An American Tail (franchise)
{{short description|Media franchise based around the 1986 movie}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2020}}
{{Infobox media franchise
| title = An American Tail
| image = An American Tail franchise logo.jpg
| caption = Official franchise logo
| creator = {{ubl|Don Bluth|David Kirschner|Judy Freudberg|Tony Geiss}}
| owner = {{ubl|Universal Pictures|Amblin Entertainment}}
| origin = An American Tail (1986)
| years = 1986–1999
| films = {{Plainlist|
- An American Tail (1986)
- An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1991)
}}
| direct-to-video = {{Plainlist|
- An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island (1998)
- An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster (1999)
}}
| atv = Fievel's American Tails (1992)
| vgs = {{Plainlist|
- An American Tail: The Computer Adventures of Fievel and His Friends (1992)
- An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1994)
- An American Tail: Fievel's Gold Rush (2002)
}}
| soundtracks = {{Plainlist|
}}
| attractions = An American Tail Theatre
}}
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.
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".{{Cite magazine |date=August 1993 |title=Reviews – No One Puts You in the Movies Like We Do! |url=https://archive.org/stream/GamefanVolume1Issue09August1993#page/n91 |magazine=GameFan |volume=1 |issue=9 |page=94}}
Following the two films produced with Spielberg's involvement, Universal Pictures continued the franchise with two direct-to-video sequels, An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island and An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster. All four American Tail films were released on a combination pack DVD released on June 13, 2017.{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/American-Tail-Movie-Complete-Collection/dp/B06XYY5HW9/ |title=An American Tail: 4 Movie Complete Collection |date=June 13, 2017 |access-date=October 5, 2017 |publisher=Amazon |archive-date=December 12, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211212043336/https://www.amazon.com/American-Tail-Movie-Complete-Collection/dp/B06XYY5HW9 |url-status=live }}
Films
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center; width=98%;" |
| scope="col" style="width: 27%;"| Film
! scope="col" | U.S. ! scope="col" | Director(s) ! scope="col" | Screenwriter(s) ! scope="col" | Story by ! scope="col" | Producer(s) |
|---|
| scope="row" style="text-align:left" | An American Tail
| style="text-align:center" | {{Start date|1986|11|21}} | David Kirschner and | Don Bluth, Gary Goldman and John Pomeroy |
| scope="row" style="text-align:left" | An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
| style="text-align:center" | {{Start date|1991|11|22}} | Phil Nibbelink & Simon Wells | Steven Spielberg and Robert Watts |
| scope="row" style="text-align:left" | An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
| style="text-align:center" | {{Start date|2000|02|15}} | rowspan="2"| Larry Latham | rowspan="2" colspan="2"| Len Uhley | rowspan="2"| Larry Latham |
| scope="row" style="text-align:left" | An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
| style="text-align:center" | {{Start date|2000|07|25}} |
=''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,{{Cite web |title=Sunday Matinee – "An American Tail: Fievel Goes West" |url=https://www.jimmy.org/event/sunday-matinee-an-american-tale-fievel-goes-west-2/ |access-date=December 2, 2019 |website=The Jimmy Stewart Museum}} 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 not involved by Amblin Entertainment and is noted for exploring darker themes unlike the past films. Released in the United States in February 2000.{{Cite magazine |last=Fitzpatrick |first=Eileen |date=December 25, 1999 |title='Mummy' Shoots Universal's Sales Over $1 Bil.; Retailers Win with Sight and Sound |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9w0EAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA63 |volume=111 |issue=52 |magazine=Billboard}}
=''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 not involved by Amblin Entertainment, released in the United States in July 2000.{{Cite news |last=Nichols |first=Peter M. |date=July 28, 2000 |title=Home Video; It's a Sequel? O.K., I'll Take It |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2000/07/28/movies/home-video-it-s-a-sequel-ok-i-ll-take-it.html |access-date=October 1, 2017}} The film series was subsequently discontinued and moved on to work on direct-to-video sequels based on Balto.{{cite web |title=Phil Weinstein interview! |url=https://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Phil_Weinstein_interview/85108.html&id_film%3D12 |website=animationsource.org |access-date=June 25, 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161231041024/http://www.animationsource.org/balto/en/articles/Phil_Weinstein_interview/85108.html&id_film=12 |archive-date=December 31, 2016}}
Television
| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" width=100% |
| scope="col" style="width:20%;" rowspan="2" | Series
! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Season(s) ! scope="col" rowspan="2" | Episodes ! scope="col" colspan="3" | Originally released ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Showrunner ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Executive producer ! scope="col" rowspan="2"| Status |
|---|
| First released
! Last released ! Network |
| scope="row" style="text-align:left"| Fievel's American Tails
