Besides Walt Disney, the Fleischer brothers, Max and Dave, were one of the main producers of animated cartoons in the early 1930s. Much of their success could be attributed to a flapper gal who began her career as a cross between a dog and a female singer. Her name: Betty Boop.
Betty's debut was in August 1930's "Dizzy Dishes" where she's singing a brief song that includes her soon-to-be famous catchphrase 'Boop-Oop-a-doop.' Her birth in film was just an afterthought. "Dizzy Dishes" main character was Bimbo the Pup. Betty doesn't appear until around the six minute mark, while Bimbo, whose name was derived from the term at that time to mean men who like to fight, was seen right from the beginning. "Dizzy Dishes" was part of a 42-cartoon series, labeled 'Talkartoons' that augmented Fleischer Studio's earlier "Screen Songs" series. Those musical animations morphed from the even earlier 'Ko-Ko the Clown" cartoons, who emerged from the 1918 'Out of the Inkwell" series. Ko-Ko later was featured in the follow-the-bouncing-ball films with songs featuring the clown, one of cartoon's first short films with a sound track. Bimbo the Pup was born in that string of cartoons because the Fleischers felt their clown needed a pet.
The Fleischers turned to Bimbo to headline their new Talkartoons. The dog's first lead role was in March 1930's 'Hot Dog.' In Bimbo's seventh featured cartoon, "Dizzy Dishes," Bimbo plays a stressed waiter who can't please anyone in a busy restaurant. While he's serving a table with food, he spots cabaret singer Betty on the stage. She appears as a human, but with a button dog nose, long puppy ears and Cocker Spaniel-like eyes. Betty was drawn to appeal to Bimbo. It was over a year, in January 1932's "Any Rags," before Betty dropped the dog ears, turning them into human with large earrings while she became more feminized.
Max told his animators to pattern the flapper dog Betty after actress singer Helen Kane. The likeness to the movie star was so obvious that Kane sued the Fleischers in 1932 in a $250,000 infringement lawsuit. The actress' case was based on her singing style and her "Boop-Oop-a-doop" signature phrase. The Fleischers refuted Kane's claims by pointing to Harlem singer Esther Jones, a.k.a. Baby Esther, who originated Betty Boop's trademark stanza. Turns out Kane had adopted Jones' singing style and claimed it was her own. The judge agreed with the cartoon studio's contention that Betty Boop was a combination of several singing artists.
Betty's debut was in August 1930's "Dizzy Dishes" where she's singing a brief song that includes her soon-to-be famous catchphrase 'Boop-Oop-a-doop.' Her birth in film was just an afterthought. "Dizzy Dishes" main character was Bimbo the Pup. Betty doesn't appear until around the six minute mark, while Bimbo, whose name was derived from the term at that time to mean men who like to fight, was seen right from the beginning. "Dizzy Dishes" was part of a 42-cartoon series, labeled 'Talkartoons' that augmented Fleischer Studio's earlier "Screen Songs" series. Those musical animations morphed from the even earlier 'Ko-Ko the Clown" cartoons, who emerged from the 1918 'Out of the Inkwell" series. Ko-Ko later was featured in the follow-the-bouncing-ball films with songs featuring the clown, one of cartoon's first short films with a sound track. Bimbo the Pup was born in that string of cartoons because the Fleischers felt their clown needed a pet.
The Fleischers turned to Bimbo to headline their new Talkartoons. The dog's first lead role was in March 1930's 'Hot Dog.' In Bimbo's seventh featured cartoon, "Dizzy Dishes," Bimbo plays a stressed waiter who can't please anyone in a busy restaurant. While he's serving a table with food, he spots cabaret singer Betty on the stage. She appears as a human, but with a button dog nose, long puppy ears and Cocker Spaniel-like eyes. Betty was drawn to appeal to Bimbo. It was over a year, in January 1932's "Any Rags," before Betty dropped the dog ears, turning them into human with large earrings while she became more feminized.
Max told his animators to pattern the flapper dog Betty after actress singer Helen Kane. The likeness to the movie star was so obvious that Kane sued the Fleischers in 1932 in a $250,000 infringement lawsuit. The actress' case was based on her singing style and her "Boop-Oop-a-doop" signature phrase. The Fleischers refuted Kane's claims by pointing to Harlem singer Esther Jones, a.k.a. Baby Esther, who originated Betty Boop's trademark stanza. Turns out Kane had adopted Jones' singing style and claimed it was her own. The judge agreed with the cartoon studio's contention that Betty Boop was a combination of several singing artists.