An American Tail (franchise)

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An American Tail
An American Tail franchise logo.jpg
Official franchise logo
Created by
Original work An American Tail (1986)
Owners
Years1986–1999
Films and television
Film(s) See details
Animated series See details
Games
Video game(s) See details

An American Tail is a franchise based on the 1986 animated feature film of the same name directed by Don Bluth and produced by Sullivan Bluth Studios/Amblin Entertainment.

Contents

The franchise follows the adventures of Fievel Mousekewitz, a Russian-Jewish mouse immigrant to the United States in 1885. The franchise opened up several attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Florida including "Fievel's Playland" and "An American Tail Show". [1] All four American Tail films were released on a combination pack DVD released on June 13, 2017. [2]

Films

FilmU.S.
release date
Director(s)Screenwriter(s)Story byProducer(s)
An American Tail November 21, 1986 Don Bluth Judy Freudberg & Tony Geiss David Kirschner and
Judy Freudberg & Tony Geiss
Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West November 22, 1991 Phil Nibbelink & Simon Wells Flint Dille Charles Swenson Steven Spielberg and Robert Watts
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island February 15, 2000 Larry Latham Len UhleyLarry Latham
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster July 25, 2000

An American Tail (1986)

An American Tail is the original 1986 film which follows Fievel and his family as they immigrate from Russia to the United States and how he subsequently gets lost and aims to reunite with them.

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is a 1991 western sequel to An American Tail. This film has been exhibited four times at the Jimmy Stewart Museum since 2015, [3] a dedication to the late James Stewart in his final role.

An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)

An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island is a 1998 direct-to-video sequel and is noted for exploring darker themes unlike the past films. This film contributes Elaine Bilstad's final appearance, releasing it posthumously in the United States in early 2000. [4]

An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)

An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster is a 1999 direct-to-video sequel, released in the United States in mid-2000. [5]

Television

SeriesSeason(s)EpisodesOriginally releasedShowrunnerExecutive producerStatus
First releasedLast releasedNetwork
Fievel's American Tails 113September 12, 1992December 5, 1992 Columbia Broadcasting System David Kirschner Steven Spielberg Ended


Fievel's American Tails is a 1992 spin-off TV series and continuation of An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. This series remained abandoned after the release of the direct-to-video sequels until NBCUniversal regained rights to the series in 2020 and is now available on Peacock. [6]

Cast and characters

List indicator

This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in more than two films in the series.

CharactersFilmsTelevision
An American Tail An American Tail:
Fievel Goes West
An American Tail:
The Treasure of Manhattan Island
An American Tail:
The Mystery of the Night Monster
Fievel's
American Tails
19861991199819991992
Fievel Mousekewitz Phillip Glasser Thomas Dekker Phillip Glasser
Tanya MousekewitzAmy Green
Betsy Cathcart S
Cathy Cavadini Lacey Chabert Cathy Cavadini
Papa Mousekewitz Nehemiah Persoff Lloyd Battista
Mama Mouskewitz Erica Yohn Jane Singer Susan Silo
Tiger Dom DeLuise
Tony Toponi Pat Musick Silent cameoPat Musick
BridgetCathianne Blore
Honest John Neil Ross
Henri Christopher Plummer Silent cameo
Warren T. Cat John Finnegan
Digit Will Ryan
Gussie Mausheimer Madeline Kahn
Wylie Burp James Stewart
Cat R. Waul John Cleese Gerrit Graham
T.R. Chula Jon Lovitz Dan Castellaneta
Miss Kitty Amy Irving Cynthia Ferrer
CholenaElaine Bilstad
Leeza Miller S
Chief Wulisso David Carradine
Dr. Dithering René Auberjonois
Mr. Grasping Ron Perlman
Scuttlebutt John Kassir
Police Chief McBrusque Sherman Howard
Nellie BrieSusan Boyd
Madame Mousey Candi Milo
Reed Daley Robert Hays
Twitch John Mariano
Slug Jeff Bennett
Lone WoofJohn Garry
Sweet WilliamSilent cameo Kenneth Mars

Additional crew and production details

FilmCrew
Composer(s)Editor(s)Production companiesDistributing company
An American Tail James Horner Dan Molina Universal Pictures,
Amblin Entertainment,
Sullivan Bluth Studios
Universal Pictures1 hr 21 mins
An American Tail:
Fievel Goes West
Nick Fletcher Universal Pictures,
Amblin Entertainment,
Amblimation
1 hr 15 mins
Fievel's
American Tails
Hank Saroyan & Robert Irving
and Milan Kymlicka
Rob Kirkpatrick Universal Cartoon Studios,
Amblin Television,
Nelvana Studios
Columbia Broadcasting System 6 hrs 30 mins
(30 mins/episodes)
An American Tail:
The Treasure of Manhattan Island
Michael Tavera
and James Horner
Jay Bixsen & Danik ThomasUniversal Family & Home Entertainment Productions,
Universal Cartoon Studios,
TMS-Kyokuichi Corporation
Universal Pictures Home Entertainment 1 hr 19 mins
An American Tail:
The Mystery of the Night Monster
Jay BixsenUniversal Family & Home Entertainment Productions,
Universal Cartoon Studios,
Tama Productions
1 hr 18 mins

