CLASSICS & ANTHOLOGIES
Out of the Inkwell
Anthology of silent films
CINEMATEK is delighted to breathe new life into the films of the Fleischer brothers, the brilliant creators of Betty Boop and Popeye, and invites you to discover Out of the Inkwell, their remarkable debut series, in new 4K restorations this summer.
Max Fleischer (1883–1972) was a pioneer of animation in the early 20th century. From 1919 to 1942, Max and the Fleischer Studios produced nearly 700 cartoons and live-action shorts. Among his numerous contributions to the animation industry was his invention of the rotoscope in 1915, which revolutionized animation by allowing animators to trace over motion picture footage, frame by frame, to produce more realistic action. While developing this technique, Max filmed his brother Dave jumping around, dressed as a clown. In 1916, Max was hired by John Randolph Bray to produce more of this new kind of animation, which became the basis for the first series that Max developed with Bray Productions: Out of the Inkwell (1918–1927).
The series featured an animated clown together with a live-action Max, who interacted, breaking the imaginary “Fourth Wall” separating the fictional world and the real world, and pretty much teasing and tormenting each other, causing all kinds of chaos. In 1923 animator Dick Huemer joined Max and his merry cohort of animators, and gave the clown his name: Koko.
When Max began working with Paramount in 1927, he developed a new series also featuring Koko the Clown, Inkwell Imps, consisting of 58 shorts. Then, in 1930, Max created the character for which he became known world-wide: the inimitable Betty Boop, who featured in over 140 cartoons. In the 1930s, the Fleischer Studios brought Popeye to life, and later in the 1940s Superman.
When the Fleischer Studios closed in 1942 the films were not saved, and Max and Fleischer Studios lost the rights to their cartoons. Instead they were dispersed all over the world, bought and sold and bought again by various companies.
Since 2021, Max’s granddaughter Jane Fleischer Reid has led an initiative to locate and collect as many of the films as possible, to create a comprehensive digital Fleischer film library. This effort entails working with a small but mighty team of passionate, likeminded parties: the studios and archives (among others Paramount Pictures), to find and provide the best assets; Thad Komorowski and Samantha Davis of Cineaste Restoration, who restore the cartoons; and Mauricio Alvarado, who collaborates with Jane to bring these historic and classic films back to life in stunning 4K.
For this retrospective, CINEMATEK has contributed to the restoration of two films that were preserved in its collection.
– After a text by Jane Fleischer Reid.
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Out of the Inkwell : Anthology of silent films
Koko’s Crib
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1929 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko Hops Off
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1927 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 5' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Field Daze
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1928 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 5' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Courtship
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1928 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Big Sale
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1929 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
- From 8 years
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Out of the Inkwell : Anthology of silent films
Fortune Teller
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1923 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
It’s the Cats
- Max Fleischer, USA 1926 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 8' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko in 1999
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1927 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Hot Dog
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1928 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
- From 8 years
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Out of the Inkwell : Anthology of silent films
Koko’s Signals
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1929 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Klock
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1927 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Act
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1928 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko at the Circus
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1926 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Boxing Kangaroo
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1920 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
- From 8 years
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Out of the Inkwell : Anthology of silent films
Cartoon Factory
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1924 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 8' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Koko’s Magic
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1928 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 6' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
The Battle
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1923 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 5' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Jumping Beans
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1922 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 10' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
- From 8 years
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Out of the Inkwell : Anthology of silent films
Koko Gets Egg-Cited
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1926 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Puzzle
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1923 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Noise Annoys Koko
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1929 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 7' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
Fadeaway
- Dave Fleischer, USA 1926 ⁄ B&W ⁄ 8' ⁄ TIT: — ⁄ NO DIALOGUE ⁄ PIANO
- From 8 years
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