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Ralph Bakshi

Ralph Bakshi

Director, writer, producer and actor · Born October 29, 1938 (87) · Haifa, Mandatory Palestine [now Israel]

Ralph Bakshi (born October 29, 1938) is a Palestinian-born American animator and filmmaker. In the 1970s, he established an alternative to mainstream animation through independent and adult-oriented productions. Between 1972 and 1992, he directed nine theatrically released feature films, five of which he wrote. He has been involved in numerous television projects as director, writer, producer and animator. Beginning his career at the Terrytoons television cartoon studio as a cel polisher, Bakshi was eventually promoted to director. He moved to the animation division of Paramount Pictures in 1967 and started his own studio, Bakshi Productions, in 1968. Through producer Steve Krantz, Bakshi made his debut feature film, Fritz the Cat, released in 1972. It was the first animated film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America, and the most successful independent animated feature of all time. Over the next eleven years, Bakshi directed seven additional animated features. He is well known for his fantasy films, which include Wizards (1977), The Lord of the Rings (1978) and Fire and Ice (1983). In 1987, Bakshi returned to television work, producing the series Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures, which ran for two years before it was canceled due to complaints from a conservative political group over perceived drug references. After a nine-year hiatus from feature films, he directed Cool World (1992), which was largely rewritten during production and received poor reviews. Bakshi returned to television with the live-action film Cool and the Crazy (1994) and the anthology series Spicy City (1997). He founded the Bakshi School of Animation and Cartooning in 2003. During the 2000s, he has focused largely on painting. He has received several awards for his work, including 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.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
October 29, 1938 (87)
From
Haifa, Mandatory Palestine [now Israel]
Works as
Director, writer, producer and actor
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 80 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 39 days to Oct 28Down 20% in 30 days

What are Ralph Bakshi's films like?

Across their 14 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Morality and Self.

Genres

Animation11 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 59th percentile
: browse their Animation movies
Documentary2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 78th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Morality
22%
Self
22%
Bonds
14%
Society
13%
Ideas
10%
Power
10%
Survival
9%
Ambition5 titles, browse their movies with this themeArt2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeOppression2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFriendship2 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity2 titles, browse their movies with this themeJustice2 titles, browse their movies with this themeSacrifice2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 14 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Heightened: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their heightened movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 1 · Stylized 5 · Heightened 8

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 3 · Charged 5 · Intense 6

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 3 · Shifting 7 · Whiplash 4

Some laughs: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their some laughs movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 5 · Some laughs 6 · Funny 3

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

Slow burn 6 · Even-paced 7 · Relentless 1

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 5 · Engaged 7 · Full focus 2

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 9 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
7
Absurd
8
Thrilling
5
Melancholic
4
Warm
3
Other
11

How their films linger

Thought-provoking5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteUnsettling6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteHopeful5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFun2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing2 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Happy1
  • Bittersweet7
  • Ambiguous5
  • Cyclical1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Ralph Bakshi's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 5 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Ralph Bakshi's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

80 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 3 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Midwest (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Director · Writer · Actor

  • Last Days of Coney Island (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Trickle Dickle Down (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Forging Through the Darkness: The Ralph Bakshi Vision for 'The Lord of the Rings' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Thanks · as Himself

  • Ren & Stimpy Adult Party Cartoon (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 2 episodes · as Ralph Bakshi (voice)

  • Babe, He Calls Me (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Animation · Writer · as Super Hero

  • Malcom and Melvin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Director · Writer · as Super Hero

  • Spicy City (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1997)

    Show 6 episodes · Director · Character Designer · Creator · Producer · Production Assistant · as Connelly / Goldblum (voice) · as Stevie (voice)

  • What a Cartoon! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    Show 2 episodes · Director · Animation · Writer

  • Cool and the Crazy(1994)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 8th percentile of all films

  • Rebel Highway (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1994)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • Cool World(1992)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • The Ren & Stimpy Show (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Storyboard Artist

  • Get Your Kicks on Route 66 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

  • Imagining America (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director

  • Reflections of A Native Son (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

  • Tribe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Writer

  • The Butter Battle Book(1989)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • Hound Town(1989)

    Director · Producer

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films (provisional, few ratings)

  • This Ain't Bebop (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1989)

    Director · Writer

  • Christmas in Tattertown (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Characters

  • Mighty Mouse: The New Adventures (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1987)

    Show Creator

  • Cannonball Run II(1984)

    Animation

    Midcredits score: 16th percentile of all films

  • Fire and Ice(1983)

    Director · Characters · Producer

    Midcredits score: 59th percentile of all films

  • Hey Good Lookin'(1982)

    Director · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • American Playhouse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Show 1 episode · Director · Writer

