1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:05,120 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of iHeartRadio. Hello, 2 00:00:05,480 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: and Welcome to This Day in History Class, a show 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,559 Speaker 1: that flips through the pages of history to deliver old 4 00:00:12,640 --> 00:00:17,000 Speaker 1: news in a new way. I'm Gabe Lucier, and today 5 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:20,280 Speaker 1: we're talking about the birth of Betty Boop, the world's 6 00:00:20,320 --> 00:00:24,160 Speaker 1: first female cartoon star and a trendsetter for fashion and 7 00:00:24,280 --> 00:00:34,080 Speaker 1: feminism for more than ninety years in counting. The day 8 00:00:34,400 --> 00:00:39,640 Speaker 1: was August ninth, nineteen thirty beloved cartoon character Betty Boop 9 00:00:39,840 --> 00:00:43,919 Speaker 1: made her big screen debut and the animated short Dizzy Dishes. 10 00:00:44,640 --> 00:00:47,479 Speaker 1: The black and white short film was produced by Fleischer 11 00:00:47,560 --> 00:00:51,080 Speaker 1: Studios as part of its Talk Cartoon series, and was 12 00:00:51,120 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 1: animated by Grim Natwick and Ted Sears and directed by 13 00:00:55,040 --> 00:00:59,120 Speaker 1: Dave Fleischer. Betty's role in the short was rather small, 14 00:00:59,360 --> 00:01:02,240 Speaker 1: but she managed to make a big impression anyway, both 15 00:01:02,280 --> 00:01:05,760 Speaker 1: on audiences and on the team who created her. Over 16 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:09,200 Speaker 1: the next two years, the character played supporting roles in 17 00:01:09,319 --> 00:01:13,160 Speaker 1: several other Fleischer cartoons, and then in nineteen thirty two, 18 00:01:13,480 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: she began starring in a series of her own, becoming 19 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:20,800 Speaker 1: the first female cartoon character to do so. Betty would 20 00:01:20,800 --> 00:01:23,840 Speaker 1: go on to star in more than one hundred cartoons 21 00:01:23,880 --> 00:01:27,520 Speaker 1: throughout the nineteen thirties, earning her the title of Queen 22 00:01:27,840 --> 00:01:32,600 Speaker 1: of the Animated Screen. Despite serving as Betty's big break, 23 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: the main star of Dizzy Dishes was actually a different 24 00:01:36,440 --> 00:01:41,120 Speaker 1: Fleischer character, Bimbo the Dog, the Fleischer's answer to Disney's 25 00:01:41,160 --> 00:01:45,200 Speaker 1: Mickey Mouse. The character who would become Betty Boop, only 26 00:01:45,240 --> 00:01:49,160 Speaker 1: appears for about one minute of the short six minute runtime, 27 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:52,960 Speaker 1: and she's never mentioned by name. She also looks a 28 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,760 Speaker 1: little different from the Betty Boop we're familiar with today, 29 00:01:56,080 --> 00:01:59,680 Speaker 1: as she was originally drawn as an anthropomorphic French poodle, 30 00:02:00,160 --> 00:02:03,480 Speaker 1: an upright dog person in line with Bimbo and the 31 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:07,400 Speaker 1: other characters in the short, The story of Dizzy Dishes, 32 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,760 Speaker 1: such as it is, follows Bimbo as he works as 33 00:02:10,760 --> 00:02:13,440 Speaker 1: a waiter in a jazz club, trying to appease his 34 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:17,880 Speaker 1: many demanding customers. A little over two minutes into the short, 35 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,400 Speaker 1: Bimbo gets distracted by one of the performers on stage, 36 00:02:21,680 --> 00:02:24,960 Speaker 1: a cabaret singing French poodle in a little black dress. 37 00:02:25,720 --> 00:02:28,440 Speaker 1: She may not appear as the species were used to, 38 00:02:28,760 --> 00:02:33,000 Speaker 1: but with her oversized head, short black curls, and visible garter. 39 00:02:33,440 --> 00:02:37,240 Speaker 1: Most of Betty's trademark features were already in place, and 40 00:02:37,320 --> 00:02:40,239 Speaker 1: once she starts performing, that's when you know for certain. 41 00:02:40,760 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: Her high pitched baby voice and scatlike singing are unmistakably Betty. 42 00:02:45,720 --> 00:03:03,079 Speaker 1: Take a listen the love pluck out. Bimbo was taken 43 00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:05,880 Speaker 1: in by Betty's charms from the start, and it didn't 44 00:03:05,919 --> 00:03:09,720 Speaker 1: take long for American audiences to follow suit. The character 45 00:03:09,840 --> 00:03:14,480 Speaker 1: next appeared alongside Bimbo in nineteen thirty's Mysterious Mose, and 46 00:03:14,520 --> 00:03:18,600 Speaker 1: then again in nineteen thirty one's Bimbo's Initiation, an all 47 00:03:18,639 --> 00:03:22,960 Speaker 1: time classic cartoon. By that point, Bimbo himself had been 48 00:03:22,960 --> 00:03:27,000 Speaker 1: redesigned to be shorter, rounder, and all around cuter, but 49 00:03:27,160 --> 00:03:30,560 Speaker 1: Betty was still a half dog hybrid. She wouldn't get 50 00:03:30,600 --> 00:03:33,919 Speaker 1: a makeover of her own until nineteen thirty two, when 51 00:03:33,960 --> 00:03:37,120 Speaker 1: her floppy poodle ears were changed to big hoop earrings 52 00:03:37,400 --> 00:03:40,280 Speaker 1: and her black dog nose became the button nose of 53 00:03:40,320 --> 00:03:44,480 Speaker 1: a teenage girl. With this transition, Betty Boo became the 54 00:03:44,520 --> 00:03:48,720 Speaker 1: first fully human female animated character, and from then on 55 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:52,360 Speaker 1: she wasn't a sidekick or a damsel in distress. She 56 00:03:52,520 --> 00:03:54,720 Speaker 1: was the star of the show, and even had her 57 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:59,160 Speaker 1: own theme song to prove it, Dan she can win 58 00:03:59,240 --> 00:04:08,920 Speaker 1: you with a hey cute. Max Fleischer had created the 59 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:12,440 Speaker 1: character of Betty Boop as a potential love interest for Bimbo, 60 00:04:12,720 --> 00:04:15,760 Speaker 1: and the studio stuck to that approach even after Betty 61 00:04:15,800 --> 00:04:18,400 Speaker 1: turned human and became a star in her own right. 62 00:04:19,120 --> 00:04:22,560 Speaker 1: She and Bimbo continued to be paired together for several years, 63 00:04:22,920 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 1: sometimes with Fleischer's other hit character, Coco the Clown thrown 64 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:30,200 Speaker 1: into the mix as well. These early shorts were part 65 00:04:30,240 --> 00:04:34,000 Speaker 1: of an exciting period of experimentation for the studio. They 66 00:04:34,040 --> 00:04:39,680 Speaker 1: often featured chaotic storylines, darkly twisted gags, and surreal musical sequences, 67 00:04:40,000 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: including three performed by renowned jazz singer Cab Calloway. As 68 00:04:44,839 --> 00:04:47,839 Speaker 1: time went on, though Betty's adventures grew a bit more 69 00:04:47,920 --> 00:04:52,520 Speaker 1: tame and a lot more formulaic. Her popularity also eclipsed 70 00:04:52,520 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 1: that of her co stars, and she started appearing either 71 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:59,000 Speaker 1: on her own or alongside new human characters such as 72 00:04:59,040 --> 00:05:03,880 Speaker 1: Professor Grampy. Later on, she even got her own pet dog, Pudgy, 73 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:08,719 Speaker 1: the implications of which were somewhat troubling given her previous boyfriend. 74 00:05:09,560 --> 00:05:12,560 Speaker 1: The evolution of Betty Boop was very much rooted in 75 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:15,960 Speaker 1: the fashion and music trends of the jazz age. She 76 00:05:16,080 --> 00:05:19,080 Speaker 1: was designed to look like a nineteen twenty's flapper, and 77 00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:22,640 Speaker 1: her signature baby voice and scats singing were inspired by 78 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,440 Speaker 1: several popular singers and actresses of the era. Some of 79 00:05:26,480 --> 00:05:30,240 Speaker 1: the most notable inspirations for Betty's look and sound include 80 00:05:30,279 --> 00:05:35,000 Speaker 1: black performers Baby Esther Jones, Betty Smith, and Gertrude Saunders, 81 00:05:35,320 --> 00:05:38,960 Speaker 1: as well as white performers Helen Kin, Clara Bow, and 82 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:43,320 Speaker 1: ethel Merman. By nineteen thirty two, Betty had become such 83 00:05:43,320 --> 00:05:47,159 Speaker 1: a big star that singer Helen Kine actually sued Fleischer 84 00:05:47,240 --> 00:05:51,080 Speaker 1: Studios and Paramount Pictures, claiming the character was a quote 85 00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:55,880 Speaker 1: deliberate caricature of her own act. In the late nineteen twenties, 86 00:05:56,080 --> 00:05:58,640 Speaker 1: Cain had made a name for herself in jazz clubs 87 00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:02,200 Speaker 1: as the boopoo oop adope Girl, but by the nineteen 88 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:05,760 Speaker 1: thirties her career was in decline, a fact she blamed 89 00:06:05,800 --> 00:06:10,240 Speaker 1: on unfair competition from Betty Boop. Cain was seeking two 90 00:06:10,360 --> 00:06:14,159 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty thousand dollars in damages, the equivalent of 91 00:06:14,240 --> 00:06:17,960 Speaker 1: more than five point five million today, and while her 92 00:06:18,040 --> 00:06:20,680 Speaker 1: case did make it the trial in nineteen thirty four, 93 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:24,599 Speaker 1: she ultimately lost after the defense proved that Cain had 94 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,239 Speaker 1: stolen her own act from Baby Esther Jones, a black 95 00:06:28,279 --> 00:06:31,719 Speaker 1: performer known for her jazz scat singing and for creating 96 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:35,280 Speaker 1: the phrase boop boop a dooop. Once recordings of Esther 97 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,760 Speaker 1: were played in court, the judge sided with Fleischer Studios, 98 00:06:39,040 --> 00:06:42,440 Speaker 1: ruling that none of Betty Boop's characteristics were unique enough 99 00:06:42,440 --> 00:06:46,520 Speaker 1: to her to be claimed as intellectual property. Although her 100 00:06:46,560 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: appearance changed over time, the sound of Betty Boop has 101 00:06:50,000 --> 00:06:53,160 Speaker 1: stayed more or less the same throughout her career, even 102 00:06:53,200 --> 00:06:56,599 Speaker 1: though her voice was provided by several different women. The 103 00:06:56,680 --> 00:07:00,719 Speaker 1: original Betty Boop was Margie Hines, a vaudeville performer and 104 00:07:00,880 --> 00:07:04,120 Speaker 1: Helen Kine sound alike. She performed the role of Betty 105 00:07:04,200 --> 00:07:07,400 Speaker 1: in Dizzy Dishes and several other early shorts, and then 106 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,200 Speaker 1: returned to the role from nineteen thirty eight to nineteen 107 00:07:10,280 --> 00:07:14,200 Speaker 1: thirty nine. In the years in between, several other actresses 108 00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:17,800 Speaker 1: lent their voice to Betty, including