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Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and live-action films. As the American animation industry fell into decline during the 1960s and 1970s, Bakshi tried to establish an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. From 1972 to 1994, he directed nine theatrically-released feature films (five of which he wrote) and oversaw ten television projects as a director, producer and animator.
After starting out at the Terrytoons studio as a cel polisher, he eventually became a director of animated television shows for the studio.
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Sweetheart, I'm the biggest ripped-off cartoonist in the history of the world, and that's all I'm going to say.
Encyclopedia
Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is an American director of animated and live-action films. As the American animation industry fell into decline during the 1960s and 1970s, Bakshi tried to establish an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. From 1972 to 1994, he directed nine theatrically-released feature films (five of which he wrote) and oversaw ten television projects as a director, producer and animator.
After starting out at the Terrytoons studio as a cel polisher, he eventually became a director of animated television shows for the studio. Bakshi moved to Famous Studios in 1967, and started his own studio, Ralph's Spot, in 1969. Through producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi made his debut feature film, Fritz the Cat in 1972. It was the first animated film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America.
Bakshi then simultaneously directed a number of animated films, and is perhaps best-known for his fantasy work: Wizards, The Lord of the Rings in 1978 and Fire and Ice in 1983. His directorial career declined after the 1981 release American Pop, which followed four generations of musicians whose careers paralleled the history of American popular music. He returned to television, producing the series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, which ran for two years before being canceled due to complaints from television watchdog groups about perceived drug references. Bakshi's last film was Cool World in 1992. The film was heavily rewritten during production and received negative reviews. Bakshi again returned to television with the live-action film Cool and the Crazy and the anthology series Spicy City.
He founded the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning in 2003 and released a hardcover book of his art in 2008. He has garnered several awards for his work: he was the recipient of the 1980 Golden Gryphon for The Lord of the Rings at the Giffoni Film Festival, the 1988 Annie Award for Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation, and the 2003 Maverick Tribute Award at the Cinequest Film Festival.
Biography
Early life and television work
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Ralph Bakshi was born on October 29, 1938 in Haifa, Israel, which was then a part of the British Mandate of Palestine. In 1939, his family emigrated to New York to escape World War II, and he grew up in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn. As a child, Bakshi loved comic books and art in general. During his teenage years, he was also a boxer. Bakshi attended Thomas Jefferson High School, but later transferred to the School of Industrial Art, where he graduated in 1957 with an award in cartooning. At the age of 18, Bakshi was hired as a cel polisher by Terrytoons, who eventually promoted him to cel painter, then inker, and then animator. By age 25, he was directing programs which featured characters such as Mighty Mouse, Heckle and Jeckle, Deputy Dawg, and Foofle. In 1966, during a series pitch meeting with CBS, after all of the pitches prepared by Terrytoons had been rejected, an unprepared Bakshi pitched the concept for a superhero spoof cartoon called The Mighty Heroes. CBS greenlit the series and production began with Bakshi serving as director.
In 1967, Bakshi became head of Famous Studies, the animation division of Paramount Pictures. With American involvement in the Vietnam War at its peak and the political climate of the United States on the rise, Bakshi felt that he could no longer continue to produce the same kind of animation as he had in the past. Bakshi was quoted in a 1971 article for the Los Angeles Times as saying that the idea of "grown men sitting in cubicles drawing butterflies floating over a field of flowers, while American planes are dropping bombs in Vietnam and kids are marching in the streets, is ludicrous." In 1969, Bakshi founded his own studio, Ralph's Spot, establishing the studio as an alternative to mainstream animation by producing animation his own way and accelerating the advancement of female and minority animators. He also paid his employees a higher salary than any other studio at that time. With producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi worked on a number of low budget television series, such as Rocket Robin Hood, which aired from 1966 to 1969, and Spider-Man, which aired from 1967 to 1970.
