Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} The Complete by Max Fleischer. Max Fleischer was an American animator. He was a pioneer in the development of the animated cartoon and served as the head of . He brought such animated characters as Betty Boop, , and Superman to the movie screen and was responsible for a number of technological innovations. Contents. Quotes Max Fleischer: " Betty Boop, is purely a creature of my own imagination. " Max Fleischer: " My little screen clown has grown to be as famous in Cape Town and Shanghai as he is in the five and ten-cent picture houses from Harlem to where the pavement ends in Gopher Praire. " Max Fleischer: " Gilbert Evans was the greatest newspaper man I've ever known and he could recognize genius when he saw it. Evans used to tell me that I had the makings of a great cartoonist, I took him at his word an so, you see, I've been striving for greatness ever since. " Max Fleischer: " During the span of years from 1914, I have made efforts to retain the cartoony effect. That is, I did not welcome the trend of the industry to go arty. It was, and still is, my opinion that a cartoon should represent, in simple form, the cartoonist's mental expression. " Max Fleischer: " No work is ever too tedious. " Max Fleischer: " In other words the animated oil painting has taken the place of the flashiness and delightfulness of the simple cartoon. In my opinion, the industry must pull back. " Max Fleischer: " It was after I had made a fairly sizeable start as an artist on The Eagle that I went to the Popular Science Magazine as a special writer and illustrator. There I first began the study of possibilities of the animated cartoon on the screen. " Max Fleischer: " Pull away from the tendencies toward realism. It must stay in its own backyard of the cartoonist's cartoon. The cartoon must be a portrayal of the expression of the true cartoonist, in simple,unhampered cartoon style. The true cartoon is a great art in its own right. It does not need the assitance or support of artiness In fact, it is actually hampered by it. " Creation of Betty Boop In August 1930, a Rubenesque poodle-human hybrid, Bimbo's girlfriend, made her screen debut in Dizzy Dishes , and quickly became Fleischer's biggest star; she would later be named Betty Boop. By 1931, Betty's floppy canine ears had evolved into hoop earrings, and she was transformed into a fully human girl (though she retained her romantic relationship with the dog for several episodes after her transmogrification). By the time of Minnie the Moocher (1932), Betty was in a class of her own, and by August 1932, starting with Stopping the Show , the Talkartoon series was renamed as Betty Boop Cartoons; by then, as noted by even the opening song from Stopping the Show , Betty clearly became the self-proclaimed "Queen of the Animated Screen." Along with his standout female star, Fleischer had become one of the two premier animation producers; the up- and-coming was the other. Hotel Shelburne (1924) Max Fleischer, father of the famous "Out of the Inkwell" movie cartoons, was the guest of Ben Bernie, the band leader at the Hotel Shelburne, Brighton Beach, last evening. Introduced from the floor, Mr. Fleischer regretted being unable to trot out of his obstreperous clown, who neither emulates nor approvesthe late-hour habits of his dad. Max Fleischer Charges Employees With Piracy (1925) In 1925, Max Fleischer brought suit asking a restraining injunction against four former employees, Burton Gillette, Emanuel Goldman, Benhamin Harrison and Edith Vernick, who he alleged had stolen ideas which he invented and had used them for commercial purposes. Max alleged that two of the processes used in the Out of the Inkwell series had been used by the quartet. These are what he calls the "cut-out system" and the "reverse color and action system". Although animated sketches are used by a number of cartoonists in motion pictures, Fleischer uses one which was unique, a method that he wanted to protect. In the complaint Fleischer alleged that he was the president of the Out of the Inkwell Company Inc., and that he employed the four defenndants to work in his plant, imparting to them the method of drawing the cartoons and training them in its use. Shortly afterwards, he alleged the four left him and organized for themselves the A.A. Studios, Inc., for the purpose of operating them with the same processes as those used by Fleischer, making use of the knowledge they gained while with him. In the East (1932) Max Fleischer to make 18 shorts for Paramount release next season in edition to 18 Betty Boop shorts. Helen Kane Loses $25,000 Suit For Civil Violation (1934) Helen Kane, the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl today lost her suit for $25,000 against Max Fleischer, cartoonist, the Fleischer Studios, Inc., and the Paramount-Publix Corp. Supreme Court Justice Edward J. McGoldrich held that she had failed to prove her contention that the defendants wrongfully appropriated her singing