Heavy Traffic_
"More Spice from the makers of Fritz the Cat!"
A white dropout struggles to become a cartoonist and filmmaker, drawing inspiration from the harsh, gritty world around him. Still sharing his rundown apartment with his middle-aged parents, an oafish slob of an Italian father and a ditzy nutcase of a Jewish mother, he's ridiculed and looked down upon by his friends, hypocrites who run with violent gangs and the Italian Mafia, and a shallow Black girl who makes her living downtown with the pimps and pushers. The cartoonist gets a chance to pitch a film idea to a movie mogul, but the story proves too outrageous: a far-future Earth, depleted by war and pollution, where a mutant antihero challenges and kills God.
Starring
Joseph Kaufmann, Beverly Hope Atkinson, Frank De Kova
Box Office
$1.5M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
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Check availabilityDROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Box office
Heavy Traffic earned $1.5M worldwide on a $950K budget — a 58% return on investment.
Year context
Heavy Traffic was released 53 years ago in 1973.
Heavy Traffic is a Animation, Comedy, Drama film with a runtime of 1h 16m.
CAST (20)
JK
Joseph Kaufmann
Michael Corleone
Beverly Hope Atkinson
Carole
Frank De Kova
Angelo "Angie" Corleone (voice)
TH
Terry Haven
Ida Corleone (voice)
Mary Dean Lauria
Molly (voice)
JM
Jacqueline Mills
Rosalyn Schecter (voice)
Lillian Adams
Rosa (voice)
Jamie Farr
Arcade Owner
Robert Easton
Charles Gordone
Crazy Moe (voice)
Michael Brandon
(voice)
ML
Morton Lewis
(voice)
BS
Bill Striglos
(voice)
JL
Jay Lawrence
(voice)
Lee Weaver
(voice)
PT
Phyllis Thompson
(voice)
Kim Hamilton
(voice)
CG
Carol Graham
(voice)
Candy Candido
The Mafia Messenger (voice)
Helene Winston
(voice)
BOX OFFICE
$950K
Budget
$1.5M
Revenue
+58%
ROI
PROFITABLE
Verdict
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
76 min (1h 16m)
Country
Rating
6.4/10 (79 votes)
Budget
$950,000
Box Office
$1,500,000
Profit
+$550,000
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is Heavy Traffic about?
A white dropout struggles to become a cartoonist and filmmaker, drawing inspiration from the harsh, gritty world around him. Still sharing his rundown apartment with his middle-aged parents, an oafish slob of an Italian father and a ditzy nutcase of a Jewish mother, he's ridiculed and looked down upon by his friends, hypocrites who run with violent gangs and the Italian Mafia, and a shallow Black girl who makes her living downtown with the pimps and pushers. The cartoonist gets a chance to pitch a film idea to a movie mogul, but the story proves too outrageous: a far-future Earth, depleted by war and pollution, where a mutant antihero challenges and kills God.
How long is Heavy Traffic?
Heavy Traffic has a runtime of 76 minutes (1h 16m).
Who stars in Heavy Traffic?
The cast of Heavy Traffic includes Joseph Kaufmann, Beverly Hope Atkinson, Frank De Kova, Terry Haven, Mary Dean Lauria.
How much did Heavy Traffic make at the box office?
Heavy Traffic earned $1,500,000 worldwide at the box office. The production budget was $950,000.
What is the rating of Heavy Traffic?
Heavy Traffic has a rating of 6.4 out of 10 based on 79 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (3)
Animation
Comedy
Drama