Little Anne Little, but 109 00:07:17,920 --> 00:07:21,160 Speaker 1: her most famous and long running voice actress by far 110 00:07:21,680 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 1: was May Questell, who also played the part of olive 111 00:07:24,960 --> 00:07:29,640 Speaker 1: oil in Fleischer's Popeye cartoons. The early Betty Boop shorts 112 00:07:29,680 --> 00:07:32,600 Speaker 1: were aimed more at an adult audience than at kids, 113 00:07:32,920 --> 00:07:36,640 Speaker 1: with plenty of sexual innuendo and revealing outfits mixed in 114 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:40,800 Speaker 1: with the usual cartoon slapstick. Characters would often try to 115 00:07:40,840 --> 00:07:44,120 Speaker 1: sneak a peek at her undergarments, and in several shorts, 116 00:07:44,200 --> 00:07:46,640 Speaker 1: she would have to fend off male characters who were 117 00:07:46,680 --> 00:07:50,280 Speaker 1: getting a bit too hansy. Betty's role as the first 118 00:07:50,360 --> 00:07:53,800 Speaker 1: animated sex symbol is a little disturbing when you consider 119 00:07:53,880 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: she was originally meant to be just sixteen years old. 120 00:07:57,520 --> 00:08:00,760 Speaker 1: But as a celebration and parody of the flat persona, 121 00:08:01,040 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: Betty's mix of overt sexuality and girlish innocence was right 122 00:08:04,960 --> 00:08:10,040 Speaker 1: on target. Nonetheless, in nineteen thirty four, Fleischer Studios came 123 00:08:10,160 --> 00:08:14,160 Speaker 1: under heavy fire for its risky content. It was targeted 124 00:08:14,280 --> 00:08:17,320 Speaker 1: both by the National Legion of Decency and by new 125 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,200 Speaker 1: provisions of the Hayes Production Code. The restrictions imposed toned 126 00:08:22,240 --> 00:08:25,960 Speaker 1: down Betty's sexuality quite a bit. She traded in her 127 00:08:26,000 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: short skirts for full dresses and stopped shaking her hips 128 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,360 Speaker 1: and winking at the camera in the intros to her cartoons. 129 00:08:33,080 --> 00:08:36,280 Speaker 1: She also gave up the nightclub scene and began working 130 00:08:36,320 --> 00:08:39,600 Speaker 1: any number of office jobs or as a homemaker, depending 131 00:08:39,640 --> 00:08:43,200 Speaker 1: on the short. This new, more domestic take on the 132 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 1: character sapped the cartoons of much of their energy and 133 00:08:46,679 --> 00:08:50,280 Speaker 1: their mature appeal, but Betty's big heart and take charge 134 00:08:50,280 --> 00:08:53,000 Speaker 1: attitude still kept her in the limelight for the next 135 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:57,240 Speaker 1: few years. The final Betty Boop cartoon was released in 136 00:08:57,360 --> 00:09:00,679 Speaker 1: nineteen thirty nine, but the character make make a comeback 137 00:09:00,720 --> 00:09:03,640 Speaker 1: in the mid nineteen fifties, when her original series of 138 00:09:03,679 --> 00:09:08,160 Speaker 1: shorts was syndicated for television. The advent of color TV 139 00:09:08,400 --> 00:09:11,840 Speaker 1: a few years later sent her popularity waning once again, 140 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:15,199 Speaker 1: but by the late sixties and early seventies she found 141 00:09:15,360 --> 00:09:18,920 Speaker 1: new life as a symbol of the counterculture movement. Then, 142 00:09:19,200 --> 00:09:22,840 Speaker 1: in the nineteen eighties, companies realized they could capitalize on 143 00:09:22,920 --> 00:09:26,400 Speaker 1: Betty's enduring appeal by putting her face on every kind 144 00:09:26,440 --> 00:09:31,440 Speaker 1: of merchandise imaginable. That trend continues to this day, to 145 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,679 Speaker 1: the point that many people who own Betty branded merchandise 146 00:09:34,920 --> 00:09:38,960 Speaker 1: have never actually seen any of her cartoons, which begs 147 00:09:39,000 --> 00:09:42,640 Speaker 1: the question if the source material has fallen by the wayside. 148 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:46,280 Speaker 1: Why is Betty still such a pervasive fixture of American 149 00:09:46,320 --> 00:09:50,839 Speaker 1: pop culture. The answer, besides her iconic design, may be 150 00:09:51,000 --> 00:09:54,120 Speaker 1: the sense of empowerment she represents as the world's first 151 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:59,080 Speaker 1: leading lady of cartoons. Fleischer Studio CEO Mark Fleischer, the 152 00:09:59,120 --> 00:10:02,720 Speaker 1: grandson of Men, hit upon that connection during an interview 153 00:10:02,760 --> 00:10:07,080 Speaker 1: with Animation Magazine when describing the secret to Betty's longevity. 154 00:10:07,240 --> 00:10:10,680 Speaker 1: He said, quote, one of the most important dynamics that 155 00:10:10,720 --> 00:10:14,360 Speaker 1: today's culture shares with the pre depression Flapper era is 156 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:18,079 Speaker 1: that they are both cultures that were or are emerging 157 00:10:18,120 --> 00:10:22,120 Speaker 1: from repression, especially for women. I think that this through 158 00:10:22,200 --> 00:10:24,760 Speaker 1: line is one of the main reasons that Betty Boop 159 00:10:25,000 --> 00:10:29,120 Speaker 1: continues to resonate through the epochs despite the constant changes 160 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:34,320 Speaker 1: around her. Betty's biggest return to animation thus far was 161 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:37,800 Speaker 1: her cameo in nineteen eighty eight's Who Framed Roger Rabbit, 162 00:10:38,120 --> 00:10:42,080 Speaker 1: where May Questell, then in her late seventies, reprised her 163 00:10:42,160 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 1: role for the film Down on Her Luck. Since cartoons 164 00:10:45,640 --> 00:10:48,240 Speaker 1: went to color, Betty is reduced to working as a 165 00:10:48,280 --> 00:10:52,960 Speaker 1: waitress at the inc and Paint Club speakeasy in Los Angeles. There, 166 00:10:53,040 --> 00:10:57,040 Speaker 1: she crosses paths with tune hating detective Eddie Valiant played 167 00:10:57,040 --> 00:11:00,000 Speaker 1: by Bob Hoskins, but even he can't help but show 168 00:11:00,160 --> 00:11:06,320 Speaker 1: respect for the Queen of cartoons. Hebby bagant Benny long 169 00:11:06,480 --> 00:11:12,160 Speaker 1: term out see what's been kind of slow since cartoons 170 00:11:12,240 --> 00:11:15,000 Speaker 1: went to call it? But I still get it? Ready, 171 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:24,760 Speaker 1: boo boo? Yeah, you still got it. It's an unexpectedly 172 00:11:24,880 --> 00:11:29,079 Speaker 1: poignant exchange and a fitting curtain call for now for 173 00:11:29,320 --> 00:11:35,760 Speaker 1: our sweet Bet. I'm Gabe Lucier and hopefully you now 174 00:11:35,840 --> 00:11:39,479 Speaker 1: know a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 175 00:11:40,320 --> 00:11:43,160 Speaker 1: You can learn even more about history by following us 176 00:11:43,240 --> 00:11:48,800 Speaker 1: on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram at TDI HC Show, and 177 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,080 Speaker 1: if you have any feedback you'd like to share, you 178 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:53,480 Speaker 1: can always send it my way by writing to This 179 00:11:53,679 --> 00:11:58,000 Speaker 1: Day at iHeartMedia dot com. Thanks to Chandler Mays for 180 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:00,880 Speaker 1: producing the show, and thank you for listening. I'll see 181 00:12:00,920 --> 00:12:05,000 Speaker 1: you back here again tomorrow for another day in History class.