Nine Lives of Fritz the Cat (1974) UK Quad Poster #New

Ralph Bakshi didn't want to make a sequel to his 1972 hit, Fritz the Cat, and went on to Heavy Traffic (1973) instead. Producer Steve Krantz worked with him on that, and recruited Pink Panther specialist Robert (Bob) Taylor to write and direct this sequel. Interspersing the animated footage with 'of the moment' archive - Watergate, Vietnam et al, Taylor created a loose story based around bigotry, sex, drugs and racism, with Fritz discovering his purpose in life through a series of 'what ifs' tableaux.

Outside of the framing story, Fritz's creator, underground cartoonist Robert Crumb, had nothing to do with the plot. And other than some broad comic swipes at the counter-culture, and one bravura sequence where a crow's last heartbeats are mirrored by pool balls sinking into the pockets, the sequel never matches up to its predecessor, despite the plot's possibilities. Fritz the Cat was the first animated feature to receive an 'X' rating in the US, and Nine Lives at least managed to maintain that record by becoming the first 'R' rated one.

Condition: VERY GOOD / FINE - Tape repairs / strengthening to rear (some unnecessary) - tear to mid centre edge by tagline

Cast: Skip Hinnant (as Fritz, both films), Reva Rose, Bob Holt, Louisa Moritz