Fritz the Cat and Heavy Traffic
In 1971, Krantz agreed to produce Bakshi's first feature film. They finally deciding on Robert Crumb's successful underground comic book Fritz the Cat. Bakshi was initially reluctant to direct the film because he had spent years working on animated productions featuring animal characters and wanted to make films focusing on human characters. Fritz the Cat featured the voice work of Skip Hinnant, Rosetta LeNoire, John McCurry, Phil Seuling, and Judy Engles, and it was made using a number of experimental animated film production techniques that Bakshi would continue to use throughout his career, including live-action footage, photographs, and documentary-style recording techniques. Fritz the Cat was the first animated feature film to receive an X rating in the United States. It was also the first independent animated film to gross more than US$100 million at the box office.
Reviews of the film were largely positive. Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote that the film is "constantly funny [...] [There's] something to offend just about everyone." In The Hollywood Reporter, Paul Sargent Clark called the film "powerful and audacious", while Newsweek called it "a harmless, mindless, pro-youth saga calculated to shake up only the box office." The Wall Street Journal and Cue both gave the film mixed reviews. Several well-known animators took out a full-page advertisement in Variety criticizing the film for its adult content, and creator Robert Crumb disowned the film.
Regarding the film, Bakshi said "a lot of people got freaked out. The people in charge of the power structure [...] thought I was a pornographer, and they made things very difficult for me. The younger people, the people who could take new ideas, were the people I was addressing. I wasn't addressing the whole world. To those people who loved it, it was a huge hit, and everyone else wanted to kill me."
In 1973, Bakshi began production on Heavy Traffic, a personal tale of inner-city street life. The film incorporated many of Bakshi's trademark filmmaking techniques from his debut. During the production of the film, Bakshi had an instant friendship with producer Albert S. Ruddy (via a screening of The Godfather), and pitched the idea of Harlem Nights, a film loosely based on the Uncle Remus storybooks, which was later to become Coonskin. When Steve Krantz learned that Bakshi would work with Ruddy, Krantz locked Bakshi out of the studio, but allowed him to come back to complete the film two weeks later.
Newsweek wrote that Heavy Traffic contained "black humor, powerful grotesquerie and peculiar raw beauty. Episodes of violence and sexuality are both explicit and parodies of flesh-and-blood porn [...] a celebration of urban decay." Charles Champlin wrote in The New York Times that the film was "furious energy, uncomfortable to watch as often as it is hilarious." The Hollywood Reporter called it "shocking, outrageous, offensive, sometimes incoherent, occasionally unintelligent. However, it is also an authentic work of movie art and Bakshi is certainly the most creative American animator since Disney." Thanks to Heavy Traffic, Ralph Bakshi became the first person in the animation industry since Walt Disney to have two financially successful films released back-to-back. However, the film was banned by the film censorship board in the province of Alberta, Canada when it was originally released.
Coonskin and Hey Good Lookin'
After Heavy Traffic, Bakshi ended his partnership with Steve Krantz and set up his own studio. Bakshi and Ruddy began production on Harlem Nights, with Paramount Pictures originally attached to distribute the film. The title was eventually changed to Coonskin No More... and finally to Coonskin. The film, culled from Bakshi's interest in African-American history in America, was an attack on racism and racist stereotypes. Bakshi hired several African-American animators to work on Coonskin and another feature, Hey Good Lookin', including Brenda Banks, the first African-American female animator. The film's release was stalled by protests from the Congress of Racial Equality. They accused both the film and Bakshi himself of being racist. After the film's distribution was picked up by Bryanston Distributing Company, Paramount canceled another project that was being developed by Bakshi and Ruddy called The American Chronicles.
Coonskin was given limited distribution, advertised as an exploitation film, and soon disappeared from theaters. Initial reviews were negative. Playboy said of the film, "Bakshi seems to throw in a little of everything and he can't quite pull it together." Eventually, positive reviews appeared in the New York Times, the Hollywood Reporter, the New York Amsterdam News (an African American newspaper), and elsewhere, but the film died at the box office. Richard Eder of The New York Times wrote, "[Coonskin] could be his masterpiece [...] a shattering successful effort to use an uncommon form—cartoons and live action combined—to convey the hallucinatory violence and frustration of American city life, specifically black city life [...] lyrically violent, yet in no way [does it] exploit violence." Variety called the film a "brutal satire from the streets. Not for all tastes [...] not avant-garde. [...] The target audience is youth who read comics in the undergrounds." A reviewer for The Los Angeles Herald Examiner wrote "Certainly, it will outrage some and indeed it's not Disney. I liked it. The dialogue it has obviously generated—if not the box office obstacles—seems joltingly healthy."
