‘American Pop’ over the years

Press, 10 December 1981, Page 18

‘American Pop’ over the years

’’cinema’ 1

hans petrovic

“American Pop." which starts at the Odeon tomorrow, is an epic journey through the music of America and the eyes and spectacular art work of Ralph Bakshi, the creator of “Fritz the Cat,” “Heavy Traffic” and “The Lord of the Rings.” It' reflects the present-day state of film art by Bakshi, who has “pushed animation techniques to the outer limits,” according to Vincent Canby, of the “New York Times.” In imaginative style, he criss-crosses America and follows a family whose fortunes are tied to the flow and development of pop music.

It is the story of Zalmie, the immigrant kid, who bunks school to play burlesque with baggy-pants clowns and chorus girls, and who winds up as a gobetween for the mob.

It is the story of his son, Benny, whose keyboard genius is cut down in its prime in a hail of bullets, fired by a half-dead German storm trooper. It is the adventure of Tony, the kid Benny left

behind, whose travels take him to the sub-culture of, Haight-Ashbury and the psychedelic depths of the rock scene. Finally, it is the triumph of Little Pete, who parlays a back-alley education and an endless burst of energy into a brilliant career as a rock music idol. Behind these characters, the soundtrack seethes with music for all time — from the thumping ragtime of Scott Joplin ... to the flapper rebellion of “I Don’t Care” ... to the symphonic jazz of George Gershwin . . . to the folk ballads, of Peter, Paul and Mary . t . to the topical outbursts of Bob Dylan ... to the driving rock of Jimi Hendrix — it is all there.