# Boop-Boop-a-WHO? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 24, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531 "2004-12-24T23:26:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 24, 2004, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/1 "2004-12-24T23:26:41Z")
According the IMDB, [Mae Questel](http://imdb.com/name/nm0703362/?fr=c2l0ZT1kZnxteD0yMHxzZz0xfGxtPTIwMHxwbj0wfHE9TWFlIFF1ZXN0ZWx8aHRtbD0xfG5tPW9u;fc=1;ft=5) did the voice for all the Betty Boop cartoons. But according to [this site](http://shalabootz-design.net/Betty-Boop-Fun-Site.html), “The voice of Betty Boop was done by several women, including Annabel Little (“Little Ann Little”) Margie Heinz, Kate Wright and Bonnie Poe, but Little Ann Little and Mae Questel were the most important. Little Ann Little did the voice first and then went on the road with a Betty Boop act.” This is more in accord to what I’ve read elsewhere, including a 1980s record album I have with original Boop-a-Doop Girl Helen Kane and several imitators, including Questel and Bonnie Poe. Any Betty Boop experts here? Who _did_ the voices for the various cartoons, since IMDB is obviously wrong? ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/2 "2004-12-25T00:45:41Z")
. . . like _I_ have anything else to do on Xmas Eve, before _Christmas in Connecticut_ comes on . . . It’s from 1985, and the liner notes (by Jim Bedoian) say, " . . . several persons gave voice to Betty Boop, including Margie Heintz, Kate Wright, Bonnie Poe, and Ann Rothchild. The most prominent, by far, was Mae Questel, who became known as The Betty Boop Girl. Questel assumed the voice in the early Thirties (to replace Ann Rothchild, who went on the road with a Betty Boop act) and remained with the series till it ended in 1939." So, I don’t know where the Misses Heintz, Wright and Poe come in, but according to this, IMBD credits Mae Questel for any number of Betty Boop cartoons that were actually voiced by Ann Rothchild. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/3 "2004-12-25T04:49:29Z")
Relevant, yet no help at all [Toot Braunstein](http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/drawntogether/bios.jhtml?b=7) ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/4 "2004-12-25T16:24:42Z")
Don’t we have a Doper who’s a regular contributor to the IMDB? Can we get some input from him or her on how Mae Questel got credited with all the other Boop-a-Doopers’ work, and how that can be amended? ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/5 "2004-12-25T17:16:13Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Don’t we have a Doper who’s a regular contributor to the IMDB? Can we get some input from him or her on how Mae Questel got credited with all the other Boop-a-Doopers’ work, and how that can be amended? **Eve** … I don’t have any insight into this, but I’ve e-mailed someone who might; Jerry Beck who is a well known and respected cartoon historian and runs the [Cartoon Research](http://www.cartoonresearch.com/) website. Hopefully he can come up with an answer for us. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/6 "2004-12-25T17:28:04Z")
Oooh, luvely, thanks. I might someday want to do a book on Helen Kane and Betty Boop, and would like to touch base with him. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 5:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/7 "2004-12-25T17:55:57Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Relevant, yet no help at all > > [Toot Braunstein](http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/drawntogether/bios.jhtml?b=7) “Sometimes I cut myself to relieve the pain! Tee-hee-hee-toot!” ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/8 "2004-12-25T19:14:29Z")
> [@DocCathode](#): > > Relevant, yet no help at all > > [Toot Braunstein](http://www.comedycentral.com/tv_shows/drawntogether/bios.jhtml?b=7) Well, at least IMDB credits [Tara Strong](http://imdb.com/name/nm0152839/) with _her_ voice–I was expecting the late Miss Questel to be listed. ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/9 "2004-12-25T21:33:54Z")
Heard back from Mr. beck, who saith : "For a variety of reasons I cannot go into a breakdown of who diid Betty Boop’s voice on a picture by picture basis (I probably could do it, but I just don’t have the time and there isn’t an existent list of such information). In a nutshell, most of your respondent’s have correct information. Margie Hines is noted for doing the last several Betty Boop cartoons which were produced in Miami (roughly1938-39 releases). Ann Rothschild (aka “Little Ann Little”) supposedly did the voice in her first dog-like appearence DIZZY DISHES (1930). I’m not sure of Mae’s first appearence as Betty, but it was early on. " Hope that helps. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/10 "2004-12-25T21:38:07Z")
> [@Eutychus](#): > > "For a variety of reasons I cannot go into a breakdown of who diid Betty Boop’s voice on a picture by picture basis (I probably could do it, but I just don’t have the time and there isn’t an existent list of such information). Well, I get the feeling that if I ever do a book on Helen Kane and Betty Boop, it wouldn’t be worth my while to ask _him_ for help. Maybe he could point me to some sources where I could do my own reseach, though. (Is it just me, or does he sound like we kiddies interrupted his Christmas dinner and he’s not too happy about it?) ---
