-o? Pete: What do I look like, man? A soda fountain? Musician: Hey, what else you got there? Pete: Songs. Musician: You scorin' songs now too? Pete:…

    267 Likes
    Sarah Jane 🔪
    Sarah Jane 🔪

    Ralph Bakshi's contained and personal multigenerational account of a Jewish family, from a mother and son immigrating to NYC from Imperial Russia in the late-19th century, to that son's great-grandchild born from a counterculture-era one night stand. The film is an…

    247 Likes
    🦆 (Douglas Reese)
    🦆 (Douglas Reese)
  • Sep 16, 2015

    The tragedy of Ralph Bakshi is that he's not a very good storyteller. His best work, that I've seen, is still a flawed piece of fantasy (Wizards, which gets bogged down despite a strong ending), and his worst work (again, that I've seen) is a collection of scattershot,…

    211 Likes
    Sally Jane Black
    Sally Jane Black
    Jun 24, 2024

    JUNIMATION II: F*** YEAH! Much of my high rating for this film comes from the animation, which is arguably some of the best I’ve seen from Bakshi. I found a significant amount of it to be quite appealing, as it resembled these highly unusual yet visually stunning…

    177 Likes
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Rafael "Mister Movie" Jovine
    Sep 14, 2014

    If this film taught me anything, it's that Bob Seger's 'Night Moves' is the pinnacle of human achievement.

    140 Likes
    ChristopherDay
    ChristopherDay
  •
    Jul 19, 2026

    Completely believe selling cocaine was the best way to break into the music business in the 80s. Film grew on me as it went on, never liked any character but some great “I’m on drugs” animation and music. I can never tell with this animation though is someone is supposed to…

    115 Likes
    Pottlekid
    Pottlekid
    Aug 27, 2023

    Four-part harmony through generational build, "American Pop" is a 1981 animated musical directed by Ralph Bakshi. Bakshi, for all his efforts, seems to have two clear traditional forms of direction with his work. There is the realistically drawn science fiction or fantasy…

    105 Likes
    Blake Bergman "Various Spaghetti"
    Blake Bergman "Various Spaghetti"
    Apr 13, 2022

    This is Ralph Bakshis hidden masterpiece. Pure vibes driven plot no arcs necessary.

    92 Likes
    Netscape
    Netscape

Atom Users Reviews

No one has posted a user review yet.

Metacritic

57
metacritic
Based on 8 Critics
6.8

USER SCORE (5)

Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Reviews
67

All that aside, American Pop is still worth watching. Bakshi may not have perfectly captured eight decades of American music history, but his attempt to do so is often thrilling for reasons other than ambition.

Metacritic review by Keith Phipps
Keith Phipps
The A.V. Club
90

American Pop is a dazzling display of talent, nerve, ideas (old and new), passion and a marvelously free sensibility. The man may well be a genius, though that sort of pronouncement will have to wait on time.

Metacritic review by Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
The New York Times

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is American Pop (1981)?
The movie is 1hr 36min long.
What's American Pop (1981) about?
The story of four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers parallel the history of American popular music in the 20th century.
Who's the cast of American Pop (1981)?
  • Ron Thompson as Tony, Pete
  • Mews Small as Frankie
  • Jerry Holland as Louie
  • Lisa Jane Persky as Bella
  • Jeffrey Lippa as Zalmie
  • Roz Kelly as Eva Tanguay
  • Frank DeKova as Crisco
  • Rick Singer as Benny
  • Elsa Raven as Hannele
  • Ben Frommer as Palumbo
Who's the director behind American Pop (1981)?
Ralph Bakshi directed American Pop (1981).
Who produced American Pop (1981)?
Martin Ransohoff produced American Pop (1981).