Critical response

Title Rotten Tomatoes Metacritic
An American Tail 71% (28 reviews) [7] 38% (7 reviews) [8]
An American Tail: Fievel Goes West 57% (14 reviews) [9]
Fievel's American Tails TBD (4 reviews) [10]
An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island TBD (3 reviews) [11]
An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster TBD (2 reviews) [12]

In other media

Video games

Music industry

Stage

An American Tail Theatre: Released as a live stage show based on An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, the production debuted at various Universal Parks & Resorts theme parks that ran from 1990 to 1992.

Playground

Fievel's Playland : Playground based on the first and second films, it made you feel like you were the size of a mouse, where you can climb on oversized objects, and even ride on a 200-foot water slide, it lasted at Hollywood from 1989 to 1997, and in Florida from 1992 to January 16, 2023.

Related Research Articles

<i>All Dogs Go to Heaven</i> 1989 animated film directed by Don Bluth

All Dogs Go to Heaven is a 1989 animated musical fantasy comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and co-directed by Gary Goldman and Dan Kuenster. Set in New Orleans in 1939, it tells the story of Charlie B. Barkin, a German Shepherd that is murdered by his former friend, Carface Carruthers. Charlie escapes from Heaven to return to Earth where his best friend, Itchy Itchiford, still lives, in order to take revenge on Carface. Instead, he ends up befriending a young orphan girl named Anne-Marie. In the process, Charlie learns an important lesson about kindness, friendship and love.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Don Bluth</span> American filmmaker and animator (born 1937)

Donald Virgil Bluth is an American filmmaker, animator, and author. He is best known for directing the animated films The Secret of NIMH (1982), An American Tail (1986), The Land Before Time (1988), All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989), Anastasia (1997), and Titan A.E. (2000), for his involvement in the LaserDisc games Dragon's Lair (1983) and Space Ace (1984), and for competing with former employer Walt Disney Productions during the years leading up to the films that became the Disney Renaissance.

<i>An American Tail</i> 1986 animated film directed by Don Bluth

An American Tail is a 1986 American animated musical adventure comedy-drama film directed by Don Bluth and written by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss from a story by David Kirschner, Freudberg and Geiss. The film stars the voices of Phillip Glasser, John Finnegan, Amy Green, Nehemiah Persoff, Dom DeLuise, and Christopher Plummer. It is the story of Fievel Mousekewitz and his family as they emigrate from Russia to the United States for freedom, but Fievel gets lost and must find a way to reunite with them.

<i>The Land Before Time</i> (film) 1988 animated adventure film directed by Don Bluth

The Land Before Time is a 1988 animated adventure film directed and co-produced by Don Bluth from a screenplay by Stu Krieger and a story by Judy Freudberg and Tony Geiss. It is executive produced by Steven Spielberg, George Lucas, Kathleen Kennedy, and Frank Marshall. The film stars the voices of Judith Barsi, Burke Byrnes, Gabriel Damon, Bill Erwin, Pat Hingle, Candace Hutson, Will Ryan and Helen Shaver. It is the first film in the Land Before Time franchise.

<i>An American Tail: Fievel Goes West</i> 1991 animated film directed by Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is a 1991 American animated Western musical adventure film directed by Phil Nibbelink and Simon Wells, with producer Steven Spielberg for Amblin Entertainment and animated by his Amblimation animation studio and released by Universal Pictures. A sequel to 1986's An American Tail, the film follows the story of the Mousekewitzes, a family of Russian-Jewish mice who emigrate to the Wild West. In it, Fievel is separated from his family as the train approaches the American Old West; the film chronicles him and Sheriff Wylie Burp teaching Tiger how to act like a dog.

<i>Fievels American Tails</i> 1992 animated television series

Fievel's American Tails is an animated television series, produced by Amblin Television, Nelvana, and Universal Cartoon Studios. It aired on CBS for one season in 1992, and continued Fievel's adventures from the film An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. Phillip Glasser, Dom DeLuise and Cathy Cavadini were the only actors from the film to reprise their roles, as Fievel, Tiger and Tanya respectively. One character, Wylie Burp, is written off from this show in respect of James Stewart's retirement. Another character, Tony Toponi, is written off following Pat Musick's then-current parenting of her daughter Mae Whitman, as Tony could not reappear until the late 1990s direct-to-video sequels. He only made cameos in Fievel Goes West owing to that respect.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phillip Glasser</span> American producer and former actor (born 1978)

Phillip Alexander Glasser is an American producer and a former actor. He is best known for providing the voice of Fievel Mousekewitz in An American Tail (1986), its sequel An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991), and its spinoff animated TV series Fievel's American Tails (1992-93).

