Fleischer Studios

Fleischer Studios, Inc. is an American corporation which originated as an animation studio located at 1600 Broadway, New York City, New York. It was founded in 1921 by brothers Max Fleischer and Dave Fleischer, who ran the company from its inception until being fired by parent company Paramount Pictures in January 1942. In its prime, it was the most significant competitor to Walt Disney Productions, and is notable for bringing to the screen cartoons featuring Koko the Clown, Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman.

Later period

Fleischer Studios' efforts to emulate the Disney studio culminated in the production of animated feature films, following the success of Disney's Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Paramount loaned Fleischer the money for a larger studio, which was built in Miami, Florida in order to take advantage of tax breaks and to break up union activity resulting from a bitter 1937 strike. The new Fleischer studio opened in March 1938, and production on the first feature, Gulliver's Travels, went from the development stage into active production.

Related Topics:
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs - Miami, Florida - Tax - Union - 1937 - March - 1938 - Gulliver's Travels

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Upon its Christmas 1939 release, Gulliver performed modestly, although the quality of the story and animation was far behind that of the film it tried to emulate, Snow White. Between the release of Gulliver and the follow-up feature, Mister Bug Goes to Town, the Fleischers produced their best work from this period, a series of high quality shorts based upon the comic book superhero Superman. The first short in the series, simply titled Superman, had a budget of $100,000, one of the highest ever for a theatrical short, and was nominated for an Academy Award.

Related Topics:
Christmas - 1939 - Mister Bug Goes to Town - Comic book - Superhero - Superman - Academy Award

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However, this late success did not help the studio lift its financial trouble. The expanded staff of the new Miami studio created a high overhead, necessitating steady production. A number of the shorts turned out during this period, such as the continuing Popeye shorts and a 1941 adaptation of Raggedy Ann and Andy, maintained a high level of quality. Others, like the Stone Age shorts, and the various Gulliver spin-off series, were among the studio's least successful output.

Related Topics:
1941 - Raggedy Ann and Andy

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As profits dwindled, the Fleischers had to continuously request loans from Paramount, putting more and more of the shares of their studio up as collateral. In addition, Max and Dave Fleischer were no longer on friendly speaking terms. Paramount had both Fleischers submit a signed letter of resignation, to be used at Paramount's discretion, in order for the Fleischer Studio to receive financing for the 1940 - 1941 film season. On May 24 1941, Paramount assumed full ownership of Fleischer Studios, Inc., and incorporated a new company, Famous Studios, as the successor to Fleischer Studios, which remained active as a corporate shell. The Fleischers remained in control of production through the end of 1941.

Related Topics:
1940 - May 24 - 1941 - Famous Studios

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Mister Bug Goes to Town was finally released in December 1941. Unlike Gulliver, Mister Bug failed to make an impression of any kind, and sunk quickly. Dave Fleischer left the studio at that time to become the head of Columbia's Screen Gems animation studio in California. With the co-owner of their animation studio now working for a competitor, Paramount produced the letters of resignation and called their loan, bankrupting Fleischer Studios, Inc. and officially removing the Fleischers from control of the studio. Max Fleischer went on to become an employee of the Jam Handy studio, and Isadore Sparber, Dan Gordon, and Max Fleischer's son-in-law Seymour Kneitel became the new heads of the studio, which was moved from Miami back to New York by 1943. The Fleischers were never a major force in the industry again, but their films and characters have remained popular, and by the 1980s, the Fleischers were recognized as the animation pioneers that they were.

Related Topics:
December - 1941 - Columbia - Screen Gems - California - Jam Handy - Isadore Sparber - Dan Gordon - Seymour Kneitel - 1943 - 1980s

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Fleischer Studios is today an in-name-only company, handling the licensing of characters such as Betty Boop and Koko the Clown.

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