Like many animated characters, she underwent an evolution, in this case one that Dr. Betty has been described as having a baby's head atop a mature female body. Her Betty sounds adorable, almost infantile. If the name sounds unfamiliar, Questel has a featured part 35 years later in Barbra Streisand's Funny Girl, and brings the accent with her. All those hundreds of local state and municipal censorship agencies were having too much trouble keeping real near-nudity out of live action studio films.Īlthough other actresses served as well, actress Mae Questel is tagged as Betty's principal voice artist. Asked what she, does in one cartoon she answers, "I Boop-boop-a-doop!" In other words, Betty Boop is the animated answer to Mae West, except that being a cartoon character apparently helped her slip more easily under the censorship radar. Heck, she'll show her underwear any time at all, followed by a mock gesture of embarrassment. She squeals with satisfaction at every sign of affection, or even if a gust of wind throws her skirt up. At least in the Pre-code era, Betty flaunts her body, winks at men and plays the innocent as she sends out all the desired signals, including the unequivocal "yoo hoo!" call. Like most producers of the 20s and 30s trying to get a toe hold on the barely lucrative animated short subject business, Fleischer and his staff invented or licensed dozens of characters - but none had the 'special' appeal of "sweet Betty."Ī parody of a late '20s flapper, Betty Boop is a pneumatic cutie in an abbreviated costume that accentuates little round breasts (yes! in a cartoon character) and a racy garter on one thigh. The risqué darling of the Depression years, Betty Boop was sensationally popular, almost as popular as Dave and Max Fleischer's Popeye. Made of pen and ink! She can win you with a wink! Betty Boop: The Essential Collection Volume 1
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