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Vox Almanac celebrates the rotoscope & fleischer studios

12/3/2019

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Check out this amazing and informative short film from the folks at VOX. Hosted by Phil Edwards, this episode of Vox Almanac features one of Max Fleischer's best known inventions, the rotoscope. What made the rotoscope so special? What does it really do? How is it still impacting film making today? Find out the answer to these questions, and so much more in just five minutes. Thanks Vox!
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Superman Soars in New York Times review of DC Universe

9/24/2018

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The original Fleischer Superman films feature prominently in a recent New York Times review of DC Universe, DC Entertainment's new streaming service.
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According to the New York Times, the "service runs deep with more obscure and retro offerings," noting that the Fleischers' Superman shorts were "notable for their use of rotoscoping, an animation technique that allows animators to trace over live-action footage in order to produce more realistic action. The design also served as a big influence on later DC animation, including “Batman: The Animated Series” and “Superman: The Animated Series.”
Read the entire review HERE.
Find out more about DC Universe's new streaming service HERE.
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Superman leaps onto the big screen in Oakland April 7th

3/29/2018

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Fans in Northern California, don't miss The New Parkway Theater's "first ever" Animation Week starting on April 6th. This weeklong festival will feature a screening of Fleischer films from the 1940's Superman series on Saturday, April 7th at 2:55 PM. 

The films featured in the screening include: Superman (aka The Mad Scientist), The Mechanical Monsters, Billion Dollar Limited, The Arctic Giant, The Bulleteers, The Magnetic Telescope, Electric Earthquake, Volcano and Terror on the Midway. 

This is a great opportunity to see these spectacular films as they were intended to be viewed, on the big screen!

More information on The New Parkway Theater site.

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Just in time for Halloween: Surrealism!

10/27/2017

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Just in time for Halloween!

Check out the fourth installment of our interview with Ray Pointer, animator, historian and author of
 The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer. This fascinating - and final - portion of our interview focuses on the Surrealism found in so many Fleischer cartoons, and why we shouldn't let it get in the way of enjoying the opportunity to be amused.
It's the perfect addition to your Halloween viewing, including some seriously surreal clips, like the one above from "Bubbles." Check it out here!
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The Rotoscope: 100 Amazing Years of Animation!

10/9/2017

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Nearly two years ago, on December 6, 2015, we celebrated the 100th anniversary of the day Max Fleischer submitted his patent application for the Rotoscope. This year we're celebrating the date on which the United States Patent and Trademark Office officially approved Max Fleischer's patent application: October 9, 1917. ​​​
 The Rotoscope was used to give Betty Boop's hula some serious hip action in "Bamboo Isle." See more on the Rotoscope Page!
To celebrate, we've added some exciting new video and images to the Rotoscope Page in our virtual museum, including some of the very first footage of jazz legend Cab Calloway and his animated alter-egos in the Fleischer classics "Minnie the Moocher" and "Snow White." ​
100 years later, the magical power of the Rotoscope still amazes us. Check out our updated Rotoscope Page here!
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Part Two of our Interview with Ray Pointer now online!

7/11/2017

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The second installment of our interview with animator, animation historian and author, Ray Pointer is now online in the Fleischer Studios Online Museum!

As our fascinating discussion continues, Mr. Pointer reflects on the marriage of art and technology that defined the old "studio system" of cel animation behind so many of Fleischer Studios' greatest films and most significant innovations.

You'll find the new installment, entitled Art & Technology, HERE.

You can find part one of our discussion HERE. Stay tuned for even more of our discussion with Mr. Pointer in the coming weeks!

​Ray Pointer is the author of The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer.
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Ray Pointer discusses "The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer" on the Stu Show - May 17

5/15/2017

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Don't miss the Stu Show on Wednesday, May 17 at 4:00pm when Stu interviews animation director, historian and author Ray Pointer about his recently released book The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer: American Animation Pioneer.

Plus, following this live, in-depth and very insightful audio interview, Ray will share some rare animated and live action shorts in a bonus internet TV broadcast!

Dedicated to the history and heritage of television, and the celebration of its pioneers, the Stu Show can be found online here. 