During this period, an initial cut of Hey Good Lookin' was completed. The film takes place in Brooklyn during the 1950s and focuses on Vinnie, the leader of a gang named "The Stompers," his friend, Crazy Shapiro, and their girls, Roz and Eva. It was originally conceived of as a combination of live-action and animation. According to Bakshi, "The illusion I attempted to create was that of a completely live-action film. Making it work almost drove us crazy." Production of the film was underway in 1974. Singer Dan Hicks worked on the film's initial music score, but the final film was scored by John Madara. The main voice actors were Richard Romanus, David Proval and Jesse Welles. Hey Good Lookin' opened in New York City on October 1, 1982, and was released in Los Angeles in January 1983. Animation historian Jerry Beck wrote: "The beginning of the film is quite promising, with a garbage can discussing life on the streets with some garbage. This is an example of what Bakshi did best - using the medium of animation to comment on society. Unfortunately, he doesn't do it enough in this film. There is a wildly imaginative fantasy sequence during the climax, when the character named Crazy starts hallucinating during a rooftop shooting spree. This scene almost justifies the whole film. But otherwise, this is a rehash of ideas better explored in Coonskin, Heavy Traffic, and Fritz the Cat."
Shift to fantasy film
In an effort to expand into other genres and move away from race and cultural issues, Bakshi developed the fantasy film War Wizards. Bakshi described the film as an allegorical comment on the moral neutrality of technology and the potentially destructive powers of propaganda. However, he also stated that the film dealt with the creation of the state of Israel, the Holocaust, and the rise of fascism. The film went into production at 20th Century Fox as Star Wars was being produced, and Bakshi was asked to change the title of his film to Wizards because of the conflict with that film. Actor Mark Hamill was persuaded to appear in a minor role in Wizards, while the main voices were provided by Bob Holt, Steve Gravers, and Hey Good Lookin' voice actors Jesse Welles, Richard Romanus and David Proval. Bakshi ran into trouble when he was unable to complete the battle sequences with the budget 20th Century Fox had given him. The studio refused to raise his budget, resulting in Bakshi having to use his own money to fund the production. He use rotoscoping for the battle sequences, which borrowed live-action material from World War II stock footage and feature films. The film was well-received in Japan and Germany. Jerry Beck wrote:
"The central figure, Avatar, is a crusty old wizard who sounds a great deal like Peter Falk, and clearly owes much to cartoonist Vaughn Bodé's Cheech Wizard character. The conflict between Avatar and his evil brother Blackwolf is both clichéd and mostly dealt with at a distance, as the opposing sides gradually grow nearer. [...] The film has a few interesting moments, particularly in a series of still illustrations by Marvel comic artist Mike Ploog, but is perhaps most notable as a turning point, not necessarily a positive one, in Bakshi's film career."
During this period, Bakshi learned that director John Boorman was contracted to direct an adaptation of The Lord of the Rings, and that Boorman had attempted to collapse the entire story into a single film. When Boorman left the project, Bakshi proposed that United Artists produce the story as three animated films. Bakshi and Dan Melnick, then-president of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, made a deal with United Artists to purchase the film rights to the story for $3 million, but the deal fell through when Melnick was fired from MGM. Bakshi contacted Saul Zaentz (who had helped finance Fritz the Cat), and persuaded him to produce The Lord of the Rings. United Artists agreed to produce the story as two films. Voice actors included Christopher Guard, William Squire, Michael Scholes and John Hurt. The film incorporated rotoscoping, brief cel animation, and live-action footage mixed with animation. Jerry Beck questioned the incorporation of live-action footage, writing that while the rotoscoped animation is "beautiful", he felt that it was not clear whether the use of live-action footage was an artistic choice, or whether it was done due to budgetary constraints. Bakshi later regretted his use of rotoscoping, stating that he made a mistake by tracing the source footage rather than using it as a guide.