technique in the "Betty Boop" film cartoons. Miss Kane said she was deeply shocked at the verdict. "I consider it very unfair as all my friends believe the cartoons a deliberate caricature of me." she said. Samuel R. Weltz, her attorney said an immediate appeal would be filed. The "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" trial began April 17, Miss Kane seeking damages on grounds that the defendants had used her picture in violation of the civil rights law and that the cartoons constituted "unfair competition." Helen Kane Loses Plea (1936) Appellate division rules against actress in $250,000 suit. Helen Kane of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" fame from a decision of Supreme Court Justice Edward J. McGoldrick, dismissing her $250,000 injunction against the Paramount-Publix Corporation to restrain it from using her style of singing in animated cartoons, was dismissed unanimously today by the appellate division. The court handed down no opinion with its decision. Miss Kane's action also was brought against Max Fleischer, cartoonist. Max Fleischer Explains Sympathetic Interest In Art Classes (1938) Production starts at the Max Fleischer Miami motion picture studios in September, an earlier date than originally anticipated. The first group of engineers and technical men will arrive from New York this week. Also there will arrive during the week sound-making equipment. And you members of the art class who have been going around with your hearts in your mouth wondering if the dream can com true are assured that it can. That a not saying it will for all of you, but artists who qualify will "be paid from $18 a week to $250 a week and that comes direct from Max Fleischer to Abe Aronovitz. Miami representative of the Fleischer, organization. "Just so there couldn't be any misunderstanding or false hope in connection with the class of about 90 paying tuition to learn the technique of animated cartoon work. I wrote a personal letter to Max Fleischer and his reply was a re quest to Mr. Aronovitz to "clear it up from all angles." In keeping with Mr. Fleischer's determination to merit the good will of the community in which he will live and operate his studios," said Mr. Aronovitz,. "he wishes to I make it plain that so far as possible residents of the Miami area will be given preference, and this of course applies to artists. The Fleischer organization has no con tract with the Miami Art school, nor official connection of any kind and does not guarantee members of the class employment. Mr. Fleischer does indicate sympathetic interest and whenever possible competent artists who have been properly trained will be given employment. Such assistance and suggestions as properly can be given is being supplied the class." And that's that. Construction of the studios at N. W. 30th ave. and 17th st. is reported more than five- sevenths completed. John H. Ware, president of the Delaware Housing Ass'n, Inc, is the contractor, Mr. Aronovitz further explained: "It is estimated that the studios will have a payroll in Miami of 350 persons. The studios plan their first production activity here in the latter part of September, transition from New York being scheduled for that time. The Max Fleischer Studios, Inc. is under contract to make three pictures a month. Therefore, it is necessary to begin partial production in the new studios, getting into full production as soon as possible. "The first major production, outside the regular Popeye, Betty Boop, Bouncing Ball, etc., program output, will be a $1,600,000 colored production for Paramount." Gulliver's Travels is understood to be the picture to be made. It will require 18 months to make and will be in color. Max Fleischer is in charge of production and distribution and is at the head of the story department where themes, gags and continuity are developed. Included in the equipment arriving this week will be the $100,000 "sound truck," only it isn't a truck at all. It is the highly technical device used for recording sound and is mobile. Originally, it had been intended to vocalize the "pictures in New York. Enlarged plans eliminated that procedure and all pictures will be completed in Miami and the studios in New York closed. Incidental to construction of the studios, which will have two and a half acres of floor space, is construction of nearby homes for employees. (The Miami News) Max Fleischer Upset an Inkwell on the Rug 20 Years Ago (1939) And out poured a host of movie stars: Betty Boop, Popeye and, now, the famous globe-trotting Gulliver by Frederick James Smith For his first feature-length color movie. Max picked the classic Gulliver's Travels . Popeye will "fight for peace, go to jail to uphold the law" hidden under the piano. Mrs. Fleischer discovered it eventually, but, anyway, it gave the boys a name for their movie: "Out of the Inkwell." The Fleischer boys kept their jobs, but they also kept working in the parlor at night, perfecting speedy methods of animating drawings. The World War