Animalympics is a 1980 animated film produced by Lisberger Studios….and released by Warner Bros. It was the third animated feature film presented with Dolby sound. Originally commissioned by the NBC network as two separate specials…it spoofs the Summer and Winter Olympic Games….and features the voices of Billy Crystal, Gilda Radner, Harry Shearer and Michael Fremer.
The film is a series of vignettes presented as the broadcast of the first animal Olympic Games….through the fictional ZOO television network. The Games combine summer and winter Olympic events.
Unlike the real Olympics, continents are represented rather than countries. The continents featured are North America, South America, Eurasia, Europe, Africa, Australia, and Asia….as Eurasia represents Eastern Europe….whereas Europe represents Western and Central Europe. The only mention of areas other than continents are the New York Rats soccer team….with Dean Wilson being from California….a Central American marathon runner named Pepé Repanosa….an Acapulco cliff diver named “Primo Cabeza”….a marathon runner Terry Hornsby being from Boulder, Colorado….René Fromage being from France….and Kurt Wüfner appearing at the downhill event right before a Scandinavian is given a gold medal.
