Max Fleischer - The Man Behind Betty Boop

Max Fleischer

Photograph of Max Fleischer

Max Fleischer is best known as the co-founder of the famous Fleischer Studios, one of the first animation studios, which he started together with his brothers, Dave and Joe.

Max Fleischer emigrated to New York City at an early age, studying art at Cooper Union and the Art Students League.

Max was a pioneer in the animation business, responsible for creating the animation technique of rotoscoping. This involved drawing animation on top of frames from a live action film.

The Fleischer Studio turned out some of the most inventive films of the period and Fleischer made the first sound cartoons of contemporary comic heroes like Popeye.

At the end of the 1920s, the studio's top artist Grim Natwick came up with a new female character: a seductive, nameless side-character who was modeled after Helen Kane, a waning Hollywood star at the time, known for her high-pitched "Boop-Oop-a-doop".

This character, who was initially the nameless girlfriend of Bimbo the Dog, would develop into the popular and world famous character, Betty Boop.

Early footage of Betty Boop

Betty Boop startled and wide-eyed (b&w - film archive)
Betty Boop - What me? In the garden (b&w - film archive)

In July 1932, the name 'Betty Boop' was officially launched through her first title screen role in "Betty Boop Limited". As the fame of the cartoon character increased, the popularity of the live actress and singer Helen Kane diminished, and she threatened with lawsuits, all of which were unsuccessful.

In 1933, the Fleischer Studio was negotiating a comic about Betty Boop with King Features Syndicate. They couldn't agree on a price, and Helen Kane stepped in, suggesting a comic based on her name and appearance. So it is that Betty Boop first appeared in strip form as "Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl by Helen Kane".

Sweetheart Betty

Betty Boop surrounded by large red heart

Fleischer was also responsible for introducing the first cartoons with sound in 1924. He used rotoscoping and sound to include popular contemporary jazz musicians of the time such as Cab Calloway and Louis Armstrong in his cartoons.

In the Betty Boop cartoon "Minnie The Moocher", Cab Calloway is shown animated as a bizarre walrus like character performing all the insane body movements Cab is known for. He's also shown animated as a giant mutated horny freak with a white beard in "Old Man Of The Mountain".

Below is a montage of images from another strange cartoon by Max Fleischer. There's more spooks and monsters in this one then you can shake a stick at!