"Fritz the Cat" was the first animated feature film to receive an X rating from the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA). The film's distributor capitalized on the rating in the film's advertising material, which touted the film as being "X rated and animated!" Released on 12 April 1972, it opened simultaneously in Hollywood and Washington, D.C. The film became a worldwide hit, grossing over $100 million (USD) and was the most successful independent animated feature ever. Crumb disliked how the film presented the sexual content and politics, denouncing Fritz's dialogue in the final sequences of the film, which includes a paraphrased quote from The Beatles song "The End", as "red-neck and fascistic." Nonetheless, the film is credited with extending Crumb's reputation beyond the underground comix scene.