Fleischer Studios

-Max Fleischer was interested in technology & wondered how it could be applied to the production of animation.

-Mechanically-inspired gags are common in his films.

-Brother Dave was responsible for stories, gags, direction.

-Hired by John Bray, Max began work on the Out of the Inkwell series, a combination of animation and live-action.

Max Fleischer Out of the Inkwell: The Bray Years
(Documentary by Ray Pointer)



Big Chief Koko from the Out of the Inkwell series (1925)



Innovations

-Rotoscope: hand-tracing over live action film cells to create life-like animation.

-Rotograph: an early photographic process for compositing animation with live action backgrounds.

-Paramount Studios distributed Fleischer Cartoons beginning in 1937 into the early 1940's.

-Content of pre-code (Hays code) cartoons often aimed at adults rather than children.

-The Characters:

Koko the Clown



Betty Boop



Popeye & Olive Oyl in A Date to Skate (1938)



Superman



-Voice Talent:

Mae Questel - Betty Boop and Olive Oyl

Jack Mercer - Popeye*

*It should be noted that Mae voiced several Popeye cartoons during the war while Jack was in the service.

Is My Palm Red? (1933) Colorized Version



For Better or Worser (1935)




The Mechanical Monsters (1941)