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The story
Founded by Dave Fleischer and Max Fleischer in 1921, in Broadway.1
History
The silent era
The Fleischer Studio was built on Max Fleischer's novelty film series Out of the Inkwell (1918–1927). The novelty was based largely on the results of the "rotoscope", invented by Fleischer to produce realistic animation. The first Out of the Inkwell films were produced through Bray Productions. They featured Fleischer's first character, "The Clown", who later became known as Ko-Ko the Clown.
In 1921, Bray Productions ran afoul of legal issues, having contracted for more films than it could deliver to its distributor, Goldwyn Pictures. The Fleischer Brothers left and began their own studio, Out of the Inkwell Films, with Dave Fleischer as director and production supervisor, and Max as producer, at 129 East 45th Street, and later at 1600 Broadway, both in Manhattan. In 1922, animator Dick Huemer joined the studio and redesigned "The Clown" for more efficient animation. Huemer's new design and experience as an animator moved them away from their dependency on the rotoscope for fluid animation. In addition to defining the clown, who would be christened "Ko-Ko" in 1925, Huemer established the Fleischer style with its distinctive thick and thin ink lines. In addition, Huemer created Ko-Ko's companion, Fitz the Dog, who would evolve into Bimbo in 1930.
Throughout the 1920s, Fleischer was one of the leading producers of animation with clever moments and numerous innovations. These innovations include the "Rotograph", an early "Aerial Image" photographic process for compositing animation with live action backgrounds. Other innovations included Ko-Ko Song Car-Tunes and sing-along shorts (featuring the famous "bouncing ball"), a precursor to karaoke.
In 1924, distributor Edwin Miles Fadiman and Hugo Riesenfeld formed the Red Seal Pictures Corporation. Riesenfeld was the theatrical manager of the Strand, Rivoli, and Rialto theaters on Broadway. Because the Out of the Inkwell films were a major part of the program in Riesenfeld's theaters, the Fleischers were invited to become partners. The Red Seal Company committed to an ambitious release schedule of 26 films with The Inkwell Studio as the primary supplier. The following year, Red Seal released 141 films that included documentaries, short comedy subjects, and live-action serials. Carrie of the Chorus, also known as Backstage Comedies, was one of the Red Seal series that featured Max's daughter, Ruth, in a supporting role. Ray Bolger made his screen debut in this series and dated Ruth for a short time.
Red Seal released cartoon novelty series such as The Animated Hair cartoons by cartoonist "Marcus", and Inklings. The Animated Hair series resembled the on-screen hand drawing gimmick established in Out of the Inkwell. In this case, "Marcus" produced high-quality ink line portraits of celebrities and political figures. Then through stop motion animation techniques, the lines and forms would break away to entertainingly re-form the portrait into another. Inklings was similar in concept to the Animated Hair films, but was more of a visual puzzle novelty using a variety of progressive scratch-off/reveal techniques and rearranged animated cutouts to change the images.
It was during this time that Lee de Forest started filming his Phonofilms experiments featuring several of the major Broadway headliners. The Red Seal company began acquiring more theaters outside of New York and equipped them with sound equipment produced by Lee de Forest, displaying "talkies" three years before the sound revolution began. Because of Max's interest in technology, Riesenfeld introduced him to de Forest. It was through this partnership that Max produced a number of the Ko-Ko Song Car-tunes as sound releases. Of the 36 song films produced between 1924 and 1927, 12 were produced as sound films beginning in 1926 with standard silent versions as well. The first sound release was Mother Pin a Rose on Me. Other sound releases included Darling Nellie Gray, Has Anybody Here Seen Kelly?, When the Midnight Choo-Choo Leaves for Alabam', Coming Through the Rye, My Wife's Gone to the Country, Margie, Oh, How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning, Sweet Adeline, Old Black Joe, Come Take A Trip in My Airship, and By the Light of the Silvery Moon.
Red Seal owned 56 theaters, extending as far west as Cleveland, Ohio. But after only two years of operation, Red Seal was broke. Max Fleischer sought an appointment of receiver in bankruptcy in October 1926. Just as the situation looked hopeless, Alfred Weiss offered a Paramount contact.
