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BETTY BOOP Wiki is a collaborative website about the Queen of Cartoons Betty Boop who made her debut as a anthropomorphic French poodle in the 1930 Talkartoon entitled Dizzy Dishes. --Boopoopadoop (talk) 14:17, October 2, 2012 (UTC) Please refer to the Rules of the site before uploading. Check out the FAQ to help you get started! Wikia font not (h

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Baby Esther Jones Chicago born African-American entertainer Esther Jones a miniature Josephine Baker à la Florence Mills, also known as Lil' Esther and Little Esther. Jones was active from 1923-1934. Esther Jones started her career as a Charleston dancer, and became a trained dancer, who could also tap dance who was an acrobat who did acrobatics, she also sung the blues and jazz songs. In 1928 while performing on stage, Esther Jones inspired Helen Kane the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" lady to scat sing in her acts, which made the chubby Kane a sensation overnight. Esther was sort of like the black Shirley Temple but was only a rage in Europe and South America. She was known in America and made a hit in Canada but it was outside the United States where she was best known. Esther left America in 1929 and returned in 1933. She was active on the vaudeville circuits in 1934, but retired not too long after. Esther was also actively performing on the stage when the Helen Kane lawsuit was taking place under the name Little Esther the Sepia Dancing Doll and prior to that had been performing with Cab Calloway and his Orchestra. In Esther's act she would dance, make funny faces and interpolated words such as "Boo-Boo-Boo," "Wha-Da-Da," "Doo-DooDoo" & "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would 몭nish off her routine with a "De-Do."

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BABY ESTHER JONES

Baby Esther Jones Sources:

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All research on the real ‘Esther Jones” was conducted by this blog in conjunction with the BB Wikia by BM and released as of late 2018 and further and more into detail as of early 2019.

Most biased self-proclaimed historians have often tried to cover up Esther’s contributions by saying there is no proof that Esther in몭uenced Helen Kane’s “baby-talk” singing style. But the case had nothing to do with that, it was actually the “scat-singing” style not the baby-talk that Kane copied from AfricanAmerican singers, the main being Esther Jones.

Helen Kane was the actual model for Betty Boop as admitted by Grim Natwick.

Two to three years research shared worldwide and the story is viral, had I not bothered elaborate on the story, there would be no legit story today. The real ‘Esther Jones’ story came to light from my personal research. Thanks to everyone who cited this blog. I am happy to have helped you with your research. This blog here is the original source. This is where all of the research originated.

While Helen Kane “indirectly” coined Esther Jones’ “scat-singing” technique. Kane didn’t actually use any of Esther’s interpolations. In Kane’s act, she seems to have changed the words making them not Esther’s.

Esther Jones did not comment on the Fleischer and Kane lawsuit, even when cited in newspapers or associate herself with the plump Helen Kane. The Fleischer Studios used footage of Jones to prove in court that Helen was not the original scat-singer, and that Jones, among several other singers had “scat-sang” before Kane.

The Fleischers also used vast evidence from a ‘galaxy of performers’ that the “baby-talk” singing style had been used by other performers long before Kane began singing in that style.

Esther Lee Jones: Valid sources of Baby Esther Lee Jones aka Little Esther Lee Jones cited in books and newspapers. This website here has everything listed about Esther from 1924 to 1934. This is being referenced for anyone who wants links and real genuine sources. Fabricated sources will not be added to the list. Esther’s age range in history is inaccurate. But nevertheless she was a child performer and was most popular when she was a little girl. In history Esther Lee Jones is better known as Little Esther, but is not to be confused for Esther Mae Phillips. Esther Phillips originally was known as Little Esther Mae Jones. As you know there is a fabrication that has spread, and people have tried to hide who Esther Jones really was for years now and a lot of people are still confused to this day, basically the fabrication was used to whitewash history and to pretend that this performer in question never existed, when she really did. The truth came out and now those people who lied are all biting their tongues because they knew they were lying and thought that nobody would ever put two and two together. But now that we have all the leads, they cannot and will not hide who she really was and this is here to help anyone who want to learn more and share more about the real Esther Jones.

Who really was Esther Jones? A child prodigy! A singer, dancer and acrobat who could sing in several different languages. She was most popular in Europe and South America and that is where she is mainly referenced in history. She also

South America and that is where she is mainly referenced in history. She also toured the United States and Canada, but didn’t 몭nd much success there. What happened to Esther? Well in 1934, from July to September she was an acrobat, who often performed at black bene몭t stage shows and after that she most likely retired, as by then she would have lost her child-like appeal, which is what made her a star. Remember that old saying? “The older they get! The sweeter they ain’t” – that is what ended Esther’s career. Some child stars are unable to adapt when they get older in show business.

During the early 1900s and prior there were other “Baby” performers. The “Baby” or “Little” used before the names specify that these are child performers. Long before Baby Esther debuted, in 1909 Baby Helena Johnson was one of the 몭rst well known African-American child performers to tour Europe, in her act she would sing and dance. Baby Florence Mills would make her debut in 1900, Mills

would sing and dance. Baby Florence Mills would make her debut in 1900, Mills gained some recognition but wouldn’t 몭nd success until her later years.