The interview will also be available for download an hour after the live broadcast so you can enjoy it whenever you want. 

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Audible Thought Balloons - an interview with Ray Pointer

3/21/2017

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Ray Pointer's book, The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer, is the result of more than 40 years of investigating and studying Fleischer cartoons, and the work of Max Fleischer in particular.

As you can imagine, we were 
curious to talk to Mr. Pointer about this exciting new publication: what led him to write it? What has been the impact of Fleischer Studios, and its innovative work, on animation history?

For this interview we matched Mr. Pointer with Jane Reid, a member of the Fleischer Studios Board of Directors ... and Max Fleischer's granddaughter!


Click here to read Part One of this fascinating and wide-ranging interview series!

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TCM's evening of Fleischer Family films - November 13!

11/10/2016

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When: November 13, 2016
Where: TCM
8pm EST - 7pm CST - 6pm MST- 5pm PST
​
​Check your local listings
or the TMC website
​for more information: 

That's right! On Sunday, November 13, TCM is dedicating an entire evening of entertainment to the work of Max, Dave and Richard Fleischer and it's all co-hosted by Mark Fleischer, Max's grandson and the CEO of Fleischer Studios.

This amazing evening begins with two Fleischer Studios classics: Popeye the Sailor Meets Sinbad the Sailor (1936) and Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves (1937). Together, these films represent two of only three "two-reeler" or long-form color films the Fleischers made featuring Popeye.

If you're interested in learning more about the creation of these very special films, take a look at 
Magic in Miami in our online museum. The exhibit features a 1938 episode of Popular Science that details the process of animation during this period, and even features the making of one of these amazing long format films.
The TMC evening continues with two films directed by Max's son, the acclaimed film director Richard Fleischer: the noir classic The Narrow Margin (1952) followed by the sci-fi thriller Soylent Green (1973) starring Charlton Heston. Thanks to animation historian Ray Pointer for helping to make this wonderful event into a reality. Ray's upcoming book The Art and Invention of Max Fleischer: An American Animation Pioneer is due to be released in December of this year.

From start to finish that's more than 4 hours of Fleischer films, covering 35 years of film making, and featuring 3 generations of the Fleischer family. You don't want to miss this!
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Max Fleischer's Fan-tastic Fan Cards

11/23/2015

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Just in time for Thanksgiving, this exhibit features one of the clever, and delightfully captivating, ways in which Max connected personally with his fans: beautifully designed and personally inscribed "fan cards" like the one pictured here. ​

These whimsical cards were Max's way of thanking his fans and letting them know how much he appreciated them. What could be a more fitting way for us to celebrate the joy of Thanksgiving with all of you? 

If you're lucky enough to have a Fan Card in your possession and you're interested in making it into a part of this wonderful exhibit, we've created a portal in the exhibit where you can upload an image of it. 

Happy Thanksgiving Week from all of us at Fleischer Studios!
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It's Max Fleischer's birthday... and you're invited to the party!

7/19/2015

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Left to right: Max’s son Richard, Irene Fleischer, Max Fleischer and his wife, Essie at their home in Florida, circa 1938.
In celebration of Max’s big day – and as you will see in our new Museum exhibit, it was a big day because Max loved parties! - we want to share a bit more of Max Fleischer the man. 

We know Max the animator, and Max the inventor, but in this very special exhibit you’ll get to know a bit more about Max the friend, Max the father and even Max the player of mandolins. 
As an added bonus, this exciting exhibit includes private, never-before-released, home audio recordings from the Fleischer Family Collection. What was it like to be a member of Fleischer Studios' inner circle of family and friends? Now you can hear for yourself! Don't miss this very special new exhibit: We're celebrating Max's birthday... and you're invited!
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Happy Father's Day from Fleischer Studios!

6/21/2015

 
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In celebration of Father's Day, we're thrilled to share this gorgeous card animator, Seymour Kneitel, created for his father-in-law, Max Fleischer in 1962.

One of the wonderful things about this card is the fact that Seymour started with a store bought card (the inkwell and feather pen), and created the image of Koko, and the text, around it.