The Paramount deal provided financing and distribution, but due to legal complications of the bankruptcy, the title to Out of the Inkwell was changed to The Inkwell Imps (1927–1929) and the studio was renamed Inkwell Studios. One year into the relationship, the Fleischers discovered mismanagement under Weiss and left before the end of the Imps contract in late 1928. Out of the Inkwell Films, Inc. filed bankruptcy in January 1929. In March, Max formed Fleischer Studios with Dave as his partner. Operations were first set up at the Carpenter-Goldman Laboratories in Queens. With a skeleton staff and with his characters owned by Weiss, Fleischer Studios started out doing industrial films, most notably, Finding His Voice, a technical demonstration film explaining Western Electric's Variable Density recording and reproduction system. Max Fleischer secured a new contract with Paramount to produce a revival of the "Bouncing Ball" song films, re-branded as Screen Songs, with The Sidewalks of New York as the first release on February 5, 1929.
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Sound films
The early experiments with sound synchronization gave Fleischer Studios experience in perfecting the post-production method of recording, aided by several inventions by founder, Max Fleischer. With the conversion to sound, Paramount needed more sound films, and cartoons could be produced faster than feature films. As the Screen Songs returned Fleischer to the established song film format, a new sound series, Talkartoons replaced the silent Inkwell Imps, the first being Noah's Lark released on October 25, 1929. Earlier entries in the series were one-shot cartoons, until the appearance of Bimbo as of the fourth entry. Bimbo evolved through several redesigns in each cartoon for the first year. While the intent was to develop him as the star of the series, it was the cameo appearance of a Helen Kane caricature in the seventh entry, Dizzy Dishes that took center stage. Audience reactions to the New York preview were so great that Paramount encouraged the continued development of the most famous character to come from the Fleischer Studio by that time, Betty Boop. While originated as a hybrid human/canine character, Betty Boop was transformed into the human character she is known as by 1932. Having become the main attraction of the Talkartoons, she was given her own series, which ran until 1939.
The "Jazz Baby" Flapper character, Betty Boop lifted the spirits of Depression-era audiences with her paradoxical mixture of childlike innocence and sexual allure. Being a musical novelty character, she was a natural for theatrical entertainment. Several of her early cartoons were developed as promotional vehicles for some of the top Black Jazz performers of the day including Louis Armstrong (I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal, You), Don Redman (I Heard), and most notably, the three cartoons made with Cab Calloway, Minnie the Moocher, Snow-White, and The Old Man of the Mountain. This was considered a bold action in light of the Jim Crow policies active in the South where such films would not be shown.
In 1934, the Hays Code resulted in severe censorship for films. This affected the content of all of Paramount's films as well, which tended to reflect a more "mature" tone in the features of the Marx Brothers, W.C. Fields, and most of all, Mae West. As a result, each of these stars was released as Paramount changed the content of its films to reflect a more "general audience" in order to comply with the new Code and stay in business. Paramount had also gone through three reorganizations from bankruptcy between 1931 and 1936. The new management under Barney Balaban set out to make more general audience films of the type made at MGM, but for lower budgets. This change in content policy affected the content of cartoons that Fleischer was to produce for Paramount, which urged emulation of the Walt Disney product.
While Paramount was a large organization with a network of theaters, its fiscal consciousness was largely responsible for preventing Fleischer Studios from acquiring the three-strip Technicolor process, leaving it available for a four-year exclusivity with Walt Disney, who created a new market for color cartoons, established by Academy Award winner, Flowers and Trees (1932).
Paramount acquiesced to the release of the Color Classics series starting in 1934, but with the exclusivity of the three-color process still held by Disney, Fleischer Studios used the available two-color processes, Cinecolor, a two-emulsion red and blue process, and Two-color Technicolor, using red and green. By 1936, the Disney exclusivity had expired, and Fleischer Studios used the three-color process in its color cartoons beginning with Somewhere in Dreamland and continued using it for the remainder of its active years.
The Fleischer Studios' greatest success came with the licensing of E. C. Segar's comic strip character Popeye the Sailor beginning in 1933. Popeye eventually became the most popular series the studio ever produced, and its success surpassed Walt Disney's Mickey Mouse cartoons, documented by popularity polls. With the availability of full spectrum color, the Fleischer Studios produced three two-reel Popeye featurettes, Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor (1936), Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves (1937), and Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp (1939). This series of longer-format cartoons were an indication of the emergence of the animated feature film as a commercially viable project beginning with Walt Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937).
