Fritz the Cat (1972)
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A glib, womanizing cat navigates the countercultural landscape of 1960s New York City.
The story
Set in 1960s Manhattan, the film follows Fritz, an anthropomorphic cat who decides to drop out of college and immerse himself in the era's counterculture. While attempting to impress a group of women in Washington Square Park, he finds himself entangled in the social and political tensions of the time. The narrative serves as a satire of American college life, race relations, and the free love movement, while also critiquing the radical political climate of the late 1960s. Fritz's journey through the city's underground scenes and his interactions with various characters highlight the era's drug use, sexual liberation, and the complexities of the burgeoning revolutionary movements.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
In 1960s Manhattan, Fritz, an anthropomorphic cat, meets three women in Washington Square Park. After a series of escalating encounters involving a drug-fueled party and a confrontation with police, Fritz flees into a synagogue and later abandons his studies, setting his dormitory on fire. He joins forces with Duke the Crow, and the pair travels through various urban scenes, eventually leading to a violent riot in Harlem where Duke is killed. Fritz later travels toward San Francisco with a fox girlfriend but abandons her in the desert. He eventually ends up in a situation involving a drug-addicted rabbit and a horse, leading to a violent confrontation in a bunker. After being hospitalized in Los Angeles, Fritz is visited by the three women from the park. The film concludes with Fritz recovering and engaging in a sexual encounter with the women while his other companions look on.
- First release year
- 1972
- Runtime (minutes)
- 78
- Production countries
- United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Ralph Bakshi
- Writers
- Ralph Bakshi · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Skip Hinnant · Fritz; Rosetta LeNoire · Bertha; John McCurry · Duke the Crow; Phil Seuling · pig officers
- Themes
- counterculture; satire; sexual liberation; drug use
- Tone and mood
- provocative; satirical; gritty
- Setting
- 1960s Manhattan
- Premise and plot tags
- anthropomorphic; political satire; adult animation
- Source material / true-story basis
- Robert Crumb's comic strip
- Franchise connections
- Fritz the Cat
- Content notes
- profanity; violence; sex; nudity; drug use
- Reception
- The film was highly successful and critically acclaimed for its satire and social commentary, though it was controversial due to its explicit content and depiction of violence.
- Production trivia
- First American animated film to receive an X rating; One of the most successful independent films of all time
Genres
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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