Fleischer Studios

Brothers Max and Dave Fleischer moved on from Bray Studios to form Inkwell Studios in 1921. Renamed Fleischer Studios in 1928, the studio proved to be a major player in early animation history, and the only serious rival to Disney in the 1930's. The studio started life in New York, but the Fleischer brothers moved to Miami in the late 1930's due to labor and union problems.
Fleischer Studios was unique among the early animation studios in it's focus on human lead characters. Most other studios of the day featured anthropomorphic animals in their lead roles (Mickey Mouse, Krazy Kat, and Felix The Cat, for instance). Fleischer was also the only studio of it's day to take Disney on, head to head, with their daring production of a feature animated film or two. Unfortunately for the Fleischers, Disney won at the box office. Costs forced Max and Dave Fleischer had to take loans from Paramount, and Paramount required the bothers to sign undated letters of resignation as a condition of the loan.

The Christmas release of Fleischer's first feature Gulliver's Travels was praised for its quality, but did not make as much money as hoped. The studio began production on its highly regarded Superman series, produced at 6 times the normal budget for a typical short of the period. The first film was nominated for an Academy Award. Popeye shorts of the period were also very popular, and sold well. But Fleischer was also putting out some major flops... Stone Age Cartoons and Gulliver's Gabby did nothing but such money from the studios bottom line.

With the box office failure of their second feature Mr. Bug Goes To Town, the brothers were destitute... and working relationships between the brothers was non-existent. The studio was falling apart from above. Parent company Paramount Pictures called in their loan to the Fleischer brothers. This effectively bankrupted Max and Dave Fleischer, who remained at the studio as neutered figureheads until they where finally bounced from their studio by January 1942. Paramount reorganized the studio, moved it back to New York, and reopened it as Famous Studios by the end of the year. Many series- including Superman and Popeye- survived the transition to Famous Studios.