Fritz the Cat (1972)

User Rating:

5.9/10   

Director:

Ralph Bakshi

Writers:

Ralph Bakshi (screenplay)
Robert Crumb (characters)

Release Date:

16 October 1972 (Sweden)

Genre:

Animation | Comedy | Drama

Tagline:

He's X-Rated and Animated!

Plot:

A hypocritical swinging college student cat raises hell in a satiric vision of various elements on the 1960's.

Plot Keywords:

Cat | Crumb | 1960s | Underground | Weed

US Showtimes:

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Cast

Skip Hinnant	...	Fritz the Cat (voice)
Rosetta LeNoire	...	(voice)
John McCurry	...	(voice)
Phil Seuling	...	(voice)

Runtime:

78 min | Sweden:79 min | Argentina:80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | Yiddish

Color:

Black and White (end credits) | Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Canada:R (Manitoba/Nova Scotia/Ontario) | New Zealand:R18 | Iceland:16 | Italy:VM14 (re-rating) (1994) | Italy:VM18 (original rating) | France:-16 (re-release) | UK:18 (video rating) (1994) | Argentina:18 | Australia:R | Finland:K-18 | France:-18 (re-rating) | France:X (original rating) | Germany:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:X (original rating) | USA:Unrated (video rating) | West Germany:18 | Germany:16 (re-rating) (1995) | USA:X (rating surrendered) | Canada:18+ (Quebec)

Company:

Aurica Finance Company

Trivia:

According to Fritz's creator Robert Crumb, when Ralph Bakshi and Steve Krantz approached him for permission to a film on his character, Fritz the Cat, he refused, so Bakshi and Krantz made the film without his permission. Ralph Bakshi, however has a different account of the story: "He [Crumb] wanted to take credit for the entire thing. Luckily, film doesn't work that way." Bakshi's account seems more realistic, considering R. Crumb's ego problems. Crumb later killed off Fritz in a story titled "Fritz the Cat - Superstar," in which Fritz was a burnt out superstar, being exploited by characterizations of Krantz and Bakshi, who have already signed him up to do a line of sequels. Fritz winds up being stabbed in the back of the head by a female ostrich. R. Crumb thought that this would stop the further production of sequels to "Fritz the Cat." Ralph Bakshi, who had said all he had to say with the first "Fritz the Cat" movie, moved on to Heavy Traffic (1973). Krantz, who wanted to continue to make money off of the character signed 'Robert Taylor' to write and direct The Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974) for him.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Duke and Fritz leave the bar, the knife on the floor disappears.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Hey, yeah - the 1960s? Happy times, heavy times.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Starz Inside: Comic Books Unbound (2008) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Bo Diddley

I love this film for what it is. Puerile, satirical and Ground breaking!

This is a film not for everyone. Pure and simple it is offensive, and at times intentionally gross. Besides this fact, it holds the honor of the first X rated cartoon, huge box office sales and inspired by the comic book genius Robert Crumb. Unfortunately this film was made without his permission and it probably would have been better had he put in his own brand of humor in it. This is not to dishonor the writers and animators who spent two years making this. This holds a place in our culture for many reasons, especially since it represented the college kids who just had to get out and rebel. That with the drug abuse, and graphic sex scenes makes the viewing of it one that should probably be engaged in alone. Overall, a hoot and a holler 10 out of 10!