| 1 | 13 | {{Start date|1992|09|12}} | {{End date|1992|12|05}} | Columbia Broadcasting System | 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.{{cite web|url=https://www.peacocktv.com/watch-online/tv/fievels-american-tails/8480063143119404112|title=Watch Fievel's American Tails on Peacock}}
Cast and characters
{{Cast indicator}}
- {{Cast indicator/note|singing|S|an appearance as a character's singing voice}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; width:99%;" |
| rowspan="3" style="width:14.5%;" | Characters
! colspan="4" style="text-align:center;" | Films ! style="text-align:center;" | Television |
|---|
| style="text-align:center; width:12.5%;" | An American Tail
! style="text-align:center; width:12.5%;" | An American Tail: Fievel Goes West ! style="text-align:center; width:18.5%;" | An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island ! style="text-align:center; width:18.5%;" | An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster ! style="text-align:center; width:13.5%;" | Fievel's American Tails |
| 1986
! 1991 ! 1998 ! 1999 ! 1992 |
| Fievel Mousekewitz
| colspan="2" | Phillip Glasser | colspan="2" | Thomas Dekker |
| Tanya Mousekewitz
| Amy Green {{small|Betsy Cathcart{{ref|singing|S}}}} | colspan="2" | Lacey Chabert |
| Papa Mousekewitz
| colspan="4" | Nehemiah Persoff |
| Mama Mouskewitz
| colspan="3" | Erica Yohn | Jane Singer |
| Tiger
| colspan="5" | Dom DeLuise |
| Tony Toponi
| rowspan="3" {{N/A|Silent cameo}} | colspan="2" | Pat Musick | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Bridget
| Cathianne Blore | colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Honest John
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Henri
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | {{N/A|Silent cameo}} | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Warren T. Cat
| colspan="4" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Digit
| colspan="4" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Gussie Mausheimer
| colspan="4" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Wylie Burp
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Cat R. Waul
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| T.R. Chula
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Miss Kitty
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | Cynthia Ferrer |
| rowspan="2" | Cholena
| rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | Elaine Bilstad | rowspan="2" colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Leeza Miller{{ref|singing|S}} |
| Chief Wulisso
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Dr. Dithering
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Mr. Grasping
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Scuttlebutt
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Police Chief McBrusque
| colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Nellie Brie
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | Susan Boyd | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Madame Mousey
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Reed Daley
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Twitch
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Slug
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Lone Woof
| colspan="3" style="background:lightgrey;" | | John Garry | style="background:lightgrey;" | |
| Sweet William
| style="background:lightgrey;" | | {{N/A|Silent cameo}} | colspan="2" style="background:lightgrey;" | |
Production
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" |
| rowspan="2" | Film
! colspan="7" | Crew |
|---|
| Composer(s)
! Editor(s) ! Production companies ! Distributing company |
| An American Tail
| rowspan="2"| James Horner | Dan Molina | Universal Pictures, | rowspan="2"| Universal Pictures | 1 hr 21 mins |
| An American Tail: Fievel Goes West
| Universal Pictures, | 1 hr 15 mins |
| Fievel's American Tails
| Hank Saroyan & Robert Irving | Rob Kirkpatrick | Universal Cartoon Studios, | Columbia Broadcasting System | 6 hrs 30 mins |
| An American Tail: The Treasure of Manhattan Island
| rowspan="2"| Michael Tavera | Jay Bixsen & Danik Thomas | Universal Family & Home Entertainment Productions, | rowspan="2"| Universal Pictures Home Entertainment | 1 hr 19 mins |
| An American Tail: The Mystery of the Night Monster
| Jay Bixsen | Universal Family & Home Entertainment Productions, | 1 hr 18 mins |
The character of Fievel Mousekewitz was named after the Yiddish name of Steven Spielberg's grandfather, Philip Posner.{{cite web |url=https://www.kveller.com/an-american-tail-is-the-most-jewish-non-jewish-movie-ever/ |title=‘An American Tail’ Is the Most Jewish Non-Jewish Movie Ever |date=November 21, 2016 |website=Kveller |access-date=June 29, 2025 |first=Lior |last=Zaltzman}} Fievel also served as the mascot for Amblimation, Spielberg's short-lived animation studio, and was featured in its production logo.{{cite web |url=https://www.closinglogos.com/page/Amblimation |title=Amblimation |website=Audiovisual Identity Database |access-date=June 29, 2025}}
Reception
In other media
=Video games=
- An American Tail: The Computer Adventures of Fievel and His Friends (1993): a Microsoft DOS point-and-click adventure game developed by Capstone Software and Manley & Associates, Inc., the plot follows a premise based on An American Tail and An American Tail: Fievel Goes West.
- An American Tail: Fievel Goes West (1994): a Super Nintendo Entertainment System video game developed by Shimada Kikaku and published by Hudson Soft. The plot follows a premise that is based on the film of the same name.
- An American Tail Movie Book (1998): an Interactive storybook for Windows and Macintosh computers developed by Wayforward Technologies and published by Sound Source Interactive.