Once the film was completed, Bakshi was told that audiences would not pay to see an incomplete film, and The Lord of the Rings was released, over Bakshi's objections, without any indication that a second part would follow. According to Beck, reviews of the film were mixed, but it was generally considered to be a "flawed but inspired interpretation". In The Hollywood Reporter, Frank Barrow wrote that the film was "daring and unusual in concept." Joseph Gelmis of Newsday wrote that "the film's principal reward is a visual experience unlike anything that other animated features are doing at the moment." Roger Ebert called Bakshi's effort a "mixed blessing" and "an entirely respectable, occasionally impressive job ... [which] still falls far short of the charm and sweep of the original story." Vincent Canby of the New York Times called the film "both numbing and impressive." David Denby of New York magazine felt that the film would not make sense to viewers who had not previously read the book. Denby wrote that the film was too dark and lacked humor, concluding that "The lurid, meaningless violence of this movie left me exhausted and sickened by the end." The film cost $4 million to produce and grossed $30.5 million at the box office. The studio refused to fund the sequel, which would have picked up half-way through the story and adapted the remainder of the book. The Lord of the Rings won the Golden Gryphon at the 1980 Giffoni Film Festival.
Box office decline and return to television
Bakshi's next film, American Pop, released in 1981, followed four generations of a Russian Jewish immigrant family of musicians whose careers paralleled the history of American popular music. Bakshi again made use of rotoscoping, and incorporated an extensive soundtrack spanning several decades of music. Response to the film was "lukewarm", according to The New York Times. Jerry Beck called it one of Bakshi's best films. Because of music clearance issues, the film was not released on home video until 1998. In 1983, Bakshi collaborated with fantasy illustrator Frank Frazetta on the film Fire and Ice, which once again utilized rotoscoping. Jerry Beck wrote that "The plot is standard [...] recalling nothing so much as a more graphic episode of Filmation's He-Man series. [...] Fire and Ice essentially stands as a footnote to the spate of barbarian films that followed in the wake of Arnold Schwarzenegger's appearance as Conan." Bakshi went into semi-retirement to focus on his painting. However, in 1985, Bakshi produced the "Harlem Shuffle" music video for The Rolling Stones. The video's animation segments were directed by John Kricfalusi.
In 1987, Bakshi produced the television series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures. Much of the press coverage of the series involved allegations from Donald Wildmon, head of the American Family Association, who claimed that the episode "The Littlest Tramp" contained a sequence in which Mighty Mouse inhaled cocaine. In actuality, the character inhaled crushed flower petals. After Wildmon had attacked the show for weeks, CBS agreed to remove the scene. During this period, Bakshi and Kricfalusi conceived the unproduced project Bobby's Girl, described as being "a sort of [1950s] teen-comedy thing". In 1988, Bakshi received an Annie Award for "Distinguished Contribution to the Art of Animation". In 1989, Bakshi directed the live-action short film This Ain't Bebop for PBS. Starring Harvey Keitel, the short was a homage to the Beat Generation in which Keitel's character "wanders around a seedy part of downtown Los Angeles, reciting his own poem", recalling "the already distant age of Kerouac, Pollock, Ginsberg and Coltrane." Bakshi also directed an adaptation of Dr. Seuss' The Butter Battle Book for TNT.
