Richard Fleischer, a son of an animation legend, and a fine director himself, died yesterday of natural causes at the age of 89. Fleischer filmed such movies as 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Tora! Tora! Tora!, and Doctor Doolittle.
Fleisher’s involvement with Walt Disney was surprising to the director at the time. One of Walt’s earliest rivals in animation was Max Fleischer, Richard’s father. Max Fleischer and his brothers created Betty Boop and Popeye the Sailor. Obviously, they were competitors and one was definitely more successful than the other. When Walt approached Richard to be the director of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, he politely asked Walt Disney if he knew who his father was. When Walt said yes, Richard Fleischer commented that he would have to get permission from his father first. His father gave his consent and made a comment along the lines that Walt knew to get the best.
In addition to directing, Richard Fleischer was chairman of Fleischer Studios (by now no longer a functioning movie studio) which controlled the licenses of Betty Boop and Popeye. Last year, he wrote a book about his father entitled “Out of the Inkwell: Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution” which details the difficulties, challenges, and ultimately, the vindication of his father’s work.
