Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is partnering, through his Seth MacFarlane Foundation, with Martin Scorseses Film Foundation to fund the first-ever, curated restoration of historically significant animated shorts from the 1920s to 1940s. MacFarlane is committed to saving and honoring the art form from its earliest days forward. Hes been fascinated by animation since childhood when he began drawing. Hes also an animation alum of Rhode Island School of Design. This year MacFarlanes The Family Guy is celebrating its 25th anniversary.
Im so grateful to Seth MacFarlane for his enthusiasm and his support on these restorations, said Martin Scorsese in a statement. What an astonishing experience, to see these remarkable pictures that I experienced for the first time as a child brought back to their full glory. Imagine the reactions of children today! Because the films now seem as fresh as they did when they were newly made.
Nine animated pics from Max and Dave Fleischer, who created Betty Boop and Koko the Clown, are among the pieces that are being restored. MacFarlane is a jazz music aficionado and The Great American Songbook, so the Fleischer Brothers noted use of jazz in their soundtracks, including collaborations with Cab Calloway, Louis Armstrong, and Don Redman, are a big reason why the Fleischers work is represented in this restoration collection.
The work Martin Scorsese and his Film Foundation have been doing is essential cinematic preservation, said MacFarlane. Im honored to partner with them in restoring their first-ever collection of storied animation.
---
Love is a very beautiful, very intense feeling for a startlingly short period of time.