interfered for a time. But even while he was in the Army at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. Max worked out a cartoon that showed recruits what happened when they pulled the trigger of their rifles. It was most effective when run off in slow motion. After the Armistice the brothers went to work in earnest. Fleischer produced two feature-length animated-drawing films some years before Walt Disney's Snow White . One, called Relativity, explained the Einstein theory by way of drawings. The other, based on Darwin's theory of evolution, was made at the time of the William Jennings Bryan-Clarence Darrow battle in the famous Scopes trial in Tennessee. Fleischer's greatest success, however, has been by way of short comedies. Successful cartoon characters frequently are accidents. A minor figure steals the picture, much as a bit player often walks off with a screen drama. That is how Donald Duck emerged from a Mickey Mouse background. Betty Boop was just such an accident. She appeared as an incidental figure in the background of a cartoon cabaret scene, and stole the show. That was in the Boop-a-Doop era, and the public demanded more of Betty. She became a star, and lasted as long as the Boop-a-Doop era. Fleischer became interested in Popeye because one of the elevator boys at the New York hotel where he lived waited each night for a comic sheet presenting the spinach people. And it all started in a Brooklyn apartment. That was twenty-two years ago. Two or three years before that Winsor McCay had made the first animated cartoon ever created, presenting . McCay used it as part of a vaudeville act and aroused a lot of skeptical laughter when he predicted that animated cartoons would someday take their place with human films in the movie houses of the country. It was Gertie who inspired Max Fleischer to follow his ink-and- celluloid career. Born in Austria, Max had been brought to this country at the age of four. He had studied art at the Art Students League and mechanics at the Mechanics and Tradesmen High School in New York, while working as copy boy at two dollars a week on "The Brooklyn Eagle". He had advanced quickly to the art department of the "Eagle," and moved on to the post of cartoonist. In the same department was J. R. Bray, another pioneer in making cartoon films. The two talked over their ideas, worked together nights trying to perfect them. Finally, after a year, a 150-foot cartoon comedy was turned out. Fleischer took it around to a movie distributor, who looked it over with interest. "I'll buy one a week," he announced. Sadly, Max told him how long it had taken to make the 150-footer. The distributor lost interest. But Fleischer went back to work and devised a way to produce a hundred feet every fourth week. Two of his brothers, Dave, then a photo-engraver, and Joe, a mechanic, were his helpers, and their workroom was the parlor of the six-room apartment in Brooklyn where Max and his wife lived. One night the boys spilled a bottle of ink on the rug. Mrs. Fleischer had gone to bed, so the movie-makers quietly shifted the rug around until the ink-spot was Max Fleischer is the unknown man of the movies. Out of an inkwell he manufactures fantasy turns out an exact amount of that elusive thing of dreams each week. And he is as fantastic as anything he creates. Fleischer was one of the first men to make drawings move, to give life to pen-and-ink characters. For twenty-two years he has been amusing the public with animated cartoons. Today he is head of a SI, 250,000 motion-picture studio, a colossus of cartoons. Yet when he steps outside of the studio that fantasy built he is just a gray-haired little man of five feet, five, whom nobody knows. It was Fleischer who produced the Out of the Inkwell comedies and Koko the Clown. It was Fleischer who did Betty Boop and Popeye, who produced those animated lures to mass-audience singing the melodies with the bouncing ball. And it is Fleischer who has made the newest feature-length picture of ink, color and celluloid, Gulliver's Travels . By all contemporary standards he is entitled to a whole corps of yes men to follow him around his studio but he goes alone. Nobody opens doors for him. His employees just say hello and Max nods politely. Fleischer's pictures have made many box-office millions. But he always does his personal shopping on the installment plan says he can't save money, even though he never bets on the horses. He spends it all working out eccentric ideas, such as a mechanical ash tray or a trick inkwelL And any scheme to improve cartoon comedies interests him vitally. Fleischer has twenty-eight patents for cartoon devices. He heads one of the two -biggest animated-cartoon "plants" in the world. The other belongs to Walt Disney. Fleischer's studio occupies a complete city square . in Miami, Florida, and employs 650 specialist. Fleischer says he came to like Popeye because "he'd fight for peace, go to jail to uphold the law." The Fleischer plant now turns out thirty-eight one and two-reel