Photo Gallery

Enjoy this selection of photos, drawings, newspaper clippings and other imagery from the Fleischer Studios family collection. Some of the photos have been in private ownership for many decades; we are delighted to share them with you. We'll continue to add new photos, so keep checking back!

HOW TO USE THIS GALLERY: Hover your mouse over each photo for more information about each image.
Or  click on the image to enlarge it, with the entire caption below the image, then you can hover your mouse anywhere on the image and an arrow will appear on the image allowing you to scroll to the next image. If you are using an ipad or touchpad device, tap a photo to activate slideshow feature to see captions.

Max Fleischer on bike and brother, Charlie, standing. They were well known in the neighborhood for tricks they did on this bike. Charlie later worked at Fleischer Studios with Max and the other Fleischer brothers. Circa 1893. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer, working. On the bottom of his left shoe he’s written the word ‘IT.’ Undated – probably early 1900′s. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max and Essie Fleischer. This photo was probably around the time of their marriage in 1905. Max and Essie were childhood sweethearts from the age of twelve when Essie’s family moved to the same neighborhood in Brooklyn. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer seated on far right with wife Essie and daughter Ruth directly behind him, 1910. Driver of car and other passengers are unknown. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Left to right: daughter Ruth, wife Essie, son Dick, Max Fleischer. c. 1919. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Joe Fleischer is seated in the middle with his wife Molly to his right. On his left is Wilhelm Fleischer, father of the talented Fleischer brothers. Each of the five Fleischer brothers had a special skill they brought to their work at Fleischer Studios. Joe was a master electrician in addition to overseeing general maintenance. 1930. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Left to Right: Charles Schettler (camera department), Lou Fleischer (head of the music department), and Max Fleischer (on box), preparing a Bouncing Ball film. Undated, possibly early 1930′s. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer in center talking to his daughter, Ruth (wearing hat). Caption on reverse reads “Max Fleischer and a group of the prettiest chorus girls in New York, all of whom are engaged for his new series of two reel comedies, “Carrie of the Chorus.” Circa 1923/4. Ruth appeared as Carrie’s best friend. In addition to the animated films for which he was famous, Max also produced several live action comedies. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Few people know that actor/dancer Ray Bolger had his very first film credit in one of Max’s Red Seal live action films, “Carrie of the Chorus.” This photo was given to Max’s daughter Ruth (Ruth and Bolger were also dating) with the inscription: “Success, Wealth, Health, Love, Happiness Ray Bolger, Jan. 14, 1926.” Bolger later went on to play the scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz.” Collection: Fleischer Studios

Fleischer Studios staff bachelor dinner for Dave Tendlar (seated near the middle with mustache and glasses). March 4, 1933. Seymour Kneitel is seated right foreground, Izzy Sparber standing in rear third from left, and Myron Waldman standing in same row, third from right. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Dinner for Seymour Kneitel with some Fleischer Studio staff. Probably a bachelor dinner, which would date this about Dec. 1932, New York. Seated left to right are Max Fleischer, Seymour Kneitel and Roland Crandall. Standing behind them are Frank Paiker, Willard Bowsky, Al Eugster, Ugo D’Orsi, Reuben Timinsky Back row: Sam Stimson, Charles Shettler, Sam Buchwald, unknown, Izzy Sparber, Tom Bonfiglio (who later changed his name to Goodson), Ralph Sommerville, and Myron Waldman. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max (seated on left), son Dick (behind Max), son-in-law Seymour Kneitel (seated on right) and Max’s daughter Ruth (Fleischer) Kneitel in the middle. Photographed at Max’s house on 944 Meridian Rd., Miami, Florida. 1930′s. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Fleischer Studios staff spent many hours outside of work in group activities with each other. Shown here is a fishing trip. L to R: John Walworth, Myron Waldman, Seymour Kneitel (rear), Dave Fleischer (crouching down), Abner Kneitel on far right. Other 2 people unidentified. Collection: Fleischer Studio

Miami Daily News photo re: groundbreaking for new Fleischer Studios at N.W. 17th St. and 30th Ave.. in Miami, Florida. Max Fleischer’s wife, Essie, is second from left and Dave Fleischer’s wife, Ida, is woman near the middle. Max’s daughter, Ruth Kneitel, is on far right. The County Commissioner is the man digging. March, 1938. Collection: Fleischer Studios

