Betty Boop

by Meghan D. and Ranelle M.

Who:
Betty Boop was a famous cartoon character created in the 1920s by Grim Natwick. In an interview, Fleischer Studios said that Betty was only 16 in her films. Betty Boop wore short dresses, high heels, fake lashes, and a garter belt. She would also always show cleavage, and on screen they made her with a bit larger head to make her look younger but still like a flapper. When Betty Boop started her cartoons in no color or sound, the cartoons were quite popular. When she started in color, Fleischer said that the cartoon went slightly down in popularity. When sound came into play, she was first voiced by Margie Hines, but was soon joined by many other voice actresses. The most memorable was Mae Questal, who continued voicing this character until she died and was replaced with Tress MacNeille and Tara Strong.

What:
Betty Boop symbolized the flappers in the Roaring Twenties era. One of the reasons she was so popular was because she reminded people of the more carefree times before the Great Depression. She was also very popular because of her sexual appeal and is still popular now because of this. Because of her sexual contact and referral, her shows were mainly meant for adult audiences.

When:
Betty Boops first appearance was on August 9, 1930 in a cartoon called Dizzy Dishes, then carried on to Mini Moocher, her first film. In it she runs away from her parents with her boyfriend ‘Bimbo,’ and then they get trapped in a haunted cave. While trapped in the ghostly cave, a ghost named Walrus sings the famous song Mini Moocher and scares Betty back to the safety of her home. Also in 1930, she was named the ``Queen of Animated Screen` and her shows were popular all the way through the 1930s. Her appeal was slightly toned down in the mid-thirties. In 1933, Betty Boop’s sexual content in her films was restricted because of the film laws of the National Legion of Decency.

Where:
Betty Boop was first started and created by Grim Natwick in New York City. After that, she soon started her T.V. series which she also did in New York City, produced by Fleischer Studios.

Why:
Betty Boop represented the better times before the dirty thirties. People in the thiries were going through rough times and looked to Betty for a pick up. Grim Natwick created Betty Boop to earn money, and he needed to earn enough money to start his carrier as an illustrator. So when he started with Fleischer’s, he created Betty Boop to gain publicity.

How:
Betty Boop was first drawn in pen and ink by Grim Natwick, and produced by Fleischers Studios. Knowing that Betty Boop started in pen and ink ties in with one of her famous sayings: “Made of pen and ink, she will wink you with a wink.”

References:
http://raenae54.tripod.com/index-2.html.com
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Betty_Boop