Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube
    Nostalgia Central
    • Home
    • Blog
      • Lists
    • Television
      • TV by Decade
        • TV – 1950s
        • TV – 1960s
        • TV – 1970s
        • TV – 1980s
        • TV – 1990s
      • Comedy
      • Drama
      • Kids TV
      • Variety
      • News & Sport
      • Advertisements
    • Music
      • Music by Decade
        • Music – 1950s
        • Music – 1960s
        • Music – 1970s
        • Music – 1980s
        • Music – 1990s
      • Artists – A to K
        • Artists – A
        • Artists – B
        • Artists – C
        • Artists – D
        • Artists – E
        • Artists – F
        • Artists – G
        • Artists – H
        • Artists – I
        • Artists – J
        • Artists – K
      • Artists – L to Z
        • Artists – L
        • Artists – M
        • Artists – N
        • Artists – O
        • Artists – P
        • Artists – Q
        • Artists – R
        • Artists – S
        • Artists – T
        • Artists – U
        • Artists – V
        • Artists – W
        • Artists – X
        • Artists – Y
        • Artists – Z
      • Artists – 0 to 9
      • Genres
      • Music on Film & TV
      • One-Hit Wonders
      • Playlists
      • Online Radio
    • Movies
      • Movies by Decade
        • Movies – 1950s
        • Movies – 1960s
        • Movies – 1970s
        • Movies – 1980s
        • Movies – 1990s
      • Movies – 0 to 9
      • Movies – A to K
        • Movies – A
        • Movies – B
        • Movies – C
        • Movies – D
        • Movies – E
        • Movies – F
        • Movies – G
        • Movies – H
        • Movies – I
        • Movies – J
        • Movies – K
      • Movies – L to Z
        • Movies – L
        • Movies – M
        • Movies – N
        • Movies – O
        • Movies – P
        • Movies – Q
        • Movies – R
        • Movies – S
        • Movies – T
        • Movies – U
        • Movies – V
        • Movies – W
        • Movies – X
        • Movies – Y
        • Movies – Z
    • Pop Culture
      • Fads
      • Toys & Games
      • Fashion
      • Decor
      • Food & Drink
      • People
      • Technology
      • Transport
    • Social History
      • 1950s Year by Year
      • 1960s Year by Year
      • 1970s Year by Year
      • 1980s Year by Year
      • 1990s Year by Year
      • Events
    Nostalgia Central
    Home»Movies»Movies by Decade»Movies - 1970s
    Movies - 1970s Movies - A 2 Mins Read

    Americathon (1979)

    Share
    Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email

    Despite a talented, eclectic cast and an inspired premise – the United States is now so poor it has to stage a telethon to bail itself out – this has to go down as a major disappointment.

    americathon_001

    Set in the near future (at the time) of 1998, the new alliance of Israel and the Arabs – the United Hebrab Republic – have cut off oil supplies to the US.

    American oil fields have run dry. The population has shifted from northern climes to the sunbelt of Southern California.

    People get around by jogging, cycling and skateboarding.

    The White House has been leased to the Teamsters on a 99-year lease, and President Chet Roosevelt lives in the summer Western White House, a high-rise condominium in Marina Del Ray (pictured below).

    The ruling world power is capitalist China, which has just whipped the USSR in a five-day war. They run a worldwide chain of fast-food franchises, featuring such delicacies as Mao Tse-tung on Rye.

    americathon

    The USA is $400 billion in debt to Sam Birdwater, wealthy sweatsuit and jogging shoe manufacturer, and he decides to foreclose. The solution is a month-long telethon to buy back America.

    Written by Neal Israel, the man who gave the world Police Academy (1984), the film lacks the necessary focus and fails to make the most of its satirical promise.

    Still, there’s fun to be had watching Mel Brooks regular Harvey Korman, future chat-show king Jay Leno and Elvis Costello. And the Beach Boys and Eddie Money provide excellent atmosphere music.

    Eric
    Peter Riegert
    Monty Rushmore
    Harvey Korman
    Vanderhoff
    Fred Willard
    Mouling Jackson
    Zane Buzby
    Lucy Beth
    Nancy Morgan
    Chet Roosevelt
    John Ritter
    Jerry
    Richard Schaal
    Earl Manchester
    Elvis Costello
    Larry Miller
    Jay Leno
    Peter Marshall
    Peter Marshall
    Oklahoma Roy
    Meat Loaf
    Kip Margolis
    Howard Hesseman

    Director
    Neal Israel

    Related Posts

    • Chosen Survivors (1974)
      Chosen Survivors (1974)
      A group of people who have unknowingly been handpicked by…
    • Man of Violence (1971)
      Man of Violence (1971)
      In a world of gangs, one man – private eye/gun…
    • Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, The (1979)
      Lion, the Witch & the Wardrobe, The (1979)
      This 1979 animated made-for-television movie was a UK/US co-production based…
    • When A Stranger Calls (1979)
      When A Stranger Calls (1979)
      "Have you checked the children?" This spin on a popular…
    • American Flyers (1985)
      American Flyers (1985)
      The threat of a terminal genetic condition sparks the reconciliation…
    • Fiddler On The Roof (1971)
      Fiddler On The Roof (1971)
      The world of Fiddler On The Roof is the town…
    • Savage Bees, The (1976)
      Savage Bees, The (1976)
      This made-for-television film is another of the nature-gone-wild thrillers that…
    • Armageddon (1998)
      Armageddon (1998)
      Bruce Willis and an all-star cast of ragtag roughneck oil…

    Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest WhatsApp Reddit Email
    Previous ArticleAny Wednesday (1966)
    Next Article You Can’t See ’round Corners (1969)

    Comments are closed.

    Follow us
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
    • Instagram
    You May Also Like
    • Zingalong
      1 9 7 0 – 1 9 7 2 (UK) 15 minute episodes Each 15-minute […]
    • Rick Springfield
      Born Richard Lewis Springthorpe on 23 August 1949 in the Sydney […]
    • Sleuth (1972)
      Sleuth is a curious film, essentially a two-man show with plenty […]
    • Phantom Tollbooth, The (1970)
      Chuck Jones’ adaptation of Norman Juster’s famed […]
    • Visitor, The
      1 9 9 7 – 1 9 9 8 (USA) Adam MacArthur (John Corbett) had […]
    • Brady Bunch Hour, The
      1 9 7 6 – 1 9 7 7  (USA) 9 x 60 minute episodes Eager to […]
    Twitter Feed
    Please note


    Nostalgia Central covers the period 1950 to 1999 and contains some words and references which reflect the attitudes of those times and which may be considered culturally sensitive, offensive or inappropriate today.
    Popular Tags
    1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 Action Figures Amicus Arcade games Australia Beach movies Beatles Blaxploitation Board games Britpop Canada Crime Disney Doo-Wop Elvis Presley Girl groups Glam Goth Hammer Heavy Metal Irwin Allen Labels Merseybeat Mod revival Motown New Romantic New Wave NWOBHM Oi! One-hit wonders Power Pop Pub rock Punk Radio Scotland Ska Soul music Surf music
    Search Nostalgia Central
    Copyright © 1998, 2022 Nostalgia Central
    • About
    • Contact
    • FAQ

    Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.