History WesternAnimation / FritzTheCat

* FantasticRacism: Somewhat. Crows stand in for black people, however the terms "crow" and "black/negro/colored" are used completely interchangeably.

->''"Hey, yeah, the 1960's? Happy times. Heavy times."''

Having previously helmed several TV shows, Bakshi came across a ''Fritz'' comic in a Manhattan book store and went straight to author R. Crumb to ask for the rights to turn the comic into a film. Although Crumb gave Bakshi a sketchbook of his to help him learn to draw Fritz, he was highly doubtful of the film's potential for success, and never agreed to sign over the rights to greenlight the film. Producer Steve Krantz, however, struck a deal with Crumb's wife, allowing the film to begin production; Crumb was paid $50,000 for the film rights. Despite its limited release, it gained favorable critical response and great commercial success, remaining one of the most highest grossing independent films of all time. This enabled a {{sequel}} to be produced in 1974, ''WesternAnimation/TheNineLivesOfFritzTheCat''.

Although aired in 1080p on HDTV and MGM's streaming service in 2017, it has never been released on Blu-ray and the 2002 SD DVD edition is out of print.[[note]]A copy on Creator/{{Amazon}} is USD$65.[[/note]] As of 2021, it's available to stream on Creator/PrimeVideo and is scheduled to be released on Blu-ray (along with a separate Blu-ray release of the sequel) in October.

* TheSixties: The film is a little inconsistent on ''when'' exactly in the sixties it takes place. Golda Meir is mentioned as the Prime Minister of Israel and one of the crow characters says "Who do you think I am? Geraldine?" (a character created by the comedian Flip Wilson in September 1969). This might suggest that the film takes place in the fall of 1969. However, in the opening scene, a billboard advertising Creator/JohnHuston's film ''The Bible'', released in September 1966, is visible. Given the lack of references to UsefulNotes/TheVietnamWar or UsefulNotes/MartinLutherKingJr's death (which would be fairly common topics in the late '60s, especially in a movie about race relations and political revolution), and the fact that most of the comics by Crumb were written in the mid '60s, may suggest that the film takes place circa 1966.

* AmbiguouslyJewish: Bakshi has referred to Winston Schwartz as such. [[CaptainObvious As if her name weren't indicator enough.]]

* {{Anti Hero}}: Fritz is a [[{{ItsAllAboutMe}} Self-Centerd]], [[{{ManipulativeBastard}} Manipulitive]], and [[{{AllMenArePerverts}} Sex Loving]] {{Jerkass}}. However, See {{Jerk With a Heart of Gold}} below.

* CampGay: The first crow to appear in the film, who flamboyantly tells off the girls trying to flirt with him through positive discrimination.

* EveryoneHasStandards: Even a [[ManipulativeBastard manipulative]], [[AllMenArePerverts perverted]] {{manchild}} like Fritz has zero tolerance for rape and is seen comforting Harriet after he fails to save her.

* FantasticRacism: Somewhat. Crows stand in for black people in the film, however the terms "crow" and "black/negro/colored" are used completely interchangeably.

* HeroicSacrifice: Duke the Crow dies saving Fritz by getting shot by a stray bullet. Not only is he one of the friendlier and more sympathetic characters in the movie, but he's also [[OnlyFriend the only male character to care about Fritz's well being]].

* {{Improv}}: A few scenes, such as the opening on the construction site and the conversation among the patrons in the black bar, were voiced by [=NYC=] pedestrians whom Bakshi would approach at random and interview, paying them $5 each and using audio of their candid conversations as dialogue.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: After Fritz ends up causing a riot between crows and pigs. WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, and WesternAnimation/DaisyDuck (via silhouettes) are briefly seen cheering as airplane fighter jets fly across the city.

** A [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBKArQKBf5U smooth jazz theme]] is used for Duke the Crow.
** Fritz the Cat himself has this [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xHJ4yNH-aqU electronic-rock theme]] performed by Ed Bogas.
** Bertha has a [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNU_QF8Rxk0 groovy jazz theme with an organ]].

* OnlyFriend: Duke the Crow is the only male character in the entire film to show Fritz any empathy.

* RememberTheNewGuy: Fritz's girlfriend, Winston Schwartz, isn't even mentioned until her appearance in the last third of the film. [[WhatHappenedToTheMouse Her disappearance is just as abrupt.]] Supposedly this is why Bakshi gave the fox character in the female trio the same name, to try and pass off both characters as the same person so the real Winston's sudden and unexplained appearance wouldn't be so jarring. However, it's arguably ''more'' jarring this way, since the fun and easygoing "Winston" in the beginning suddenly becomes a nagging, hateful, abusive wench in the end without explanation.

* WorkingThroughTheCold: Real-life example. Animator Ted Bonnicksen, who was gravely ill with leukemia during production, was so dedicated to the film that he took his work home with him and worked until his death.

* AllMenArePerverts: Especially Fritz, as every other scene is him ogling or sleeping with various women .

* PolicePig: The film portrays police officers as [[DirtyCop corrupt]], [[PoliceAreUseless incompetetent]], [[PigMan anthropomorphic pigs]]. The film was a major reason why the 19th century usage of "pig" as an insult for cops made a big comeback in TheSeventies.