  • The Cigarette and the Weed (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1981)

    Director · Animation · Writer · as Cigarette / Weed (voice)

  • American Pop(1981)

    Director · Producer · as Piano Player (voice)

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all films

  • The Lord of the Rings(1978)

    Director

    Midcredits score: 54th percentile of all films

  • Wizards(1977)

    Director · Producer · Writer · as Fritz (voice, uncredited) · as Storm Trooper (voice, uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 61st percentile of all films

  • The Monsterizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • Coonskin(1974)

    Director · Additional Photography · Lyricist · Writer · as Cop With Megaphone (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • The Junker (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • The Plastic Blaster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1975)

    Director

  • The Bigger Digger (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1974)

    Director

  • Heavy Traffic(1973)

    Director · Screenplay · as Various Characters (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • The Paper Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • The Return of the Monsterizer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1973)

    Director

  • The Time Eraser (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • The Scarecrow (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • Fritz the Cat(1972)

    Director · Screenplay · as Narrator / Pig Cop #1 (voice)

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • The Timekeeper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1972)

    Director

  • The Drifter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • Lost and Foundation (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director

  • The Ghost Monster (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1970)

    Director · Story

  • The Toy Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • The Frog (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • The Stretcher (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1969)

    Director

  • Baron Von Go-Go (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Mouse Trek (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Mini-Squirts (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Character Designer · Creator · Executive Producer

  • Frozen Sparklers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • The Fuz (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Executive Producer

  • Marvin Digs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Executive Producer · Production Design

  • Fancy Plants (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Traffic Trouble (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director · Supervising Animation Director

  • The Opera Caper (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Dr. Rhinestone's Theory (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Supervising Animation Director

  • Spider-Man (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Show 57 episodes · Director · Executive Producer · Producer

  • Which Is Witch? (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Supervising Animation Director

  • Give Me Liberty (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Bugged By A Bug (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Supervising Animation Director

  • It's for the Birds (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • The Heat's Off (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • Mr. Winlucky (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Director

  • A Voodoo Spell (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1967)

    Supervising Animation Director

  • The Mighty Heroes (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Show Creator

  • Scuba Duba Do (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director · Animation

  • Dr. Ha-Ha (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Monster Master (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1966)

    Director

  • The Third Musketeer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Dress Reversal (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Don't Spill the Beans (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director

  • Gadmouse: The Apprentice Good Fairy (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Director · Animation

  • Possible Possum (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1965)

    Show Creator

  • Where There's Smoke (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1962)

    Animation

  • Crossing The Delaware (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Animation

  • The Unsung Hero (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1961)

    Visual Effects

  • The Mysterious Package (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Animation

  • House of Hashimoto (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1960)

    Animation

Career shape

A full career of 80 titles from 1960 to 2023.

Biggest box office

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

$30M worldwide

Highest rated

American Pop (1981)

Midcredits 85th

Most popular right now

The Lord of the Rings (1978)

Film career

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting11 of 80: 1 only acting, 10 with another role · typical Midcredits score64thDirecting61 of 80: 31 only directing, 30 with another role · typical Midcredits score57thWriting22 of 80: 3 only writing, 19 with another role · typical Midcredits score59thProducing13 of 80: 0 only producing, 13 with another role · typical Midcredits score61stOther crew25 of 80: 15 only other crew, 10 with another role

80 titles, 30 with more than one role — directing and other crew overlap on 10 of them.

By decade

1960s35 · crew1970s17 · 4 acting · 17 crew1980s15 · 2 acting · 15 crew1990s8 · 3 acting · 8 crew2000s1 · acting2010s3 · crew2020s1 · 1 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 17th · top billed in 0% of 5 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Ralph Bakshi's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 54th percentile, the median of all 13; across their 14 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 60th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Approval · how many liked their films

60thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Reach · how many have seen their films

76thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 14

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up2
  • 50th to 74th6
  • 25th to 49th2
  • Below 25th3

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved1
  • Crowd Pleaser5
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · director, producer

Hound Town (1989)

89th percentile spread · 47% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor, director, producer

American Pop (1981)

Midcredits 85th · 73% liked

Reviewers score the atmosphere 67/100 and the pacing 38/100 in their films, across 13 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a director.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Ralph Bakshi's work okay for kids?

Across up to 9 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, sex & nudity, profanity, alcohol & drugs and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore9 titles51–83 · median 63 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity9 titles32–85 · median 51 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity8 titles25–90 · median 66 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs8 titles28–86 · median 58 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense7 titles51–75 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does Ralph Bakshi work with?

People who share at least 2 of Ralph Bakshi's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Donald W. Ernst shares the most, 5.

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles