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Floyd R. Turbo

(29,715 posts)
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 08:59 AM Dec 22

Believe It Or Don't: Before she was Aunt Bethany she was Betty Boop, Olive Oyl, and Minnie Mouse.

Mae gave the world the sound and personalities behind Betty Boop, Olive Oil, and Minnie Mouse. Her career began at the age of 17 when she won a talent contest at the RKO Fordham Theatre in the Bronx. Her imitation of singer Helen Kane was so impressive Questel was signed by an agent and began performing as an impersonator in Vaudville.

https://vocal.media/geeks/mae-questel-the-voice-of-betty-boop-olive-oil-and-minnie-mouse

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Believe It Or Don't: Before she was Aunt Bethany she was Betty Boop, Olive Oyl, and Minnie Mouse. (Original Post) Floyd R. Turbo Dec 22 OP
I've been putting Helen Kane songs on my mix CDs for years. JohnnyRingo Dec 22 #1
Cool! Floyd R. Turbo Dec 22 #3
Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios over Betty Boop cyclonefence Dec 22 #2
$250,000 in 1932 is worth $5,252,500 today JoseBalow Dec 22 #4
That's especially sad because I think she was doing session work. JohnnyRingo Dec 22 #5

JohnnyRingo

(19,694 posts)
1. I've been putting Helen Kane songs on my mix CDs for years.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 09:07 AM
Dec 22

They add a quirky finish.
I didn't know she voiced those other characters;

On edit:
After reading the linked article, I see now this isn't about Helen Kane herself, but an impersonator..
Still, it reminded me how much I love to hear it.

This is a favorite, and certainly one of her most Boopish hits:

cyclonefence

(4,967 posts)
2. Helen Kane sued Fleischer Studios over Betty Boop
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 10:29 AM
Dec 22

(voiced by Mae Questal) and lost:

Helen Kane lost her $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit against the creators of Betty Boop in court because she couldn't prove that her singing style, mannerisms and look was unique. Most flappers of the 1920s and 1930s, most notably Clara Bow, looked similar to Kane, she also was unable to prove that she originated the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" scat singing, including the baby-talk singing style. In court it came out that a galaxy of singers had used "scat rhythm" before she did, and that the "baby-talk" singing style was a common method of singing, and that the "baby-talk" method of singing had been used since the early 1900s. In court it was proven that Helen Kane was not original, and that she had adapted her "scat singing" from other performers and or other performers had preceded her in that style.[1] Edward J. McGoldrick ruled in favor of the Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures after reviewing the evidence that was given in court. After losing the lawsuit, Kane appealed her case and continued to pursue the Betty Boop character, and was later told by another Judge, that being Judge Carew, that back then a voice, specially a voice that was not her own could not be copyrighted. You can also check out a scat-singing timeline here.
https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/How_Did_Helen_Kane_Lose_Her_$250,000_Lawsuit%3F

JohnnyRingo

(19,694 posts)
5. That's especially sad because I think she was doing session work.
Sun Dec 22, 2024, 04:32 PM
Dec 22

Because of that, she probably wasn't paid as much as her peers like Rudy Vallee and movie stars like Clara Bow. The studio owned her and that might be why she couldn't afford to fight them.

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