Fritz the Cat is a 1972 American animated film written and directed by Ralph Bakshi (pictured) as his feature film debut. Based on the comic strip of the same name by Robert Crumb, the film was the first animated feature film to receive an X rating in the United States. It focuses on Fritz (voiced by Skip Hinnant), an anthropomorphic feline in mid-1960s New York City who explores the ideals of hedonism and sociopolitical consciousness. The film is a satire focusing on American college life of the era, race relations, the free love movement, and left- and right-wing politics. Fritz the Cat was the most successful independent animated feature of all time, grossing over $100 million worldwide. The film had a troubled production history and controversial release. Creator Robert Crumb is known to have had disagreements with the filmmakers, claiming in interviews that his first wife signed over the film rights to the characters, and that he did not approve the production. Crumb was also critical of the film's approach to his material. Fritz the Cat was controversial for its rating and content, which viewers at the time found to be offensive.

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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:

1268:

Conradin, the last Duke of Swabia, was beheaded in Naples after failing to reclaim Sicily for the House of Hohenstaufen from Charles of Anjou. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conradin

1618:

English courtier and explorer Walter Raleigh was executed in London after King James I reinstated a fifteen-year old death sentence against him. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Raleigh

1787:

The opera Don Giovanni, based on the legendary fictional libertine Don Juan and composed by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, premiered in the Estates Theatre in Prague. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Don_Giovanni

1923:

Mustafa Kemal Atatürk became the first President of the Republic of Turkey, a new nation founded from remnants of the Ottoman Empire. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mustafa_Kemal_Atat%C3%BCrk

1929:

A catastrophic downturn in the New York Stock Exchange on "Black Tuesday" set off the Great Depression, triggering a chain of bankruptcies and a worldwide economic depression. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wall_Street_Crash_of_1929

1998:

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission presented its report on Apartheid in South Africa, condemning both the Apartheid Government and the African National Congress for committing atrocities. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truth_and_Reconciliation_Commission_%28South_Africa%29

_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:

worsted (n): 1. Wool yarn made from long strands of wool. 2. The fine, smooth fabric made from such wool yarn http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/worsted

___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:

No moral system can rest solely on authority. --Alfred Jules Ayer http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Alfred_Jules_Ayer