Esther was also associated with Cab Calloway. Calloway is often considered to be Betty Boop’s male counterpart. Today stage star Esther Jones will always be remembered for inspiring many people.

Specially Helen Kane, Esther most de몭nitely inspired Miss Kane to “scat sing” way back in 1928. Esther’s ex-manager Louis Bolton, a white Russian-American, taught Esther Jones to scat sing in the early 1920s, because he wanted Esther

taught Esther Jones to scat sing in the early 1920s, because he wanted Esther Jones to emulate other notable African-American stars. When Helen Kane sued the Fleischer Studios and Paramount, he decided to speak out against Kane.

Bolton was a lousy, stingy businessman but he made a lot of people stars, including Gene Kelly.

In her act Esther Jones would interpolate words such as “Boo-Boo-Boo“, “WhaDa-Da“,”Doo-Doo-Doo” & “Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da,” “Boo-DidDo-Doo,” “Lo-Di-De-Do,” and would often 몭nish off her routine with a “De-Do.” Other scat sounds that Esther would use included “Roop-Woop-a-Woop,” “UdUp-Deo-Do,” “Skeet Scat,” “Bup-Bup,” “Poo-Poo-a-Doo” and Esther was even said to have used “Boop-Boop-a-Doop,” as it was very popular phrase in mid1928. However Esther Jones’ contribution to the phrase originates in her original scat interpolations that Kane had adapted when she saw Esther perform on the stage in early 1928.

The actual scat rhythm links to the 1921 all-black Broadway musical Shuf몭e Along, the same musical that featured Gertrude Saunders the female originator of scat singing. Gertrude’s early experiments with scat singing is said to have inspired other female singers.

Other notable stars who appeared in the musical from 1921-1933 included Florence Mills, who replaced Gertrude Saunders, Josephine Baker, Mae Barnes, Cab Calloway’s sister Blanche Calloway, Fredi Washington, Adelaide Hall and Eva Taylor.

Though Esther Jones interpolated “scat rhythm” into her songs before Kane, she did not lay claim to “Boop-Boop-a-Doop,” as “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” was most associated with Helen Kane and had been since 1928.

They both shared Tony Shayne, a manager and booking agent in 1928, and it was him who took Helen Kane to the Everglades Club. In Helen’s 몭rst song releases you can hear that her “Boop” routine doesn’t sound legit in “Get Out and Get Under the Moon” and “That’s My Weakness Now” proving that she took direct inspiration from Esther Jones’ performance. However Kane never publicly admitted to this.

“Boop-Boop-a-Doop” was adapted and created from direct scat interpolations, in fact Helen Kane’s “Boop” routine was not “Boop” but “Poop.” Which is why Kane never really owned “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” because her original sound was actually “Poop Poop Padoop.”

Misinterpretation from the media is what actually created “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” not Kane. Kane created “Poop Poop Padoop.” After the media got mixed up, Kane

not Kane. Kane created “Poop Poop Padoop.” After the media got mixed up, Kane decided to call herself “The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl.”

Though Esther Jones may have done a “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” routine in mid1928, it doesn’t hide the fact that she “scat sang” before Kane.

Kane started scat singing in 1928, Esther Jones began in 1925. Both their connection to Tony Shayne in 1928, proves that Kane saw Esther perform on the stage and not too long after, Kane started to experiment by putting scat sounds into her songs.

In court Helen Kane claimed she had no idea what “hot licks” / “scat singing” / “scat rhythm” was. Though everyone else in the music business did. Indicating that Helen Kane lied in court. Helen Kane also admitted that there were other “baby-singers” that had proceeded her on the stage, this is what also sealed her fate.

The Afro-American urged Esther Jones to sue Helen Kane. Esther however did not pursue Kane, she actually was not interested.

When asked about the Helen Kane lawsuit, Gertrude Saunders told a newspaper in late 1934 that she was the original.

Gertrude Saunders said that she was 몭gured prominently at the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit of Helen Kane and Betty Boop, who both claimed they originated the funny twist which was a radio rage. Gertrude declared that it was “she” who had created “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” long before Betty Boop and Helen Kane were known.

However Gertrude forgot to mention that she and other performers used complete different scat rhythms.

But Saunders most certainly was the original female scat singer who paved the way for others. Her early experiments with scat singing is said to have inspired other female singers, in which it did. It inspired a lot of African-American female singers.

A few African-American female singers to emulate Saunders after 1921, were Florence Mills, Eva Taylor, Esther Bigeou (she is not Esther Jones), Ethel Ridley, Ora Alexander, Nina Mae McKinney the black Clara Bow / Greta Garbo, Sally Gooding, Edith Wilson, Adelaide Hall, Mae Barnes, Baby Cox among numerous others.

According to the book Florence Mills: Harlem Jazz Queen, Mills also engaged in precisely this style of vocalizing, and was compared to various instruments. Her

precisely this style of vocalizing, and was compared to various instruments. Her sister Maude Mills, who recorded several songs can also be heard using a similar scat technique in her songs.