animated comedies a year. Besides Popeye, there is the Hunky and Spunky series about two mules. And for the last year and a half they have been working on Gulliver on the side. Fleischer likes to explain why he made Gulliver's Travels . "Every adult is still a child at heart," he says. "They are sorry they have been told there is no Santa Claus and they would like to say, "You're wrong, there is a Santa Claus and there are elves and witches and fairies. People want to believe in fantasy because it is an escape from the hard realism of the world." When Fleischer started work on Gulliver's Travels some 7.000 sketches were prepared. Before the studio got through over a million drawings had been made, of which some 200.000 show in the final print. When Fleischer moved his studio to Florida from New York last October, two hundred specialists in the making of cartoon comedies went with him. Some had been twenty years in his employ, at least twenty-five had been with him twelve years, and forty for better than seven years. There are eighty animators alone, besides specialists who supply the voices and music, inkers, colorists. technicians, mechanics, cameramen and minor workers. A five-day week is the rule, with a minimum pay of eighteen dollars for beginners. (The Baltimore Sun) Max Fleischer and Walt Disney (1956) On the 4th of January 1956, the Fleischer Studios once rival studio The Walt Disney Company founder Walter Elias Disney met Max Fleischer. The meeting was set up by Richard Fleischer, who had directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea . Fleischer, 72 at the time creator of Out of the Inkwell , Popeye and Betty Boop cartoons, spent Monday at the Disney studio. Max Fleischer a veteran cartoonist was still active and was working on secret training films for the U.S Navy. He came to the coast to celebrate his golden wedding anniversary with Mrs. Essie Fleischer. Max stayed in Beverly Hills with his son, Richard, who was a director including the latter's wife and three children. Fleischer started as a newspaper cartoonist with the Brooklyn Eagle nearly half a century ago. He is one of the real pioneers of animated cartoons still active. He made training films as far back as World War I. Among Fleischer's scientific creations were his cartoon productions of "Einstein's Theory of Relativity" and "Darwin's Theory of Evolution." His son Richard, directed 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea , for Disney. Betty Boop & the Hays Code. Betty Boop before and after the Motion Picture Production Code. The Hays Code of 1934 was the enforcement of the Motion Picture Production Code censorship guidelines. It was first published in 1930, as an attempt to introduce film censorship. In 1933 a theater owner complained to Film Daily that there was too much smut in cartoons, which is also what contributed to animation being censored. Before the Hays Code, Betty Boop was a flapper girl who wore strapless short skirts, after the Code was imposed, Betty's dresses were made longer and her garter was hidden, not removed as falsely written in history, but hidden under her longer dresses. The Betty Boop cartoons were of an adult nature, and were not really for children, which is why the series was affected. The Hays Act cleaned up the media, censoring movies and cartoons. The Fleischer Studios secretly fought back by putting in hidden sexual messages in their cartoons. Betty Boop's Sunday Best: The Complete Color Comics, 1934-1936. Nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Publication Design! All the 1930's Betty Boop Sunday strips are collected here -- the first book to do so -- in full color! Includes other ultra-rare color Sundays, Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell and a strip by Helen Kane herself (the model for Betty Boop). Cover by premiere Boop artist Leslie Cabarga. Read More. Nominated for an Eisner Award for Best Publication Design! All the 1930's Betty Boop Sunday strips are collected here -- the first book to do so -- in full color! Includes other ultra-rare color Sundays, Max Fleischer's Out of the Inkwell and a strip by Helen Kane herself (the model for Betty Boop). Cover by premiere Boop artist Leslie Cabarga. Read Less. All Copies ( 5 ) Softcover ( 5 ) Choose Edition ( 1 ) Book Details Seller Sort. 1995, Kitchen Sink Press. Edition: 1995, Kitchen Sink Press Trade paperback, Good Details: ISBN: 0878163638 ISBN-13: 9780878163632 Pages: 112 Edition: Illustrated Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press Published: 1995 Language: English Alibris ID: 16518057508 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,59 Trackable Expedited: €7,19. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972. Used books may not include companion materials, some shelf wear, may contain highlighting/notes, and may not include cd-rom or access codes. Customer service is our top priority! ► Contact This Seller. 