We hope you enjoy the day celebrating the Fathers, Dads, Pops, Grandpas and Grampys in your life!

Enjoy a Happy New Year with Max and me!

1/1/2015

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Happy New Year, Everyone! We're thrilled to start 2015 with the first post in a new regular series on this blog: "Max and me" featuring personal remembrances and family stories from Ginny Mahoney, Max Fleischer's granddaughter. 

Ginny is also the daughter of Seymour Kneitel who met his wife-to-be, Ruth Fleischer, while working at Fleischer Studios as an animator.  Seymour later went on to run Famous Studios, where Ginny spent many summers inking and painting animation cels, and eventually working as a designer and director of exhibits for the Smithsonian. As the Fleischer family historian and archivist, we're thrilled that she will be lending her talents, skills and her personal insights with us through this series.
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Max and me in Miami, Florida Circa 1940. Collection: V. Mahoney

Max and me by Ginny Mahoney

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As a child, I – like all of Max’s children and grandchildren – knew him as ‘PopMax.’ My brothers and I had no idea he was world-famous for the characters he created and so wonderfully brought to the screen. To us, Koko the Clown and our beloved Betty Boop were so much a part of our lives that they seemed like members of the family!
Though the rest of us grew older, Betty Boop seemed to remain as young and vital as ever. Even today, the world is watching the films Fleischer Studios made in the 1930’s. 

In an effort to understand why Betty and so many of PopMax’s other creations remain such beloved and iconic characters, I began researching and reflecting on my own family’s history: Max’s story, the birth of Fleischer Studios, the characters they created and the times in which they lived.
That’s what I want to share with all of you --

Every once in a while I’ll post some of the fascinating things I’ve discovered along the way.

For starters –

Do you know how many films Betty appeared in during the 1930s?
Answer: 

From her very first film in August 1930 (Dizzy Dishes) to her last film in November 1939 (Rhythm on the Reservation)- in those nine short years- Betty was in about 110 films. She became so wildly popular that by 1933 she was averaging a new film every month. In fact she became so popular that her films were sometimes announced on the theater marquee together with the feature!

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Does this post look familiar? Some of "Max and Me" posts also appear on BettyBoop.com   

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Rudolph Restored

12/22/2014

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Thanks to Jerry Beck for this great post on Animation Scoop about the recent Library of Congress release of a newly restored print of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." This Christmas classic, directed by Max Fleischer, was produced by the Jam Handy Organization in 1948 as a promotional film for Montgomery Ward department stores. Max worked on a number of films for the Jam Handy Organization in the years after he left Fleischer Studios - but this is certainly the best remembered.
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Check out Jerry Beck's post here.
Check out the Library of Congress release here.

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It's All Relative(s)! - a young journalist writes about animation history and discovers she is a part of the story!

11/3/2014

 
In the Small World Department, Fleischer Studios’ historian Ginny Mahoney was recently contacted by high school sophomore Louisa Goldman. A budding young journalist, Louisa was working on an article about Lucas Gray, an animator living in Santa Monica, who was heavily influenced by the work of early pioneering animators, including Max Fleischer and Fleischer Studios.

Ginny and Louisa had a lovely long conversation about Max and the history of Fleischer Studios, and Louisa wrote up her article. It wasn’t until her family read the article that Louisa found out she was not only writing about Fleischer Studios, she was related to it!  And in some very important and foundational ways.

As it turns out, Louisa is related to Roger Goldman, who’s related to Frank Goldman. Frank Goldman is credited with making a huge difference in the survival of Max and Dave's fledgling animation business back in the 1920s. Here’s an excerpt from Out of the Inkwell, Richard Fleischer’s biography about his father, Max Fleischer:
"To cut a long and depressing story short, Max and Dave found it impossible to work for Weiss and quit the company. Shortly after they resigned, Weiss declared bankruptcy and disappeared. 

