3 Unknown Facts About The Real Betty Boop

3 Unknown Facts About The Real Betty Boop

1. Famous In The 1920's

Baby Esther was a popular entertainer at Harlem's Cotton Club in the late 1920's. Baby Esther interpolated words such as Boo-Boo-Boo, Wha-Da-Da & Doo-Doo-Doo & Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da in songs at a cabaret.

2. Helen Kane Stole Baby Esther's Style

Helen Kane saw Baby's act somewhere between 1925-1928 and had first used it in her first Victor release "That's My Weakness Now". Helen Kane then used the Boop Oop a Doop scat lyrics in the Broadway musical 'Good Boy' and had a hit with the song entitled 'I Wanna Be Loved By You' in 1928 and became famous overnight. An early test sound film was also discovered featured Baby Esther performing in this style, disproving Kane's claims to inventing the scat lyrics "Boop-Boop-a-Doop".

3. Ex-Manager Speaks Up

Baby Esther's ex-manager testified that Helen Kane had saw Baby Esther's cabaret act in 1928. Supreme Court Judge Edward J. McGoldrick ruled: "The plaintiff has failed to sustain either cause of action by proof of sufficient probative force". In his opinion, the "baby" technique of singing did not originate with Kane. Other claims asked to Kane during the trial were that a witness claimed to have heard the phrase uttered in a Edith Griffith song, another defense asked if she had heard a 1913 song called Bou Dou Ba Da Boum to which Helen had denied. Due to Baby Esther being unable to attend the trial in the defense, three voices of Betty Boop, (Margie Hines), (Mae Questel) & (Bonnie Poe) were then focused on in the second part of the trial. Helen attempted to prove that they performed their vocal shimmies in a way so similar to her that it constituted unfair competition. When Max Fleischer, invented Betty Boop he was not only imitating Helen Kane but a whole image of women in the 1920's. Helen Kane did not initiate the phraseology "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" even though she most certainly popularized it. This catchy, inane line of scat was first used by a black entertainer by the name of Baby Esther.