Max Fleischer
About
Biography
Filmography
Family & Companions
Biography
Walt Disney's main screen animation competitor in the 1930s and the creator, with brother Dave (1894-1979), of cartoon luminaries such as Betty Boop, Koko the Clown, and Popeye. The brothers also made the famous silent "Out of the Inkwell" series which combined live actors with animation, and breathed life into features such as "Gulliver's Travels" (1939) and instructional films like "The Einstein Theory of Relativity" (1923) and "Darwin's Theory of Evolution" (1925). Fleischer made a significant contribution to animation technology with the Rotoscope, a machine which projects live-action film in such a way that animated characters may be traced directly from real-life figures. Son Richard is a director and daughter Ruth an actress.
Filmography
Director (Feature Film)
Writer (Feature Film)
Producer (Feature Film)
Animation (Feature Film)
Animation (Special)
Director (Short)
Cast (Short)
Writer (Short)
Producer (Short)
Life Events
1887
Family moved to New York City
1913
Worked as errand boy for Brooklyn "Daily Eagle" and Boston photengraver (date approxcimate)
1914
Joined Crouse-Hands as commercial artist and "Popular Science Monthly" as art editor
1915
Invented the Rotoscope
1916
Hired by John Randolph Bray at Paramount, to produce animation sequences for "Bray Pictograph" series
1919
Formed Out of the Inkwell Films, Inc. (with brother Dave)
1925
Acquired Red Seal Picture, distribution company
1929
Formed Fleischer Studios, Inc. (with brother Dave), films distributed through Paramount
1936
Made medium-length animated film, "Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor"
1939
Made feature-length animated film, "Gulliver's Travels"
1941
Second feature-length film, "Mr. Bug Goes to Town" failed at boxoffice; Paramount foreclosed on loans and shut down studio
1942
Produced instructional films for Jam-Handy company
1962
Formed second Out of the Inkwell, Inc. Production company
1967
Retired