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 | Underground | Crumb | 1960s | Violence Against Women

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 a 1986 interview with Ralph Bakshi, he met producer Steve Krantz, and told Krantz of his plans to start a studio for producing animated films for adults. Bakshi had planned to produce Heavy Traffic (1973) as his first feature film, but was told by Krantz that he was more likely to get funding if the production was an adaptation of another's property, which led them to Robert Crumb's "Fritz the Cat." Bakshi states that he did not originally intend to direct the film because he had already spent years working on animated series starring animal characters and had wanted to make a feature film starring human characters.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Fritz is attempting to fix Winston's Volkswagen Beetle after it's broken down in the desert, he opens the hood. Since it's a Beetle and the engine is located in the back of the car, he goes around to the back but leaves the hood up. Throughout the rest of the scene, the hood alternates from either being up or down.

Quotes:

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

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Confessions of Robert Crumb (1987)

Soundtrack:

Bo Diddley

Like it's main character, crass but very smart

From what I had heard of this film and the other user comments posted, I was expecting a simple little shock cartoon. What I got was good kick in the pants. And I mean that in a good way. "Fritz the Cat" in many ways exposes the 1960's more than the live action films of its own decade.

The movie starts with 3 construction workers talking on top of an unfinished building. The dialogue is very spontaneous and almost seems ad-libbed. These types of conversations are sprinkled throughout the 80 minute film.

It then transitions to Fritz the cat, a college student who, like many of that era I'm sure, is not sure what it's all for. He decides to "do something real" and ventures into Harlem. From here he meets a wide assortment of people, incites a riot, and has sex with many a woman. It may not always have a point, but the movie has one fun segment after another with little breathing room. Sometimes unnecessarily shocking, sometimes surprisingly inspired, but always quick on its feet.

So please give it a chance. It's a lot more than the notorious cartoon porn it's been labeled as. It's a fun romp through the deprived New York of the 60's, except this time with cartoon characters! What's not to like?

7/10