Betty Boop History
Animated movies were also known as cartoons and talkartoons. The studio,
which was considered to be at the fore front of this new film experience, was
the New York City based Fleischer Studio's. Betty Boop was first created as a
dog character by Grim Natwick and appeared as the girl friend of another dog
named Bimbo. Betty's figure was modeled after Mae West's and her singing style
taken from Helen Kane the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl. The voice of Betty
was that of a young lady by the name of May Questal. Max & Dave Fleisher
produced the Talkartoons for Paramount. Max drew his first comic strip for the
"Brooklyn Daily Eagle" in 1902 and went on to join the "Popular
Science" magazine in 1906. In 1915 Max, Dave and brother Joe invented a new
way of cartooning that revolutionized animation. The "rotoscope"
became one of the key patents in animation. It gave a much smoother, more
life-like quality to the motion of the characters. Betty Boop's on screen debut
was in 1930 in a little film called "Dizzy Dishes". The part was small
but it gave her the opportunity to show off her musical talents. In 1931 Betty's
friends Koko the clown and Pudgy, Bimbo's replacement, were introduced. Betty
finally came into her own with "Betty Co-Ed" when she shed her dog
identity and the long ears became earrings. By1932 Betty was considered to be
the first and only female animated screen star who could do it all - Drama,
Musicals and Comedy. She took the country by storm and Straight into society's
hearts. Betty had a flare all her own, she could be daring and assertive all the
while keeping an air of innocence the public loved. There were more than one
hundred Betty Boop cartoons produced including ninety in the official Betty Boop
series."Stopping the show", "Betty Boop for President" and
"Boilesk" are among the most note worthy. Others included "Betty
Boop's birthday", "Red Hot Mama", "Betty Boop and the Little
King", "Zula Hula"and "Riding theRails". In 1939 her
last film "Yip Yip Yipee" was released. Betty Boop has been made into
toys and dolls scince the 1930's and in 1934, King Features Syndicate started
distribution of "Betty Boop", a newspaper comic strip drawn by Bud
Counihan. Now after almost 70 years, audiences seem to have rediscovered the
wit, the music and the charm of Betty Boop.