**Author:** ![Eutychus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Eutychus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eutychus)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/11 "2004-12-25T21:43:07Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Well, I get the feeling that if I ever do a book on Helen Kane and Betty Boop, it wouldn’t be worth my while to ask _him_ for help. Maybe he could point me to some sources where I could do my own reseach, though. > > (Is it just me, or does he sound like we kiddies interrupted his Christmas dinner and he’s not too happy about it?) I’m sure he could. And don’t write him off as someone you shouldn’t talk to. He knows a hell of a lot, wrote pretty much the standard reference on Warner Brothers cartoons and I’m know he gets a ton of questions and just doesn’t have the time to dedicate to as many of them as I’m sure he’d like to. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/12 "2004-12-25T21:44:31Z")
I know there was a documentary on Max Fleischer that addressed this. I just can’t remember the name. It had Leonard Maltin, revealed that Fleischer introduced the ‘follow the bouncing ball’ song, and that a work of Fleischer’s and not Disney’s Steamboat Willy was the first cartoon with sound. IIRC It also included a bit from a newsreel in which an actress suing Fleischer for basing Boop on her lost, and Fleischer displayed several actresses who had done the voice in various cartoons. I’ve been searching the IMDB, haven’t found it. ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/13 "2004-12-25T21:55:49Z")
[Betty Boop History](http://www.katyberry.com/BettyBoop/history.html) > [@](#): > > Betty’s Voice > Among those who provided Betty’s voice were Margie Hines, Kate Wright, Bonnie Poe, Mae Questel and Annabel Little. Ann was the first to be chosen, and made a few cartoons before taking Betty on the road in a vaudeville act. Mae Questel was in her teens when she won a Helen Kane look alike contest, and was hired by Paramount, who had Kane’s contract, to appear in the RKO chain of theaters for publicity. In 1931, Max Fleischer saw Mae and invited her to do Betty’s voice, which she did until the series ended in 1939. Many other star voices appeared in Betty cartoons, among them Rudy Vallee (Rudy Valee Memories), Louis Armstrong (“I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead, You Rascal You”) and Cab Calloway (“Minnie The Moocher”, “Snow White” and “Old Man of the Mountain”) ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/14 "2004-12-25T22:09:18Z")
:smack: The plaintiff in that newsreel would be Helen Kane. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/15 "2004-12-25T22:37:49Z")
Amazingly enough, she lost the lawsuit, even though it’s obvious to all but the deaf and blind that Betty Boop was a caricature (visually and vocally) of Helen Kane. Not that she _should_ have been awarded damages, but the judge ruled that there was no evidence that Betty Bop had been based on her!! Oh, well, that’s one or two books in the future, I got time. ---
**Author:** ![Eve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/16 "2004-12-25T22:45:31Z")
[Here](http://hillbillykitten.tripod.com/photofile.html) are some photos of Helen Kane, by the way, for those of you who doubt her Boop-worthiness. ---
**Author:** ![DocCathode](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doccathode/32/18773_2.png) [@DocCathode](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DocCathode)\ **Post date:** [December 25, 2004, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/17 "2004-12-25T22:45:49Z")
The verdict I remember. It’s up there with Vampira losing her suit against Elvira. ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/18 "2004-12-26T01:09:43Z")
> [@Eve](#): > > Amazingly enough, she lost the lawsuit, even though it’s obvious to all but the deaf and blind that Betty Boop was a caricature (visually and vocally) of Helen Kane. Not that she should have been awarded damages, but the judge ruled that there was no evidence that Betty Bop had been based on her!! IIRC, the ruling was based on evidence that “boop-oop-a-doop” didn’t start with Helen Kane. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2004, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/19 "2004-12-26T23:28:41Z")
Unhelpful, perhaps, but Mae was the only “original” voice in Who Framed Roger Rabbit of any of the older cartoon characters, or so I hear. And she appears in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation, where her voice is easily recognizable as Betty’s. I got nothin else. ---
**Author:** ![mobo85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b19c9b/32.png) [@mobo85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mobo85)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2004, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531/20 "2004-12-27T01:19:33Z")
> [@CandidGamera](#): > > Unhelpful, perhaps, but Mae was the only “original” voice in Who Framed Roger Rabbit of any of the older cartoon characters, or so I hear. Nope- Mel Blanc was in the cast as well. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/boop-boop-a-who/281531.md?page=2)