Cool World and Cool and the Crazy
In 1991, Bakshi pitched Cool World to Paramount Pictures. It was initially conceived as an animated horror film. While shooting on location, Bakshi was handed a new screenplay that was completely different from the one he had turned in, and learned that the script had been heavily rewritten by screenwriters Michael Grais and Mark Victor under the order of producer Frank Mancuso Jr. Mancuso, who had previously produced seven films in the Friday the 13th franchise, told The New York Times that he was "feeling trapped" by the horror genre, and wanted to make a film about "someone [who] creates a world, becomes defined by it, and then can't escape." Paramount threatened to sue Bakshi if he did not complete the film. The film's cast included Kim Basinger, Gabriel Byrne, and Brad Pitt. Bakshi had intended Pitt to star as the film's male lead, paired with Drew Barrymore. Bakshi expressed displeasure with the casting of Basinger and Byrne, as he had intended the film's main characters to be younger. Critical response towards the film was generally negative. Roger Ebert wrote in his review of the film: "The DJ who was hosting the radio station's free preview of Cool World leaped onto the stage and promised the audience: 'If you liked Roger Rabbit, you'll love Cool World!' He was wrong, but you can't blame him — he hadn't seen the movie. I have, and I will now promise you that if you liked Roger Rabbit, quit while you're ahead." The film grossed $14 million in the United States.
In 1994, Bakshi directed Cool and the Crazy, which aired as a part of Showtime's Rebel Highway series. It was his first entirely live-action feature film. Bakshi had originally announced the film in 1979 under the title If I Catch Her, I'll Kill Her, and began developing it that year. The film starred Jennifer Blanc, Matthew Flint, Jared Leto, Alicia Silverstone, Christine Harnos and John Hawkes. The story focused on an unfulfilled wife whose best friend encourages her to have an affair with a violent hood. The film took its title from a 1958 exploitation film of the same name released by American International Pictures, but it bore no relation to the earlier film. Variety reviewer Todd Everett wrote:
"the hyperdrive visual sense for which Bakshi's animated features have been noted. Everything in "Cool" [...] seems to exist in pastels and Bakshi shoots from more odd angles than any director since Sidney J. Furie in his heyday. And the closing sequences ably demonstrate how it's possible to present strong violence without any blood being shed onscreen. Bakshi pulls strong perfs from a cadre of youngish and largely unknown actors".
Later work
on July 26, 2008.]]
In 1995, Bakshi created two animated short films for Cartoon Network: Malcom and Melvin and Babe, He Calls Me. Both were heavily edited and Bakshi disowned them. In 1997, Bakshi worked on the animated television series Spicy City for HBO. The series was set in a noirish, technology-driven future. The series was based in an anthology form, each episode featuring a different story narrated by a sexy female host named Raven (voiced by Michelle Phillips). Although critical reaction was mixed and largely unfavorable, Spicy City received decent ratings. A second season was greenlit, but the series was cancelled after only six episodes. Bakshi did not work on any animation projects for several years, spending his time in New Mexico, working as a painter. In 2003, Bakshi received a Maverick Tribute Award at the Cinequest San Jose Film Festival. The same year, he made a guest appearance on protégé John Kricfalusi's Ren & Stimpy "Adult Party Cartoon", and the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning, founded by Bakshi, went into operation. It is currently being run by artist and educator Jess Gorell and Bakshi's son Eddie.
The availability of Bakshi's work on the Internet has spiked a resurgence of interest in his work, resulting in a three-day retrospective at American Cinematheque at Grauman's Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood, California and the Aero Theater in Santa Monica, California in April 2005. At the proceedings, Bakshi announced plans to finance and produce a low-budget animated feature titled Last Days of Coney Island. In September 2008, it was announced that Main Street Pictures would collaborate with Bakshi on a sequel to his film Wizards. Unfiltered: The Complete Ralph Bakshi, a hardcover book of Bakshi's art, was released on April 1, 2008. The foreword was written by Quentin Tarantino, and Bakshi wrote the afterword. The Online Film Critics Society ranked four of Bakshi's films on their list of the "Top 100 Animated Features of All Time": Fritz the Cat, The Lord of the Rings, Coonskin and Fire and Ice. Fritz the Cat was ranked at number 56 on Channel 4's list of the 100 Greatest Cartoons. The Museum of Modern Art has added his films to their collection for preservation.
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