Jane Fleischer Reid

On Saturday, 14 June, the Portello staircase hosted a special event featuring restored cartoons from Fleischer Studios. Max Fleischer, with his company Fleischer Studios, Inc., was one of the pioneers and most beloved creators of animation. In addition to producing nearly 700 cartoons and live-action short films, Fleischer also invented numerous tools that became industry standards, most notably the Rotoscope, which allows animators to trace film footage frame by frame. Fleischer began building his legacy of timeless characters with KoKo the Clown in the silent era, and with the advent of sound came the creation of international superstar Betty Boop, a lasting icon of pop culture to this day. Fleischer’s cartoons also brought the characters from the Popeye and Superman comics/books to life on film, and his versions remain the standard for animation. After Fleischer Studios closed in 1942, the films were scattered, bought and sold by various companies, with the result that there is no single source from which to view them all. Since 2021, Max’s granddaughter, Jane Fleischer Reid, has led an initiative to locate and collect as many films as possible in order to create a complete Fleischer digital film library.

This commitment involves working with a small but powerful team of passionate, like-minded individuals: the studios and archives that source and provide the best materials; Thad Komorowski and Samantha Davis of Cineaste Restoration, who restore the cartoons; and Mauricio Alvarado, who works with Jane Reid to bring these classics back to the big screen. Jane’s company, Fabulous Fleischer Cartoons Restored, has restored over 100 Fleischer films to date, mostly from the studio’s original materials, for theatrical and home video distribution, with many more on the way. Among the many highlights of the Fleischer programme at the River Film Festival are the world premieres of the restored films Musical Memories and Cobweb Hotel, from the historic Color Classic series. The continued success is a testament to the enduring legacy of Max Fleischer’s artistry and inventions.

HB