 "Max and Dave were well and truly in deep trouble. They had barely enough money to hire one or two animators but not enough to rent studio space. Things were what can best be described as bleak— until, one night, my father came home looking somehow strange. I suppose I’d never before seen him with an expression of shock on his face. He came into the kitchen and said to my mother: “Essie, sit down. I’ve got something to tell you.” She sat down, looking puzzled and a little scared. My father seemed to be fighting back some inner emotion. Then, quietly, he told her the news. A dear friend of his, Frank Goldman, one of the owners of Carpenter-Goldman, a film- processing laboratory based in Long Island City, had heard of the fix Max was in and had offered him space in his company’s quarters for free— and for as long as he wanted it. 

"My mother sat there dumbfounded for a moment, then slowly put her hands to her mouth and started to cry. My father stood there, his lower lip trembling, his eyes blinking as they filled with tears. She got up and embraced him. He was now laughing and crying at the same time, and so was she. It was a tableau that has never faded from my mind. I was thirteen at the time and old enough to recognize that my father’s reaction was not simply one of relief but one of being tremendously touched by the friendship of Frank Goldman."  
And if that’s not enough, it appears Louisa is also related to J.F. Leventhal.  Mr. Leventhal was a very early partner of Max’s and together they created the very first military training films – for WWI.

So, relatively speaking, this was a fabulous connection for both Louisa – and Fleischer Studios!

You can read Louisa’s article, Behind the scenes of Jewish Animation, here.
Richard Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell is available here.
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Photo of Fleischer Studios staff, taken outside Goldman-Carpenter Labs, Long Island City, where the studio was located for about a year in 1929. Front row l. to r.: possibly Sid Wallick, Edith Vernick, George Cannata, Seymour Kneitel, Max Fleischer, Charles Shettler, Sid Marcus. Al Eugster behind Vernick (with hat and cigar). Behind Cannata and S. Kneitel is Abner Kneitel. Wearing a white hat (on left) is Rudy Zamora. In distance behind Seymour is Joe Fleischer (wearing suspenders), William Henning is man with his hand on the window. 1929.

Happy Halloween!

10/31/2014

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Don't miss Cartoon Factory - newly posted in the Fleischer Studios Theater for Halloween. This 1924 classic features some wonderful treats and, of course, some tricks. To watch it, click here now... and enjoy!
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The Story Behind the Story of Gulliver's Travels

10/20/2014

 
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Lobby card for Gulliver's Travels
Check out this amazing new exhibit in our Museum celebrating the 75th anniversary of the Fleischer classic Gulliver's Travels. 

Learn the dramatic story behind the making of this animation classic, which spanned more than 1,200 miles, involved the work of 678 artists who created 665,280 drawings using 16 tons of paper, 49,000 pencils and 12 tons of paint on a half million cells; and all while struggling to meet a seemingly impossible deadline. 
PLUS check out pages from the original script, some of the animator's own artistic commentary on their experience with this massive under-taking and find out why, even if you think you've seen Gulliver's Travels... you may not have seen it in it's entirety. Click here now for more!

Find out how Betty Boop made television history!

9/4/2014

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Check out this exciting new exhibit in the Online Museum
and find out how Betty Boop made television history!

We don't want to say any more, because we don't want to give it away - so click on over and enjoy!

Oh, and let us know what you think; we love hearing from you!
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Happy Birthday Max Fleischer!!

7/25/2014

 
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July 19 is Max Fleischer’s birthday.  Born in 1883, when Krakow was part of the Austrian Empire (yup, that long ago!), Max came to the United States in 1887 with his mother, Amelia Fleischer, and his older brother Charlie.  His father, William Fleischer, had immigrated the previous year.  The family landed in New York, eventually settling in Brooklyn. 

Did you know . . . that Max’s birth name was not Max Fleischer!  He was born Majer (or Modher) Palasz.  His parents’ Austrian names were Aaron Wolf Fleischer and Malka (or Molka) Palasz, and brother Charlie’s birth name was Kalman. 

Max and Me

4/10/2014

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Check out Max and Me!

Ginny Mahoney, Max Fleischer’s granddaughter, has started posting delightful short essays about growing up with her “PopMax” and letting us in on little-known and unique info about our ever-popular Betty Boop!

Click here to read Ginny’s first blog post.

Keep checking bettyboop.com for more exciting posts in the coming weeks.


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