Max Fleischer

Animator

About

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Birth Place

Austria

Born

July 19, 1883

Died

September 11, 1972

Cause of Death

Heart Failure

Biography

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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 "Th...

Filmography

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Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)

How to Read an Army Map (1918)

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Now You're Talking (1927)

Writing Credits

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Photos & Videos

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Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) We'll All Be Exterminated!

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Honey Shop

Family & Companions

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Essie Fleischer

Wife

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)

Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer (1948)

How to Read an Army Map (1918)

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Writer (Feature Film)

Now You're Talking (1927)

Writing Credits

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Producer (Feature Film)

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Animation (Feature Film)

Out of the Inkwell (1915)

Animation (Special)

Cartoon Madness: The Fantastic Max Fleischer Cartoons (1992)

Director (Short)

The Ouija Board (1920)

Cast (Short)

The Ouija Board (1920)

The Circus (1920)

Writer (Short)

Koko Sees Spooks (1925)

The Ouija Board (1920)

The Circus (1920)

Producer (Short)

Christmas Comes But Once a Year (1936)

In My Merry Oldsmobile (1931)

Koko Sees Spooks (1925)

The Circus (1920)

The Ouija Board (1920)

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

Videos

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) We'll All Be Exterminated! We meet villains Swat (voiced by Jack Mercer) and Smack (by Carl Meyer), reporting to Beetle (by Ted Pierce), who pretends concern for Mrs. Ladybug (by Margie Hines), but is really after the daughter of Bumble (also by Stan Mercer), in the animated feature Mr. Bug Goes To Town, 1941.

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Open, Honey Shop From outer space to an urban vacant lot, the opening of the second animated feature by brothers Dave and Max Fleischer, financed by Paramount, and playing on the title of the Columbia hit starring James Stewart, from Mr. Bug Goes To Town, 1941, Mr. Bumble voiced by Jack Mercer.

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) It's Hoppity! It’s not clear where he’s been but all in the urban bug colony have been awaiting the return of Hoppity (voiced by Stan Freed), greeted by Bumble (voiced by Jack Mercer), Mrs. Ladybug (by Margie Hines) and Honey (by Pauline Loth), in the animated feature Mr. Bug Goes To Town, 1941.

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) Katy Did, Katy Didn't Hoppity (voiced by Stan Freed) and Honey (by Pauline Loth) are on a date, pursued by Swat and Smack, but mainly to set-up the first song, by Hoagy Carmichael and Frank Loesser, the “Four Marshals” the credited singers, in the Fleischer brothers’ feature Mr. Bug Goes To Town, 1941.

Mr. Bug Goes To Town (1941) -- (Movie Clip) There's A Bee In Here! Hoppity (voice by Stan Feeed) and Bumble (by Jack Mercer), whose neighborhood is being trampled, again chased by villains Swat and Smack, do recon on the upper garden where kindly Mary (by Gwenn Williams) and Dick (by Kenny Gardner) live, in Mr. Bug Goes To Town, 1941.

Gulliver's Travels (1939) -- (Movie Clip) I Lemuel Gulliver From animation pioneer Max Fleischer, directed by his brother Dave, opening his first animated feature, produced for Paramount, Jonathan Swift's title character shipwrecked and found by "Gabby," (voice of Pinto Colvig), tune by Ralph Rainger and Leo Robin, from Gulliver's Travels, 1939.

Gulliver's Travels (1939) -- (Movie Clip) Don't Be Afraid, Men! Having delivered the news to the Lilliputian king, Gabby (voice of Pinto Colvig) brings a brave squad back to beach to attempt to collect the giant who's washed ashore, in the Paramount feature based on the Jonathan Swift tale, Gulliver's Travels, 1939.

Gulliver's Travels (1939) -- (Movie Clip) I Won't Taste Good! Carted back to the castle for presentation to King Little (voice of Jack Mercer), the title character (voice of Sam Parker) is awakened, seeming to threaten Gabby (voice of Pinto Colvig), when the rival navy offshore attacks, in producer Max Fleischer's Gulliver's Travels, 1939.

Family

Dave Fleischer

Brother

Animator, executive.

Charlie Fleischer

Brother

Business associate, inventor. Invented amusement arcade "Clawdigger".

Louis Fleischer

Brother

At one time involved in Fleischer Studio.

Richard Fleischer

Son

Director, producer, executive. Assumed direction of Fleischer Studios.

Ruth Fleischer

Daughter

Actor.

Companions

Essie Fleischer

Wife

Bibliography

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