Bud Counihan created Betty Boop, and for its time it was considered risque. Betty Boop got her figure based on Mae West. In the early days your would see her at the movies in a short cartoon.
2. The Beginning
This animated star began her career as a dog. She was
created as a feminine canine foil to play opposite Bimbo, the
dog who had been the Fleischer Studios’ answer to Mickey
Mouse.
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3. How her style was created.
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 cartoon
“Talkartoons” for Paramount.
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4. Betty’s debut
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’s were introduced. Betty finally
came into her own with "Betty Co-Ed" when she shed
her dog identity and the long ears became earrings.
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5. Betty was red hot in her time
Many movie stars appeared in Betty Boop cartoons. They
were Maurice Chevalier, Rudy Vallee, Ethel Merman,
Louis Armstrong and Cab Calloway.
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6. The Betty Boop Appeal
She was hypnotic not just on Bimbo, but on just about
everyone and everything. Betty was always managing
to fend off her numerous suitors with ever quite seeming
to understand their behavior.
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7. Betty was banned in Philadelphia
Her innocent sexuality attracted passionate fans, but she
also had enemies among moralists who felt she was a
little too risque.
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8. Betty was popular
There were more than one hundred Betty Boop cartoons
produced including ninety in the official Betty Boop series.
Betty Boop has been made into toys and dolls since 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
re- discovered the wit, the music and the charm of Betty Boop.
Google Search Engine alone has nearly 9 million website for
the innocent sexy Betty Boop..
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