Dave Fleischer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Dave Fleischer
|
|
|---|---|
.jpg)
Fleischer circa 1940
|
|
| Born | July 14, 1894 New York City, U.S.
|
| Died | June 25, 1979 (aged 84) Hollywood, Los Angeles, U.S.
|
| Resting place | Mount Sinai Memorial Park Cemetery |
| Occupation |
|
| Years active | 1918–1967 |
| Spouse(s) |
Ida Sharnow
(m. 1919; div. 1940)Mae Schwartz
(m. 1945) |
| Relatives | Max Fleischer (brother) Lou Fleischer (brother) Richard Fleischer (nephew) Ruth Fleischer (niece) Seymour Kneitel (nephew-in-law) |
Dave Fleischer (July 14, 1894 – June 25, 1979) was an American film director and producer. He was famous for co-owning Fleischer Studios with his older brother, Max Fleischer. Together, they created many classic animated cartoons.
Contents
Who Was Dave Fleischer?
Dave Fleischer was born in New York City. He was the youngest of five brothers. He grew up in Brownsville, Brooklyn, which was a busy neighborhood.
As a young man, Dave worked as an usher at the Palace Theater on Broadway. This job let him see many vaudeville shows. Vaudeville was a popular type of entertainment with different acts. This experience helped him learn about jokes and how to time funny moments. These skills were very important for making cartoons.
At one point, his family lived in Coney Island. Dave became interested in being a clown for the sideshows there. This idea of a clown later inspired the first character for his brother Max's new invention.
How Did He Start in Animation?
Around 1913, Dave began working as a film cutter. He worked for Pathé Exchange, a big French film company. This job taught him a lot about how movies were put together.
In 1921, Dave joined his brother Max. They started their own studio called Out of the Inkwell Films, Inc. It began in a small basement apartment. Dave became the director and later the main producer for their cartoons.
Famous Cartoons He Supervised
Dave Fleischer helped create many popular cartoon series. These included:
- Out of the Inkwell (which featured Koko the Clown)
- Betty Boop
- Popeye the Sailor
- Superman
He also supervised two animated feature films. These were Gulliver's Travels and Mr. Bug Goes to Town.
Challenges at Fleischer Studios
The studio moved to Miami, Florida. After making Gulliver's Travels, Fleischer Studios faced some money problems. This was due to the high costs of making the movie. Also, some new cartoon series were not as popular.
The Popeye cartoons were still very successful. But other new series like Stone Age Cartoons were not. This led to the studio having to work closely with Paramount Pictures.
The Success of Superman Cartoons
Dave Fleischer helped get the rights to make Superman cartoons. These cartoons cost more to make than Popeye cartoons. But they became very popular. The Superman series was a big hit for the studio. It showed how much their animation had grown.
Around 1938, Dave and Max started to have some disagreements. These differences grew, especially when Dave took more control of the cartoon production. This led to some cartoons being finished late.
Life After Fleischer Studios
Dave Fleischer left Fleischer Studios in late 1941. He then became a producer for Screen Gems at Columbia Pictures in 1942. There, he produced cartoons like Song of Victory and Imagination. Imagination was even nominated for an Academy Award!
He also produced the The Fox and the Crow series. However, he was later replaced in 1944.
Later Work in Hollywood
After leaving Columbia, Dave worked on other projects. He tried to create a new cartoon series with an elf-like character named "Snippy." This character appeared briefly in a movie called Trocadero. But a full "Snippy" cartoon series never happened.
He also worked on a short animation part for another movie, That's My Baby! (1944). For a short time, he even had his own comic strip.
In the 1950s, Dave animated short movie ads called "snipes." One of his most famous works was the Let's All Go to the Lobby snipe in 1957. You might still see this classic animation before movies today!
Working at Universal Pictures
Later, Dave found a permanent job at Universal. He worked as a "technical specialist." He helped solve problems and worked on special effects for movies. Some of the films he worked on included Francis, The Birds, and Thoroughly Modern Millie. He also helped supervise the English voice acting for the Russian animated film, The Snow Queen.
Retirement and Legacy
After working on Thoroughly Modern Millie, Dave Fleischer retired. He continued to live in Hollywood until he passed away. Dave Fleischer died on June 25, 1979, at the age of 84. His work helped shape the early days of animated cartoons. He brought many beloved characters to life on screen.]]
