![]() ![]() Anything that can morph into a form that can tickle, molest or simply ogle Betty will do so - pulling up her skirt is the usual thing to do. Betty, Bimbo and Koko the Clown become chess pieces in one cartoon. Inanimate objects come to life or imitate animals for no reason at all, as when a boat anchor momentarily becomes a "dog" to dry itself off. Surreal and Bizarre are good descriptors for the goings-on Warners' "Wackyland" cartoons are tame by comparison. Some of the cartoons have a central situation but no linear story, just a framework on which to hang a series of gags. Most setups use the Fleischer "Toontown" style perfectly recaptured in 1988's Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, in which main characters, background extras, inanimate objects and even background features "bop" with the beat of the music - usually a jazz band flat four rhythm. What are the cartoons like? They're insane. All of the cartoons have lively jazz soundtracks, some of them featuring tunes and vocals by Cab Calloway. The cartoon dog Bimbo is Betty's constant companion in the early cartoons, many of which mixed and matched our girl with other Fleischer characters. Two years of talkie cartoons are not accounted for in this collection many of them may be in the Public Domain. Olive's Betty Boop: The Essential Collection Volume 1 begins in 1932, a couple of years after Betty became a 'solo' star. ![]() Boop is awfully close to the stage and screen persona used by comedienne Helen Kane, whose signature was the Boop-boop-a-doop! phrase. By 1930 or so she decided to be just plain human. Moreau might approve of - Betty started out as a humanoid French Poodle, with doggy ears no less. 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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