Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop! Mark Fleischer
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Mark Fleischer is the son of Richard Fleischer and the grandson of Max Fleischer. Today, Mark is an entertainment executive and attorney, and serves as Chairman and CEO of Fleischer Studios.
Mark oversees merchandising activities as well as development of media and other opportunities for Betty Boop and all other Fleischer characters, such as Bimbo, Grampy, Baby Boop and Pudgy. He is known as "BoopPrezSays" on Twitter and continues to support Betty to this day. Max's granddaughter, Ginny Mahoney, also serves on the board of directors and has done so since 1972.
Fleischer Studios has worked closely with King Features Syndicate, which acts as the exclusive worldwide licensing agent for Betty Boop. From 1995 to 1999, he worked with MGM, identifying and developing sources of financing, co-production, and co-distribution for individual motion pictures and slates of motion pictures, structuring and negotiating complex distribution, financing, and co-production arrangements, maintaining and administering the studio's film and television library (the largest studio library in the world), as well as serving as the head of the entertainment legal department (in the position of Senior Vice President - Deputy General Counsel from 1995 to 1998).
From 2001-2004, Mark was the president of Mainframe.[1] Today, he is president of Fleischer Studios and he manages the licensing, brand extension, marketing, and development of media and other business opportunities in family-owned business rights assets, including those in the classic cartoon characters created by Max Fleischer, such as Betty Boop and Koko the Clown.
In 2006, he attended the grand opening of Betty Boop's Diner.
As of 2023, Fleischer worked in collaboration with entrepreneurs in the "Betty of the People Initiative" program. The Fleischer Studios went on to collaborate with a Black female entrepreneur Shay Love Diva Levister on a new franchise called "Black Betty Boop".[2] Fleischer responded by saying that the entrepreneur's love for Betty Boop and passion to make Betty more accessible to her community is truly inspiring.
Due to conflict and a disagreement between the Fleischer Studios and the Black entrepreneur, the "Black Betty Boop" franchise became defunct as of 2024.[3] The entrepreneur alleged that the Fleischer Studios reached out to her first, and that she spent over $10,000 on the promotion of the character but the Fleischers would not help her promote it.
She felt that she was used to clean Betty's image up following a PBS special. So she got her lawyer to cut ties with the Fleischer Studios to end her contract with them when they allegedly refused to find a resolution.
Though a brief controversy concerning the origin and ethnicity of Betty Boop by the general public, after watching Boop! the Broadway musical, Fleischer commented that it is spectacular.
The Fleischer Studios officially put out a statement in regards to Baby Esther and Helen Kane in December of 2023, that Betty Boop was based on no one.
Quotes
- Mark Fleischer: "In no manner did Grim Natwick create the Betty Boop character."[4] (2000)
- Mark Fleischer: "It is a well documented fact that Betty Boop was created by my grandfather Max Fleischer." (2000)
- Mark Fleischer: "My grandfather, Max Fleischer, created Betty Boop as a fun, feisty and fashionable female - and she has proven to be a character for all time. It is extremely gratifying to know that this new television series will introduce Max's beloved icon to new generations of fans in an engaging, relatable way."
- Mark Fleischer: "Some years ago my father, Richard Fleischer, was directing the movie 'Barabbas' in Rome. One of the most dramatic scenes of the movie was the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. At the time that my father was preparing to shoot that scene, a total eclipse of the sun was scheduled to occur at nearby Sienna."
- Mark Fleischer: "One person who they would have brought in I'm sure if they could have Baby Esther who was a performer and performed in the Cotton Club in Harlem who was known for that style. There was testimony that Helen Kane visited the Cotton Club and saw Baby Esther perform."
- Mark Fleischer: "Esther Jones was a truly talented young performer. What is so problematic here is that to mistakenly single her out, or anyone else. As the sole source of 'Betty Boop's Jazz Age' inspiration creates an untrue narrative that distracts from and potentially eclipses our appreciation and enjoyment of the very real contributions that those involved have made to our culture. This would include Esther Jones. (PBS, 2021)
- Mark Fleischer: "Esther Jones was a real person with her own real story that deserves to be heard." (PBS, 2021)
CBC Radio Interview
On the 23rd of June, Fleischer was interviewed by CBC Radio. In his interview he talked about the recent popularity of Betty Boop, he also spoke about his grandfather Max Fleischer, his father Richard Fleischer and also Max's brother Dave Fleischer. During his interview he explained how Betty was breaking into an age when women we’re becoming liberated and she became emblematic of that and is the only female superstar that is not associated with a male.
But when the production code in 1934 went after Betty Boop and went after her she no longer was able to play the outrageous roles she used to play and was a housewife or school teacher which slowly but surely made her lose her popularity.
He spoke about Helen Kane's lawsuit claim, and stated the following; "In 1932 Helen Kane brought a lawsuit against Fleischer Studios and against Paramount and claimed the character Betty Boop infringed her persona, infringed her singing style, infringed her look. The defense Paramount and my grandfather put of was Betty Boop was modeled on any person. They then brought in other people and other witnesses and showed that the singing style Betty used was widely used. One person who they would have brought in I'm sure if they could have Baby Esther who was a performer and performed in the Cotton Club in Harlem who was known for that style. There was testimony that Helen Kane visited the Cotton Club and saw Baby Esther perform.
The court at the end of the day ruled that it certainly was not invented by Helen Kane so there was nothing for the Fleischer Studios or Paramount to infringe. There’s always been a lot of speculation what was the inspiration for the character but the reality is that Betty Boop is the amalgamation of what her culture was at the time. These were all popular styles of singing, dressing.
She's been among us for 87 years and the culture changes a lot over that time so you wonder what would keep a character relevant. And the thing that most does it is that she has universal qualities that are admired and sort after in every culture and I think that people as the culture changes and evolves look to a character like her and project onto her what they think they are or what they want to be and I think that is one of the reasons why she has endured world wide popularity and recognition."
Betty Boop CGI (2000-2002)
In 2000-2001 a new Betty Boop TV series was going to be created in CGI by The Fleischer Studios, King Features with help from Mainframe Entertainment Inc, but plans for the feature were later scrapped. Mark Fleischer son of Richard stated the following: "As timeless as Betty Boop is, the CGI expertise of Mainframe Entertainment will help us to present Betty in new and exciting situations, making her as relevant to audiences of all ages."
Mark Fleischer on Betty Boop (2013-Present Day)
According to Mark Fleischer, there were no plans for any new Betty Boop cartoons, but a Broadway musical had been in the works for several years and would have opened in fall 2014, which was later pushed to 2023. In 2016 it was announced that Betty would be featured in a brand new series set for 2018, which was later canned.
Links
- Mark Fleischer at Twitter
See Also
- Betty Boop CGI (Scrapped)