Coonskin (1975)

Country of Origin: USA
Year of Production: 1975
Running Times: 83 mins (UK – video (PAL))     100 mins
Format: Technicolor     35mm
Ratio:
Sound: stereo

CREDITS

PRODUCTION
Producer: Albert S. Ruddy

SCRIPT
Script: Ralph Bakshi

DIRECTION
Director: Ralph Bakshi

PHOTOGRAPHY
Director of Photography: William A. Fraker
Camera Operator: Thomas Del Ruth

EDITING AND POST-PRODUCTION
Editor: Donald W. Ernst
Assistant Editor: Sharron Miller

MUSIC
Music: Chico Hamilton

CAST
Scatman Crothers (Pappy)
Charles Gordone (Brother Fox)
Richard Paul (voice of son of Mafia Don)
Philip Michael Thomas (Randy)
Barry White (Sampson/Brother Bear)

PLOT SUMMARY

In live action sequences, a convict tells the story (shown in animation) of a rabbit, a fox and a bear who move to Harlem and encounter all kinds of problems with gangsters, corrupt police and racists.

Coonskin is probably the best of Ralph Bakshi's feature films and certainly the most contentious. Full of anger and outrage, it's a much misunderstood film thanks to its confrontational title and the startling images of racism it presents. Not for everyone, but certainly a lot more interesting than its controversy would suggest.

UK
Theatrical Distributors: Bryanston Films Ltd
Video Distributors: MIA

USA
Video Distributors: Xenon Entertainment Group

Australia
Rating: R

Canada
Rating: 18A

Sweden
Rating: 15

UK
Rating: 18

USA
Rating: R

1975
August
1: USA – theatrical release

1976
March
22: Sweden – theatrical release

POSTER TAGS

This is it Folks!

Bustin' Out – UK laserdisc title
Streetfight

SEE ALSO
Song of the South (1946)

animals, animation, anthropomorphism, racism

Last Updated: 1 January, 2009