1995, Kitchen Sink Press. Chattanooga, TN, USA. Edition: 1995, Kitchen Sink Press Trade paperback, Very Good Details: ISBN: 0878163638 ISBN-13: 9780878163632 Pages: 112 Edition: Illustrated Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press Published: 1995 Language: English Alibris ID: 16317714358 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,59. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Very good. ► Contact This Seller. 1995, Kitchen Sink Press. Newport Coast, CA, USA. Edition: 1995, Kitchen Sink Press Trade paperback, Good Details: ISBN: 0878163638 ISBN-13: 9780878163632 Pages: 112 Edition: Illustrated Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press Published: 1995 Language: English Alibris ID: 16519607429 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,59. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: Good. ► Contact This Seller. 1995, Kitchen Sink Press. Edition: 1995, Kitchen Sink Press Trade paperback, New Available Copies: 2 Details: ISBN: 0878163638 ISBN-13: 9780878163632 Pages: 112 Edition: Illustrated Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press Published: 1995 Language: English Alibris ID: 16129455590 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,59. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Seller's Description: New. ► Contact This Seller. 1995, Kitchen Sink Press. North Las Vegas, NV, USA. Edition: 1995, Kitchen Sink Press Trade paperback, New Details: ISBN: 0878163638 ISBN-13: 9780878163632 Pages: 112 Edition: Illustrated Publisher: Kitchen Sink Press Published: 01/1998 Language: English Alibris ID: 16658131467 Shipping Options: Standard Shipping: €3,59. Choose your shipping method in Checkout. Costs may vary based on destination. Mark Fleischer. Mark Fleischer is the son of Richard Fleischer and the grandson of Max Fleischer. Today, Mark is an entertainment executive and attorney, and serves as Chairman and CEO of Fleischer Studios. Mark oversees merchandising activities as well as development of media and other opportunities for Betty Boop and all other Fleischer characters, such as Bimbo, Grampy, Baby Boop and Pudgy. He is known as "BoopPrezSays" on Twitter and continues to support Betty to this day. Max's granddaughter, Ginny Mahoney, also serves on the board of directors and has done so since 1972. Fleischer Studios has worked closely with King Features Syndicate, which acts as the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for Betty Boop. From 1995 to 1999, he worked with MGM, identifying and developing sources of financing, co-production, and codistribution for individual motion pictures and slates of motion pictures, structuring and negotiating complex distribution, financing, and co-production arrangements, maintaining and administering the studio’s film and television library (the largest studio library in the world), as well as serving as the head of the entertainment legal department (in the position of Senior Vice President - Deputy General Counsel from 1995 to 1998). In 2001- 2004, Mark was the president of Mainframe. Today, he is president of Fleischer Studios and he manages the licensing, brand extension, marketing, and development of media and other business opportunities in family-owned business rights assets, including those in the classic cartoon characters created by Max Fleischer, such as Betty Boop and Koko the Clown. Contents. Quotes. Mark Fleischer: " My grandfather, Max Fleischer, created Betty Boop as a fun, feisty and fashionable female - and she has proven to be a character for all time. It is extremely gratifying to know that this new television series will introduce Max’s beloved icon to new generations of fans in an engaging, relatable way. " Mark Fleischer: " Some years ago my father, Richard Fleischer, was directing the movie "Barabbas" in Rome. One of the most dramatic scenes of the movie was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the time that my father was preparing to shoot that scene, a total eclipse of the sun was scheduled to occur at nearby Sienna. " Mark Fleischer: " One person who they would have brought in I’m sure if they could have Baby Esther who was a performer and performed in the Cotton Club in Harlem who was known for that style. There was testimony that Helen Kane visited the Cotton Club and saw Baby Esther perform. " CBC Radio Interview. On the 23rd of June, Fleischer was interviewed by CBC Radio. In his interview he talked about the recent popularity of Betty Boop, he also spoke about his grandfather Max Fleischer, his father Richard Fleischer and also Max's brother Dave Fleischer. During his interview he explained how Betty was breaking into an age when women we’re becoming liberated and she became emblematic of that and is the only female superstar that is not associated with a male. But when the production code in 1934 went after Betty Boop and went after her she no longer was able to play the outrageous roles she used to play and was a housewife or school teacher which slowly but surely made her lose her popularity. He spoke about Helen Kane's lawsuit claim, and