Sound of Fleischer

 

Fleischer Studios was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of its films. In its prime, Fleischer Studios was a premier producer of animated cartoons for theaters, with Walt Disney Productions being its chief competitor in the 1930s. Before the popularization of television, cartoons in the 1920s and 30s were theatrically presented before full length features for all audiences. To contend with Walt Disney’s stronghold on animated shorts, Paramount Pictures became the distributor for Fleischer Studios in 1929. Run by brothers Max, Dave and Lou Fleischer, the animation studio had been making a name for itself as a pioneer of synchronized sound technology. Despite popular belief, Disney was not the first studio to release a sync sound cartoon. Fleischer Studios had released the first cartoon attempting synchronized sound in 1926—two years before Disney’s “Steamboat Willy.” Quickly, the Fleischers’ technological innovations, eclectic characters and music established the brand as one of Disney’s main rivals, making Popeye and Betty Boop household names.