The plan to undertake their first feature film required increased staff size and larger office space. This was one of the incentives behind Fleischer Studios’ move to Florida. This photo was taken the day of groundbreaking for the all new Fleischer Studios, Miami, Florida. March, 1938. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Publicity still from Paramount’s “Gulliver’s Travels,” released December 22, 1939. “THE GIANT ON THE BEACH” — When Gulliver staggers ashore and collapses on the beach at Lilliput, he is a terrifying figure to the tiny people. But before he leaves, he stops a war and saves a romance. The film is a full-length technicolor cartoon based on the immortal Jonathan Swift satire. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Publicity still from Paramount’s “Gulliver’s Travels” showing Princess Glory of Lilliput and Prince David of Blefuscu. In this Fleischer adaptation of the Gulliver story there is a disagreement between the two kingdoms about which song to play at the wedding of the prince and princess … and the dispute escalates to war! Enter Gulliver…. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Publicity still from Fleischer Studios’ second feature film “Mr. Bug Goes to Town.” There are problems when Hoppity the Grasshopper returns to his hometown to find humans now using the site of the town as a short-cut, trampling houses and carelessly tossing away matches … there’s a love story too. This film, released on December 5, 1941, had the misfortune of opening just 2 days before the December 7 attack on Pearl Harbor. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Publicity still from “Mr. Bug Goes to Town.” The film’s title was a parody of an earlier famous 1936 film “Mr. Deeds Goes to Town.” It was later re-released by Paramount as “Hoppity Goes to Town.” According to Wikipedia, this film has “now become a cult favorite with a younger generation of animators and animation buffs.” Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer, with his star performer, Betty Boop. Fleischer Studios’ most famous star made her first appearance in a 1930′s film, “Dizzy Dishes.” Circa early 1930′s. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer posing for publicity photo set-up. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer and Ko-Ko publicity photo. Ko-Ko was the first animated character introduced by Max Fleischer. Max’s invention of the rotoscope in 1915 provided innovation in the fluid movement of character action. The basis for rotoscoping was to draw over live-action movement, and the live action was created by photographing brother Dave Fleischer, dressed in a clown suit. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max Fleischer and Bimbo publicity photo. Introduced in the 1920′s, Bimbo was one of the early Fleischer stars. Betty Boop made her first film appearance as Bimbo’s love interest in a 1930′s Bimbo film. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Letter written on “Mr. Bug Goes to Town” stationary. The letter is from Dave Fleischer to Seymour Kneitel. October 14, 1941. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Original drawing of Bimbo on cover of a studio scrapbook (7” x 9.5”) containing clippings of reviews for Fleischer releases. Cartoons were so popular that new releases were usually reviewed in Variety and other publications, and were sometimes even called out on the theater marquee. Collection: Fleischer Studios

A page of clipping reviews from Bimbo’s Scrapbook. The note in red under reviews that says ‘Talk’ refers to the film being in the Talkartoon series. The names that appear under the clippings were the head animators on the film reviewed. This is unique information since film credits are sometimes missing from the films themselves. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Typical page of clippings from Bimbo’s Scrapbook. Note that the clipping top row/center talk about this German/English film as being a ‘Bi-Lingual Song Cartoon.’ Fleischer films were so popular that many were adapted like this into other languages for overseas use. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Dave Fleischer, the youngest of the Fleischer brothers, was Vice President of Fleischer Studios. Dave oversaw animation production and received credit for direction on most of the Fleischer films. Collection: Fleischer Studios

During a major New York polio epidemic, two of Max Fleischer’s grandchildren were hospitalized with polio. In this photo, taken in 1947 while the children were patients at Knickerbocker Hospital, Max is shown donating to the March of Dimes. Nancy Drury, holding the box, is the March of Dimes Poster Child. In the rear is Max’s son-in-law Seymour Kneitel holding his son Kenny. Note: Popeye can be seen on the back wall. Reverse reads: “KINDLY CREDIT PHOTO RAYMOND K. MARTIN, N.Y.” Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max and unidentified person with large Popeye card. In addition to the characters they created, the Fleischers brought to the screen two very notable creations of others, Popeye and Superman. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Portrait of William (Billy) Costello (a.k.a. Red Pepper Sam) who was the first voice of Popeye. He did Popeye’s voice for the first 24 Popeye films. Before doing Popeye’s voice, he was the voice of Fleischer’s ‘Gus the Gorilla’ on the Betty Boop Radio Show. Popeye’s voice was later done by Jack Mercer. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Walt Disney, Max, and son Dick Fleischer. This historic meeting, January 4, 1956, of these two animation pioneers had been arranged by Dick Fleischer, who had recently directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea for Disney. For much of their careers, these two men had been rivals in the field, with their staff often moving from one studio to the other and back again. For the meeting, Disney had arranged a luncheon for Max with several of Max’s former employees then working at Disney. Collection: Fleischer Studios

Max and Essie at Dick and Mickey Fleischer’s house in Los Angeles. Circa: 1956. Collection: Fleischer Studios

In 1968, Max and his wife Essie retired to the Motion Picture Country Home in California. Max is shown walking on the grounds with his son, motion picture director Richard (Dick) Fleischer. Collection: Fleischer Studios