stated the following; " In 1932 Helen Kane brought a lawsuit against Fleischer Studios and against Paramount and claimed the character Betty Boop infringed her persona, infringed her singing style, infringed her look. The defense Paramount and my grandfather put of was Betty Boop was modeled on any person. They then brought in other people and other witnesses and showed that the singing style Betty used was widely used. One person who they would have brought in I’m sure if they could have Baby Esther who was a performer and performed in the Cotton Club in Harlem who was known for that style. There was testimony that Helen Kane visited the Cotton Club and saw Baby Esther perform. The court at the end of the day ruled that it certainly was not invented by Helen Kane so there was nothing for the Fleischer Studios or Paramount to infringe. There’s always been a lot of speculation what was the inspiration for the character but the reality is that Betty Boop is the amalgamation of what her culture was at the time. These were all popular styles of singing, dressing. She’s been among us for 87 years and the culture changes a lot over that time so you wonder what would keep a character relevant. And the thing that most does it is that she has universal qualities that are admired and sort after in every culture and I think that people as the culture changes and evolves look to a character like her and project onto her what they think they are or what they want to be and I think that is one of the reasons why she has endured world wide popularity and recognition. " Betty Boop CGI (2000-2002) In 2000-2001 a new Betty Boop TV series was going to be created in CGI by The Fleischer Studios, King Features with help from Mainframe Entertainment Inc, but plans for the feature were later scrapped. Mark Fleischer son of Richard stated the following: " As timeless as Betty Boop is, the CGI expertise of Mainframe Entertainment will help us to present Betty in new and exciting situations, making her as relevant to audiences of all ages. " Mark Fleischer on Betty Boop (2013-Present Day) According to Mark Fleischer, there are no plans for any new Betty Boop cartoons but a Broadway musical has been in the works for several years and could open in fall 2014. In 2016 it was announced that Betty would be featured in a brand new series set for 2018. Max Fleischer: The History And Unveiling Of The Cartoon Betty Boop Part II Of II. Fleischer created a number of firsts with his brother, including the “bouncing-ball” sing along cartoons, which were silent but synchronized to the cinema orchestras. His cartoon “Song Car-Tune” was the first cartoon with a soundtrack, and was produced in 1924. Betty Boop was the first female cartoon star, making her debut in 1930. She was the girlfiend of an unpopular character named Bimbo, who starred in Dizzy Dishes, and she soon had her own series. The Fleischer brothers’ creation was a sexy woman in the form of a cartoon character. Gary Morris recalled her appearance in Bright Lights Film Journal, “Betty is best remembered for her red-hot jazz baby persona. With a head like a giant peanut, vast mascara’d eyes, too-kissable lips, baby-doll voice (courtesty of singer Mae Questel), flattened marcelled hair, and mere threads of a dress exposing miles of hot flesh, she was the perfect celluloid sex toy.” A far cry from the wholesome characters being created at the Disney Studios, Betty Boop not only appeared sexy but acted the part. She was often shown undressing and kissing clowns, cats, and other creatures. While other cartoons of the time were focusing on the charming lives of adorable animals, the Fleischers had Betty running around in her slinky costumes, living the life of a provocative young woman. The general trend in movies and cartoons was more respectable, and Betty Boop was bucking this trend. Amelia S. Holberg discussed the differences between Disney and the Fleischers in American Jewish History, “By the time Pinocchio was released, Disney had redefined animation as a children’s genre. The very adult Betty Boop, on the other hand, was a flapper, a flashy city party girl, not a respectable lady and definitely not an appropriate character for children’s films.” The Hays office Production Code was instituted in 1934, and censors transformed Betty Boop into an all-American girl, clothing her more fully and temporarily banning her garter. The series ended in 1939, but there was a Betty Boop revival in the 1970s. She starred in a touring film festival, “Betty Boop’s Scandals,” and was featured in Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1984. 