'Mutt & Jeff' was the long running popular comic strip created by Bud Fisher in 1907 that was adapted into animated shorts by Charlie Bowers at the Barré Studios in 1916. The animated series lasted 11 years and more than 300 animated Mutt and Jeff shorts were released by the FOX Film Corporation. Sadly, many of these animated shorts that were not destroyed in an fire are still in archive vaults all over the world waiting to be saved.

Film Deterioration. From The Circus 1917 35mm.

We are on a race against time due to the the delicate nitrate elements that these films were printed on. Many of these films are over 100 years old.

American film director, producer, editor & actor Joe Dante

Beginning in early 2021, we have been acquiring new 4k scans, mostly of 35mm prints and some 16mm prints. To date we have obtained 22 new film scans.

Sample of title cards from many of the 35mm scans we've already obtained

In the upcoming months, a new batch of nineteen 35mm prints from an archive are scheduled to be scanned as well as three more from a private collector. Many of these new scans will be of films in which no publicly available copies are currently available.

(Update 08.02.22: We found a private collection that has 26 Mutt & Jeff Films, details to follow).

To date, everything has been self-financed. However, we've reached the point where we need help to make this project complete.

By donating to this project, you'll be financing the final batches of scans, the hiring of qualified restoration artists, and the final production of the limited edition Blu-ray to be released for a new audience to enjoy these neglected cartoons.

Updates are posted daily highlighting some of the prints we've acquired, progress on finding additional prints, the restoration process, and more!

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