- An American Tail: Fievel's Gold Rush (2002): a platform game for Game Boy Advance developed by Hokus-Pokus. It received mixed reviews from critics, and was created for younger players.{{Cite web |title=Fievel and the Lost Treasure |url=http://www.translatetheweb.com/?from=fr&to=en&a=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.jeuxvideo.com%2Farticles%2F0000%2F00002040_test.htm |access-date=October 24, 2023 |publisher=Jeuxvideo.com}}
- An American Tail (2007): a platform game developed by Data Design Interactive and published by Blast! Entertainment, the plot is based on the film of the same name; while the game was released exclusively in Europe.{{Cite web |last=Cowan |first=Danny |date=July 9, 2007 |title=Release This! |url=https://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/105553/Release_This_Wii_Dragon_Quest_To_Make_Strong_Japanese_Debut.php |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120513171636/http://www.gamasutra.com/view/news/105553/Release_This_Wii_Dragon_Quest_To_Make_Strong_Japanese_Debut.php |url-status=dead |archive-date=May 13, 2012 |access-date=August 4, 2018 |website=Gamasutra |publisher=UBM}} The game consists of ten levels with four bonus levels, where the player must guide Fievel on a preset path from start to finish. Gameplay takes different forms in different levels, where the player controls the main character through mechanics such as running in a bubble, riding the back of Henri the pigeon, parachuting downwards and others while collecting stars or pieces of cheese along the way.{{Cite web |title=Gamespy – An American Tail |url=http://ps2.gamespy.com/playstation-2/an-american-tail/ |access-date=May 19, 2019 |website=Gamespy |publisher=IGN}} The game was noted for being a "rip-off" of Sega's Super Monkey Ball series and received largely unfavorable reception.{{Cite web|url= https://www.backloggd.com/games/an-american-tail|title=An American Tail (2007) — Backloggd|website=Backloggd.com}}
=Music=
"Somewhere Out There" (1986): Created as the main theme of An American Tail, the rock and roll ballad version performed by Linda Ronstadt and James Ingram was included in the movie during the end-titles sequence. The song is notable for winning two Academy Awards at the 30th award show, one for Song of the Year and the other for Best Song Written Specifically for a Motion Picture or Television. It was also nominated for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocal for Rondstadt and Ingram. It also earned attention for its nominations for Best Original Song at the 44th Golden Globe Awards and the 59th Academy Awards, respectively.{{cite web |url=http://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987 |title=Best Original Song - 59th Academy Awards (1987) |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |access-date=June 25, 2024|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180202000023/http://oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1987 |archive-date=February 2, 2018}}
"Dreams to Dream" (1991): Created as the main theme of An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, the rock ballad version was performed by Linda Ronstadt and debuted during the end-titles sequence of the movie. The song was noted for having a troubled production history. Anita Baker was initially slated to perform the song before dropping out and being replaced by Ronstadt, only for the latter to reject the offer to include her recording in the film. Replaced by Céline Dion, the single was completed and produced for the movie, before producers later requested that Ronstadt's vocal performance be reinserted into the song.{{Cite magazine |last=Rapkin |first=Mickey |date=May 18, 2017 |title=The Oral History of Celine Dion's 'My Heart Will Go On': Controversies, Doubts & 'Belly Pains' In the Studio |url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7800213/celine-dion-my-heart-will-go-on-oral-history-interview |access-date=June 25, 2024|magazine=Billboard |archive-date=November 3, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191103205423/https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/magazine-feature/7800213/celine-dion-my-heart-will-go-on-oral-history-interview|url-status=live}}{{Cite web |date=May 18, 2002 |title=Profiles of Celine Dion, Enrique Iglesias, Moby |url=https://transcripts.cnn.com/show/pitn/date/2002-05-18/segment/00 |access-date=June 25, 2024|website=CNN |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726230343/http://edition.cnn.com/TRANSCRIPTS/0205/18/pitn.00.html |url-status=live}} Despite its conflicted production, the finished single earned a nomination for Golden Globe Award for Best Original Song,{{Cite web |title=American Tail, An: Fievel Goes West |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/american-tail-fievel-goes-west |access-date=November 30, 2019 |website=Golden Globe Awards |archive-date=July 26, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220726230342/https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/american-tail-fievel-goes-west |url-status=live}} and was on the short-list for the nominations for Academy Award for Best Original Song though it didn't earn a nomination for the latter.{{Cite web |last=Sharkey |first=Betsy |date=February 16, 1992 |title=For the Oscars It's a Familiar Tune |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/16/archives/for-the-oscars-its-a-familiar-tune.html |access-date=December 1, 2019 |website=The New York Times |archive-date=September 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200902052827/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/16/archives/for-the-oscars-its-a-familiar-tune.html |url-status=live}}
=Stage=
An American Tail Theatre is a discontinued live stage show based on An American Tail: Fievel Goes West, running at various Universal Parks & Resorts theme parks from 1990 to 1992.
=Playground=
Fievel's Playland is a playground based on An American Tail and Fievel Goes West, to make guests feel like the size of a mouse on oversized objects, and ride on a 200-foot water slide. It ran at Hollywood from 1989 to 1997, and in Florida from July 5, 1992 to January 16, 2023.
References
{{Reflist}}
{{An American Tail}}
{{David Kirschner}}
{{Universal Animation Studios}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Tail}}
Category:Film franchises introduced in 1986
Category:Universal Pictures franchises
Category:Films adapted into television shows