1985 saw Betty Boop’s network television debut, and her sixtieth birthday was celebrated in the animated special, “Betty Boop’s Hollywood Mystery.” Popeye the Sailor Man. Max and Dave Fleischer followed up their Betty Boop success with another popular character’s introduction in 1933. Popeye was a result of stiff competition among animation studios. A key part of the studios’ business strategies was the development of cartoon characters whose popularity would guarantee bookings by major theater chains. Disney’s Donald Duck and Goofy were developed from smaller roles in Mickey Mouse cartoons, and Warner Bros. created Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck after their initial success in films featuring other animated animals. E.C. Segar created a comic strip called “Thimble Theater” in 1919. He introduced Popeye into the strip as a temporary character, but when Segar attempted to write Popeye out, fans complained and he returned as Olive Oyl’s love interest. Max Fleischer requested the right to use Popeye from Hearst’s King Features Syndicate and was granted permission two years after Betty Boop’s debut. Due to the very satisfying quality of the first Popeye production, the agreement between Fleischer and King Features was extended to a five-year term even before the film’s release. The movie, entitled Betty Boop Presents Popeye the Sailor, marked the beginning of Popeye’s highly successful series. Within five years, Popeye was the most popular American cartoon character. Fleischer was so confident, he attempted to convince film distributor Paramount to back a feature-length Popeye movie, but the shorts they created were the most profitable Popeye productions. Disney moved into feature films in 1937 with the success of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, forcing the Fleischers into entering this new arena. They produced the feature-length cartoons Gulliver’s Travels and Mr. Bug Goes To Town in 1938 and 1941, both of which bombed. Their expansion, which involved enlarging their staff to produce the features, proved unsuccessful. In 1942 Paramount forced the brothers out of their own studio. Amidst this disappointment, the Fleischers premiered the first Superman short in 1941. Max Fleischer went on to direct films, which include 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Dr. Doolittle, Compulsion, Tora Tora Tora, and The Jazz Singer. After Paramount bought his studio, Fleischer worked for that company as production chief of cartooning until he retired in the 1960s. Fleischer died of heart failure on September 11, 1972, in Woodland Hills, California. He was survived by his wife, Essie, and two children. One after another, voice actors appeared before the judge. This was no ordinary courtroom testimony—they were there to squeak Betty Boop’s signature “boop-boop-a-doop.” It was 1934, and Betty Boop was on trial. (http://biography.yourdictionary.com/max-fleischer) Betty Boop. The cartoon vixen was an unlikely candidate for a lawsuit—and for popularity. She “was never intended to be a continuing character,” says animation historian Ray Pointer, author of The Art and Inventions of Max Fleischer . In fact, the original 1932 version of Betty Boop, created by Fleischer Studios, wasn’t even human. Rather, she was a talking, singing French poodle with long, floppy ears. Animator Max Fleischer. (Credit: Science History Images/Alamy Stock Photo) But soon, Betty’s ears became earrings and she was reinvented as a human being. The new Betty Boop was a vivacious flapper who drove a car, did popular dances and showed plenty of skin. Her wide eyes and sexy looks were a hit with audiences—as was the fact that she was a clear parody of popular singer Helen Kane. The squeaky-voiced jazz singer was known for her sexy lyrics and baby-like singing, and Betty Boop delivered a spot-on imitation. The New York Times called her “the most menacing of the baby-talk ladies”—a reference to a vaudeville phenomenon also used by performers like Fanny Brice and Irene Franklin. Two years before Betty Boop’s debut, Kane had skyrocketed to fame with the song “That’s My Weakness Now,” which used the phrase “boop-boop-a-doop” as shorthand for sex. The original caption to these images claimed that Betty Boop was based on Helen Kane, before the lawsuit in May. Audiences would have recognized the send-up of Kane, now a Paramount star. But so did Kane herself—and when she experienced economic hardship due to a layoff, she took legal action against the animation studio. She sought $250,000 in damages and no further showings of Betty Boop cartoons—and claimed that phrases like “boop-boop-a-doop, boop-boopa doop, or boop-boopa-do, or boop-a-doop or similar combinations of such sounds or simply boop alone” were her own—part of what she called her “baby vamp” act. But Max Fleischer, the animation pioneer who owned the studio, didn’t back down. He brought three women to court who had voiced Betty Boop—each of whom claimed they hadn’t imitated Kane and did their Betty Boop voices to prove it. The judge watched footage of Fleischer cartoons and Kane performances. Eventually, says Pointer, “the court stenographer threw up his hands. Some of the testimony became almost hilarious.” The press had a field day with the concept of a performer attempting to protect her popular “boops.” It seemed like Kane had a legitimate case—and her lawsuit made it all the way to the New