![]() Clara Bow is often given credit as being the inspiration for Boop, though Fleischer told his artists that he wanted a caricature of singer Helen Kane, who performed in a style shared by many performers of the day–Kane was also the one who sued Fleischer over the signature "Boop Oop a Doop" line. Inspired by a popular performing style, but not by any one specific person, the character was originally created as an anthropomorphic French poodle. Although she was toned down in the mid-1930s as a result of the Hays Code to appear more demure, she became one of the world's best-known and most popular cartoon characters.īetty Boop made her first appearance in the cartoon Dizzy Dishes, released on August 9, 1930, the seventh installment in Fleischer's Talkartoon series. She has also been featured in comic strips and mass merchandising.Ī caricature of a Jazz Age flapper, Betty Boop was described in a 1934 court case as "combin in appearance the childish with the sophisticated-a large round baby face with big eyes and a nose like a button, framed in a somewhat careful coiffure, with a very small body of which perhaps the leading characteristic is the most self-confident little bust imaginable". She was featured in 90 theatrical cartoons between 19. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. Human (although a dog in her first appearance)īetty Boop is an animated cartoon character created by Max Fleischer, with help from animators including Grim Natwick. Cindy Robinson (1991–present, official commercials).She is, however, mentioned in many documentaries and books about the Harlem Renaissance, and her legendary way of singing does live on in the iconic Betty Boop character. ![]() During her entire career, she was mostly only known locally in the New York City area, and she reportedly died at a very young age. In fact, she never even really achieved mainstream success. Meanwhile, the very woman who inspired the character, Baby Esther, was never compensated in any way. It's estimated that the Betty Boop franchise generated millions of dollars in revenue from televison networks and sales of merchandise. ![]() But soon after, she was transformed into a white woman and remained so until her character was finally retired. She appeared in at least one animated scene in the popular Popeye The Sailor Man series. ![]() Initially, Betty Boop was shown in cartoons as an African American woman. That very same style was heavily imitated by the Betty Boop animated character. Her stage name was "Baby Esther", but unfortunately, when her character become the first and most famous sex symbol in animation she was whitewashed with most people having no idea where the original inspiration came from.īaby Esther had a popular cabaret act at the infamous Cotton Club in Harlem, New York where she sang with a unique vocal style that featured “boop-boop-a-doops” and other similar scat sounds. PBS has confirmed that Betty Boop, the popular cartoon character introduced to the world by cartoonist Max Fleischer in 1930, was actually inspired by a real-life African American jazz singer and entertainer from Harlem named Esther Jones.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |