Heavy Traffic **** (1973) – Classic Movie Review 13,975

Ralph Bakshi’s 1973 X-rated adult part animated film Heavy Traffic about a budding New York cartoonist and his ambitions, is a time-warp treat.

Writer/ director Ralph Bakshi’s 1973 American 18-certificate, X-rated adult part animated film Heavy Traffic about a budding New York cartoonist and his ambitions, is a time-warp treat.

In this bold, stylish, dazzling looking Seventies animated feature, Bakshi presents a surrealist fantasy version of his own life story: a young New York City dropout cartoonist, living with his crazy parents, struggles to make good. The cartoonist is named Michael Corleone (the voice of Joseph Kaufmann), a 22-year-old virgin who plays pinball, asks himself philosophical questions and imagines an animated and dangerous New York neighbourhood.

Michael’s mafioso father Angie Corleone (the voice of Frank de Kova) cheats on his Jewish wife Ida (Terri Haven) with his mistress Molly (Mary Dean Lauria). Michael is a regular at a local bar where his girlfriend, the bartender Carole (Beverly Hope Atkinson), gives him drinks in exchange for sketches

Heavy Traffic is still great counter-culture stuff, hugely inventive, provocative, outrageous and entertaining, and now a valuable relic of its time and testimony to its attitudes, too.

The animated drama film begins and ends in live-action, and occasionally combines with live-action.

It features the voices of Joseph Kaufmann, Beverly Hope Atkinson, Frank de Kova, Terri Haven, Mary Dean Lauria, Jacqueline Mills, Lillian Adams, Jamie Farr, and Michael Brandon.

Heavy Traffic was a triumph for Ralph Bakshi as a box office success and his biggest critical success. It took $2.3 million at the North America box office against its budget of $950,000.

Release date: August 8, 1973.

Heavy Traffic is direcfted by Ralph Bakshi, runs 77 minutes, is made by Steve Krantz Productions, is released by American International Pictures, is written by Ralph Bakshi, is shot by Ted C Bemiller and Gregg Heschong, is produced by Samuel Z Arkoff and Steve Krantz, and is scored by Ed Bogas and Ray Shanklin.

It follows Ralph Bakshi’s Fritz the Cat (1972),

© Derek Winnert 2026 Classic Movie Review 13,975

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