The Fleischer Studios had reached its zenith by 1936, with four series and 52 annual releases. Due to the phenomenal success of the Popeye cartoons, Paramount demanded more, and the Fleischer Studio experienced rapid expansion in order to balance out the increased workload. The crowded conditions, production speedups, drawing quotas, and internal management problems resulted in a labor strike beginning in May 1937 which lasted for five months. This strike was a test case, the first launched in the motion picture industry, and produced a nationwide boycott of Fleischer cartoons for the duration.
Max Fleischer had been petitioning Paramount for three years about producing an animated feature. Paramount vetoed his proposals until the proven success of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937). Paramount now wanted an animated feature for a 1939 Christmas release. This request came at the time of preparations for relocating to Miami, Florida. While the relocation had been a consideration for some time, its final motivation was made a reality due to lower corporate tax structures and an alleged escape from the remaining hostility from the strike.
The new Fleischer Studio opened in October 1938, and production on its first feature, Gulliver's Travels (1939), went from the development stage begun in New York to active production in Miami. The score was by Paramount staff composer, Victor Young and recorded at the Paramount west coast facilities. While limited to only 60 theaters in a one-month release, Gulliver's Travels earned more than $3 million in the United States alone, exceeding its original $500,000 estimated cost. Accordingly, a second feature was ordered for the Christmas period, Mr. Bug Goes to Town (1941).
Fall of Fleischer
The personal relationship between Max and Dave Fleischer deteriorated during the Miami period due to complications associated with the pressures of finishing the studio's first feature film and Dave's very public adulterous affair with his secretary, Mae Schwartz. Max and Dave stopped speaking to each other altogether by the end of 1939, communicating solely by memo.
Dave gained total control of production in 1940, relegating Max to business affairs and research. The studio was in need of new products going into the new decade, but the new shorts series that debuted in 1939 and 1940, Gabby, Stone Age Cartoons, and Animated Antics, were unsuccessful. Theater operators complained, with the Popeye cartoons having the only value.
Paramount acquired the rights to comic book superhero Superman in 1941, and the Fleischers were assigned to work on a series of animated Superman shorts. The first entry, Superman, had a budget of $50,000, the highest ever for a Fleischer theatrical short, and was nominated for an Academy Award.
The animated Superman series, with its action-adventure and science-fiction fantasy content, was a huge success, but that did not help the studio out of its financial trouble. It was penalized $350,000 for going over budget on Gulliver's Travels, and the revenues earned from the rentals of the Popeye cartoons had to be used to offset the loss of $250,000 incurred by the rejection of cartoons in 1940.
Paramount Takeover and the end of Fleischer Studios
On May 19, 1941, Fleischer Studios renewed its contract with Paramount for the 1941-42-film season. Paramount would issue a total of $852,000 as weekly advances to Fleischer Studios for the production of their films. This included the completion of the feature film Mr. Bug Goes to Town as well as for the production of 12 Superman cartoons (which was later reduced to 9), 12 Popeye cartoons, and the two-reel special The Raven.
However, on May 24 - just five days later - Paramount short subject executive, Dick Murray (who played liaison between Paramount and the Fleischers) came into Max Fleischer's office and demanded he sign a unilaterally amended version of their contract. The new contract called for Paramount's weekly advances to Fleischer Studios to be halted immediately unless their entire studio and all of its assets - including copyrights, patents and trademarks - be turned over to Paramount. Without Paramount's weekly advances, Fleischer Studios would essentially be forced into bankruptcy. Max immediately phoned his lawyer in New York, N. William Welling, who (to Max's surprise) seemed to have prior knowledge of this event, and advised him to sign, assuring him: "We can take care of that matter later on and have the ownership [of the studio] returned to you." Not wanting to put his 760 employees out of work, nor wanting to have the shame of a bankruptcy attached to his name, Max reluctantly signed the contract. Since the contract also required Dave's signature, Max sent the contract to him with a memo telling him to sign. The contract returned to Max in just under five minutes with Dave's signature - who had signed without reading.