York Supreme Court. But it stalled there, thanks to the origins of her signature sound. The Fleischers trotted out a number of witnesses who claimed they’d heard “boops” and baby talk in nightclubs, cabarets and vaudeville theaters before Kane became famous. The Betty Boop Show, 1971. (Credit: AF archive / Alamy Stock Photo) And then came talk of Baby Esther, the stage name of an African-American performer named Esther Jones. Baby Esther’s manager claimed that Kane and her manager had seen Jones perform in 1928, then copied her style. This was corroborated by Kane’s manager, says Pointer. Baby Esther herself was not available to testify, presumably because she was dead. But Fleischer Studios provided a screen test—now lost—of Jones that convinced the judge Kane had copied the singer. To this day, there are no confirmed photos or recordings of Jones, and Jones herself never testified in the lawsuit. Nevertheless, says Pointer, “It was just so silly they wanted to get on with it,” bringing the lengthy lawsuit to a close without staging a widespread search for Jones. Kane lost the case, and Betty Boop kept on booping. A vindictive Max Fleischer even gathered his Betty Boop voice actors on camera to make fun of the lawsuit during a newsreel—and not long after, Betty Boop herself appeared in a cartoon called “Betty Boop’s Trial.” As for Kane, she faded from popularity. When she died in 1966, the New York Times recalled her as a “once giggly, wiggly brunette”—and told the story of how she squandered her fortune on a failed clothing company. (Moviestore collection Ltd/Alamy Stock Photo) A Boop-related lawsuit may have seemed silly, but it pointed to the outrageous popularity of Betty Boop. Her sexually suggestive dancing, squeaky voice and seductive costume, complete with garter, captivated audiences. Her songs were racy enough to raise eyebrows, but not explicit enough to make the cartoons unacceptable. “That’s why they were fun,” says Pointer. Even though she was given a more modest makeover after the passage of the Hays Code in 1934, she stayed popular until she was discontinued in 1939. The dog-turned-doll-like heroine has lived on through syndication and merchandising since television’s early days. Though the flapper age was over by the time Betty Boop took to the screen, she was beloved by Depression-era audiences. “The public embraced her because [she] reminded them of the carefree days of the 1920s,” says Pointer. And as the most unique human woman cartoon character of her day, she became a fan favorite. For Pointer, she’s important for another reason: her music. “The cartoons helped to promote and expose the public to jazz and swing,” he recalls. And Betty Boop’s cartoons help preserve America’s long-gone vaudeville tradition—one that was based, in large part, on the contributions of unacknowledged African-American performers.(www.history.com/news/the-people-v-betty-boop) More Betty Boop Throughout History. The journey of the first sex symbol in cartoon history. Sounds…interesting. But also weird, right? It’s complicated. Betty Boop was created by Max Fleischer and drawn by Grim Natwick in the early 1930s for an animated short entitled “Dizzy Dishes.” She was a nightclub singer, and an object of the attentions of lustful men (yep, it sure was the 1930s). Audiences loved her, and Paramount Studios took notice of the people clamoring for more cartoons “with that girl in them.” Betty Boop was one of the most successful cartoon characters of the early 1930s. Even as the Great Depression cast the nation into decidedly unsexy times, Betty’s image could be seen on everything from playing cards to nail polish to cigarette cases. Her appeal was real, even if she was…well, a cartoon. In 1934’s Poor Cinderella , Betty appeared in color for the first time, as a redhead: That same year, the Hayes office (Hollywood’s official censor) introduced a new production code imposing rigid standards on sexual suggestion in film. Betty’s backless dress was replaced with a much longer dress with sleeves and a collar; her garter belt was never seen again. Betty was now portrayed as a schoolteacher, secretary, and babysitter…not so much as a nightclub singer. In 1939, Fleischer Studios released the swan song of the original Betty Boop series: “Yip Yip Yippy.” But in the 1980s, Betty Boop returned (nostalgia was big back then). Check out “The Romance of Betty Boop” from 1985 — the full-length cartoon was set during the Great Depression, and even featured a Cab Calloway song as a throwback to the originals. And of course, in 1988’s Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Betty makes a cameo in a sultry scene that we have to assume is the most meta homage to the sexualization of cartoons in film history. So much for the Hayes office’s pearl-clutching censorship. So what does the legacy of Betty Boop mean today? Well, for one thing, it means we have a rich, complicated, and very Woolly cultural framework to ponder with our next show, Collective Rage: A Play in Five Boops.