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* FurryDenial: Bakshi's reasoning for why the anthropomorphic characters in this film never act like animals is that it would ruin what he was trying to create, which was a more realistic and mature form of animation. This is specifically the reason why the scene where the crow Duke saves Fritz was changed from [[ComicBook/FritzTheCat R. Crumb's comic]]; Crumb had Duke flying Fritz away from a car crash, whereas he grabs a railing in the film. Bakshi admits that he wasn't entirely satisfied with the solution, but it kept him from using any "animal" behavior to further the plot.

* LawyerFriendlyCameo: After Fritz ends up causing a riot between crows and pigs. WesternAnimation/MickeyMouse, WesternAnimation/DonaldDuck, and WesternAnimation/DaisyDuck (via silhouettes) are briefly seen can be seen cheering as airplane fighter jets fly across the city.

* NiceHat: Duke the Crow wears his green hat as part of his outfit.

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/fritz_the_cat_1972.png]]

* SomethingCompletelyDifferent: Despite being a RandomEventsPlot, the film remains relatively consistent in the first two acts, being set in UsefulNotes/NewYorkCity and based on [[UsefulNotes/CivilRightsMovement race relations]] during UsefulNotes/TheSixties. The third act drops all of this in favor of a RoadTripPlot and a [[LastEpisodeNewCharacter brand new set of characters]].

[[quoteright:347:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Fritz_9827.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:347:Pictured: [[{{ChickMagnet}} Fritz]] [[{{AllMenArePerverts}} The]] [[{{BuffoonishTomcat}} Cat]]. All you need to know about him, and the movie.]]

** Though she does resemble the [[{{Meganekko}} bespectacled]], feline member of three girls Fritz engages in sexcapades with, so it's possible it's her, with a prototypical character design.

Creator/RalphBakshi's directorial debut, this 1972 feature film adaptation of Creator/RobertCrumb's comic strip ''ComicBook/FritzTheCat'' is famous for being the first feature-length adult animated film in the United States, receiving an X rating upon its original release.[[note]]Equivalent to today's [[UsefulNotes/AdultsOnlyFilmRating NC-17]], though all home media re-releases go [[UsefulNotes/NotRatedRating unrated]] to due to stigma around the aforementioned rating.[[/note]] It streamlines three plotlines from the comic into a linear story, with more political and social commentary than what had previously been largely light entertainment.

* PhotoMontage: The film ends with pictures with many different location spots from New York City, including an area [[ShownTheirWork that was referenced]] in the beginning of the film.

Creator/RalphBakshi's directorial debut, this 1972 feature film adaptation of Creator/RobertCrumb's comic strip ''[[ComicBook/FritzTheCat Fritz The Cat]]'' is famous for being the first piece of feature-length adult animation in the United States, receiving an X rating upon its original release.[[note]]Equivalent to today's [[UsefulNotes/AdultsOnlyFilmRating NC-17]], though all home media re-releases go [[UsefulNotes/NotRatedRating unrated]] to due to stigma around the aforementioned rating.[[/note]] It streamlines three plotlines from the comic into a linear story, with more political and social commentary than what had previously been largely light entertainment.

Over the course of the story, Fritz spends time with stoners, talks to black people (represented by crows) in Harlem where he meets Duke, very briefly meets with some Rabbis, goes on a road trip with his girlfriend Winston Schwartz, and ultimately meets up with extremists who scheme to blow up a power plant. Unsurprisingly, he spends most of the movie running from the police (represented as, of course, pigs). Of course, his goal of finding himself always seems to take a back seat to more immediate gratification in the form of [[AllMenArePerverts carnal pleasures]] or [[StonerFlick good ol' fashioned weed]].

Although aired in 1080p on HDTV and MGM's streaming service in 2017, it has never been released on Blu-ray and the 2002 SD DVD edition is out of print.[[note]]A copy on Creator/{{Amazon}} is USD$65.[[/note]] As of 2021, it's available to stream on Creator/PrimeVideo and is scheduled to be released on blu-ray (along with a separate blu-ray release of the sequel) in October.

* CampGay: The first crow to appear in the film, who flamboyantly tells off the girls trying to flirt with him through PositiveDescrimination.

* CampGay: The first crow to appear in the film.

* LaResistance: [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed and Parodied]]. Fritz is a college dropout who has a naive and idealistic view of left-wing revolutions. After irresponsibly delivering a [[KnowNothingKnowItAll nonsensical pseudo-Marxist speech]] that causes a poor neighborhood of black people (portrayed as crows) to riot against the police and experience mass death and destruction, he cowardly flees as he witnesses the highly violent and unpleasant realities of an actual revolution.

* LaResistance: [[{{Deconstruction}} Deconstructed and Parodied]]. Fritz is a college dropout who has a naive and idealistic view of left-wing revolutions. After irresponsibly delivering a [[KnowNothingKnowItAll nonsensical pseudo-Marxist speech]] that causes a poor neighborhood of black people (portrayed as crows) to riot against the police and experience mass death and destruction, he cowardly flees as he witnesses the highly unpleasant realities of an actual revolution.