Fleischer Studios was now a wholly owned subsidiary of Paramount Pictures, with Max and Dave now employees on a 26-week renewable contract at weekly salaries of $750 each. Paramount retained the rights to the name "Fleischer Studios" for until May 1942 (one full year), thus preventing Max or Dave starting another studio during that time. The new contract also had the Fleischer's sign resignation letters to Paramount in case of their dismissal.
Max Fleischer still had faith that Paramount would keep him on, but tensions between him and his brother continued to escalate. In the fall of 1941, Dave and Lou Fleischer were at the Paramount studio in Los Angeles supervising post-production on Mr. Bug Goes to Town. Once the recording of the film's score was complete on November 3, Lou took a three-day train trip back to Miami. Upon returning to the studio on the morning of November 7, Lou had learned Max had just given his secretary a memo to wire to Paramount saying "I can no longer work with Dave Fleischer", which he had been patiently waiting until Mr. Bug was complete before sending. Lou and Joe Fleischer explained to Max that this was premature, since, while the score was finished, the film still had two-weeks left of post-production. When Max realised his mistake, it was too late, the telegram had already been sent to Paramount. Lou worried that this could result in Max's termination, but Max wasn't concerned. Mr. Bug Goes to Town was officially completed on November 21, 1941. The next day, Dave officially resigned on November 22, just two days before the 26-week contract expired. He remained in Los Angeles and accepted a position at Columbia Pictures' Screen Gems studio.
Mr. Bug Goes to Town was previewed to critics in New York City on December 4, 1941, with the film scheduled to go into wide release a few weeks later for the Christmas season. Just two days after the premiere, the Japanese Imperial Forces attacked Pearl Harbor, causing the United States to officially enter World War II. Paramount, feeling audiences were now no longer in the mood for a light-hearted animated film about insects, decided to cancel the Christmas release of Mr. Bug without telling anyone at Fleischer Studios.
Meanwhile, at the Miami Studio, the Fleischer staff (assuming the film was doing well) celebrated the completion of their second animated feature at the annual Christmas party. Max was reported to be in high-spirits and was looking forward to resuming creative control of the studio now that Dave was gone. While the studio was closed over the Christmas break, Max received an unexpected call from the President of Paramount, Barney Balaban ordering him to come to an emergency meeting in New York on December 23. When Max arrived at the meeting, he was greeted by Balaban and several other Paramount executives. When the meeting began, Balaban immediately said: "Max, we have decided to accept your resignation." Max, shocked, confused and devastated, responded: “This is all very puzzling. What is the purpose of this?” Balaban simply snapped: “That’s our decision,” and abruptly ended the meeting.
Max Fleischer officially submitted his letter of resignation on January 6, 1942. The staff returned after their Christmas break, to learn Max Fleischer was gone and the studio was under new management. Paramount spent the next five months completing the remaining Fleischer Popeye and Superman cartoons, with studio manager Sam Buchwald being put in charge. Mr. Bug Goes to Town eventually had a limited release in America on February 1942 in New York and California, the latter as the second half of a double feature with the film Sullivan's Travels. Both screenings lasted a week before being pulled from theatres, and the film became a box-office bomb as a result. The last cartoon produced at the credited Fleischer Studios was the Superman cartoon Terror on the Midway.
Fleischer historian Ray Pointer theorizes that Balaban (who commissioned both Fleischer animated features) realised in the wake of Pearl Harbour that Mr. Bug Goes to Town would be a flop, and fired Max Fleischer in order to set him up as the "fall guy" for his decisions and "save face" in front of Paramount's Board of Directors and it’s chairman Adolph Zukor. Steven Losie, however, argued that Pearl Harbour likely would not have an effect to the films performance have Paramount not mishandled its release.
Fleischer Studios, Inc. staff: (1929–1942)
Producers
Max Fleischer
Directors
Dave Fleischer
Photographers
Leonard McCormick
Musical supervisor and arrangements
Lou Fleischer (supervisor, 1930–1942)
George Steiner (1930–1935)
Sammy Timberg (1932–1942)
Winston Sharples (1940–1942)
From Wikipedia’s article on Fleischer Studios, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4