<i>An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island</i> 1998 animated film directed by Larry Latham

An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island is a 1998 American animated adventure film produced by Universal Cartoon Studios and directed by Larry Latham. It is the third film in the An American Tail series, the first to be released direct-to-video, and the first in the series to use digital ink and paint.

<i>An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster</i> 1999 animated film directed by Larry Latham

An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster is a 1999 American animated adventure film directed and produced by Larry Latham. It is the second direct-to-video follow-up to An American Tail as well as the fourth and final film of the series. The film premiered on December 9, 1999, in Germany, and was released on July 25, 2000, in the United States and Canada. While the actors retain their voices for the original characters, this film introduces new characters and voices of Susan Boyd, Robert Hays, John Garry, Candi Milo, John Mariano, Jeff Bennett, and Joe Lala, completely omitting the previous film’s characters. Universal Cartoon Studios discontinued the franchise while moving on to work on sequels based on The Land Before Time during the 21st century. Thomas Dekker received a Young Artist Award for Best Performance in a Voice-Over for Fievel.

<i>All Dogs Go to Heaven 2</i> 1996 American animated film

All Dogs Go to Heaven 2 is a 1996 American animated musical fantasy adventure film, and a sequel to Goldcrest Films' animated film All Dogs Go to Heaven (1989). Produced by MGM/UA Family Entertainment and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Animation, it was directed by Paul Sabella, with Larry Leker, previously involved in writing the story for the first film, as co-director. Dom DeLuise reprises his role from the first film, alongside new cast members Charlie Sheen, Ernest Borgnine and Bebe Neuwirth, respectively. New characters are voiced by Sheena Easton, Adam Wylie and George Hearn.

"Beauty and the Beast" is a song written by lyricist Howard Ashman and composer Alan Menken for the Disney animated feature film Beauty and the Beast (1991). The film's theme song, the Broadway-inspired ballad was first recorded by British-American actress Angela Lansbury in her role as the voice of the character Mrs. Potts, and essentially describes the relationship between its two main characters Belle and the Beast, specifically how the couple has learned to accept their differences and in turn change each other for the better. Additionally, the song's lyrics imply that the feeling of love is as timeless and ageless as a "tale as old as time". Lansbury's rendition is heard during the famous ballroom sequence between Belle and the Beast, while a shortened chorale version plays in the closing scenes of the film, and the song's motif features frequently in other pieces of Menken's film score. Lansbury was initially hesitant to record "Beauty and the Beast" because she felt that it was not suitable for her aging singing voice, but ultimately completed the song in one take.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">David Kirschner</span> American producer and screenwriter

David Maxwell Kirschner is an American film and television producer and screenwriter. His producing credits include Don Bluth's An American Tail and Titan A.E. animated features as well as the Child's Play horror film series.

Don Bluth Entertainment was an Irish-American animation studio established in 1979 by animator Don Bluth. Bluth and several colleagues, all of whom were former Disney animators, left Disney on September 13, 1979, to form Don Bluth Productions, later known as the Bluth Group. This studio produced the short film Banjo the Woodpile Cat, the feature film The Secret of NIMH, a brief animation sequence in the musical Xanadu, and the video games Dragon's Lair and Space Ace. Bluth then co-founded Sullivan Bluth Studios with American businessman Gary Goldman, John Pomeroy and Morris Sullivan in 1985.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Phil Nibbelink</span> American animator and film director

Phil Nibbelink is an American animator and film director as well as comic book writer and illustrator known for his work on films as the Academy Award-winning Who Framed Roger Rabbit and the 1991 cult animated sequel An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.

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Somewhere Out There (<i>An American Tail</i> song) 1986 single by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram

"Somewhere Out There" is a song released by MCA Records and recorded by American singers Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram for the soundtrack of the animated feature film An American Tail (1986). The song was written by James Horner, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, and produced by Peter Asher and Steve Tyrell. It reached number eight in the United Kingdom, number six in Ireland, and number two in both the United States and Canada.

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<i>An American Tail: Fievels Gold Rush</i> 2003 video game

An American Tail: Fievel's Gold Rush is a platform game that was first released in Europe on March 1, 2002, for the Game Boy Advance, then in North America on May 2, 2003. Based on Universal Studios' An American Tail animated feature film franchise, the game was developed by Hokus-Pokus and published by Conspiracy Entertainment.

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<i>An American Tail: Fievel Goes West</i> (soundtrack) 1991 soundtrack album by James Horner

An American Tail: Fievel Goes West is the soundtrack and score album to the 1991 film An American Tail: Fievel Goes West. The animated Western comedy film, which was the first to be produced by Amblimation, an animation studio and subsidiary of Steven Spielberg's Amblin Entertainment, is the sequel to An American Tail (1986). James Horner who composed music for the first film, returned to score for Fievel Goes West, and also wrote four original songs with Will Jennings. The album featured four songs, with Linda Ronstadt and Cathy Cavadini performing the tracks. The original song "Dreams to Dream" received a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song, and was shortlisted for the nomination of Academy Award for Best Original Song, but the track was not nominated.

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