Florence Mills would often use a “Tooty-Tooty-Too” in her song “Baby and Me,” in a higher pitch obbligato, kind of like a 몭ute.

Those who have taken notice, will understand that Baby Esther was a Florence Mills impersonator. Thus revealing the true origins of where the lineage of “BoopBoop-a-Doop” lies, which is why Gertrude Saunders was known in AfricanAmerican newspapers up until her death as the original “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” girl because she did it 몭rst in alternative form.

One of the main reasons as to why this is often brought up is because Helen Kane tried to lay claim to being the 몭rst person to interject “scat singing” into songs.

Gertrude Saunders from North Carolina and Esther Bigeou from New Orleans were not Esther Lee Jones. As they like Esther May Jones from Texas as cited above, have often been mistaken for Baby Esther. Baby Esther Lee Jones was from Chicago.

Louis Armstrong was as innovative with scatting, however scat singing was already a well known manner of singing by African-Americans. Armstrong scat sang in 1924 on “Everybody Loves My Baby.” It has been observed that early scat singing was often performed by African-American women.

Margie Hines, the original voice of Betty Boop even admitted to knowing what “hot licks” in music was. She indicated that her “Boop” routine was actual “hot licks” and she also claimed that even though she impersonated Helen Kane, it was not Helen Kane’s “baby-voice” but her own that was used in the Betty Boop cartoons.

Helen Kane tried to lay claim to a voice that she did not own. If the Fleischers and Paramount had used her actual voice, it would have been a complete different story. The “baby-talk” and “baby-singing” style was quite common. Helen Kane did not originate either style. Esther Jones was also said to have sang in a baby voice. But it was only natural because Jones was presumed to be seven-yearsold in 1928.

Due to age fabrication it is hard to actually pinpoint Esther’s real age, as she was said to have been built very small and petite. A 1930 article from Berlin, Germany indicates that Esther was 14-years-old in 1930, if this is true, Esther Jones would have really been around 11-12 in 1928. Nevertheless Jones was still a girl, rather than that of a grown woman, in which she is often mistaken for today due to vast confusion and social media speculation.

Though the character Betty Boop being partially based on Kane, as admitted by the character’s initial creator Grim Natwick, is what made Helen Kane sue in the 몭rst place. Also the fact that people who entered her contests a few years prior, were hired to play the character. In law it is noted that parody is considered fair use and is often protected by the copyright act.

The truth about Helen Kane is that originally she herself like Esther Jones was a dancer, not a singer. Helen Kane started her career as a dancer, but Esther was doing it long before Helen was even on the scene, and Esther was younger than Kane. Once Helen Kane decided to use a “baby voice” in her act, which was originated by Irene Franklin, Kane became a star. Kane also decided to adapt “scat singing” sounds she heard in 1928 and decided to merge it with the “baby talk” singing style. It is said in history that Kane was said to have adapted Esther Jones’ scat singing techniques that she heard at the Everglades Nite Club. In court Kane was exposed as “unoriginal.” Helen tried to appeal her case many times but was denied and eventually gave up and retired from show business. Kane would later return in the 1950s as “The Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl,” Kane died in 1966. Mae Questel, the most famous voice of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl dubbed “Helen Kane’s Greatest Rival” outlived Kane and also outdid her and continued on as the “Boop-Oop-a-Doop” Betty Boop girl, up until her death in 1998.

Esther Jones based most of her act on other notable African-American stars such as Li’l Farina, which is why Esther was also known as Li’l Esther. Farina had a sister called Baby Jane, and the both of them did the Charleston in 1926, around the same time as Esther Jones. Farina was played by Allen Hoskins, and was also sometimes known as Little Farina, Esther Jones would later become Little Esther.

Esther Jones used three stage names, which were; “Lil’ Esther, Baby Esther and

Esther Jones used three stage names, which were; “Lil’ Esther, Baby Esther and Little Esther.”

Little Esther’s male counterpart Little Farina was that popular during the 1920s that music writer Harrison Godwin Smith wrote the song “Lil’ Farina, Everybody Loves You” as tribute to him. Smith often wrote and worked with composer Ben Garrison.

When Esther Jones went on to tour Europe, Harrison Godwin Smith was the 몭rst to furnish her with several of the songs he wrote, which included “The Turtle Walk,” “My Little Dixie Home” and “I Need a Man (Around My House),” songs that Jelly Roll Morton stole from Harrison Smith, and renamed. When Jelly Roll plagiarized the songs, he renamed “The Turtle Walk” to “The Turtle Twist” and often took credit for other people’s work, because while they were writing the songs they were working for him, which allowed him to take full credit for their work.

Esther Jones’ signature songs were Al Jolson’s hit songs “My Mammy” and “Sonny Boy,” in which she would sometimes sing some parts to the song, and most of the time act by sitting on the knee of the male singer in blackface opposite to her.

Above is a photo of Ernst Ragnar Rolf and Esther Jones acting out a scene from their “Sonny Boy” routine.

Other songs Esther performed on the stage and in the lost MGM Movietone short were: “Don’t Be Like That,” “Is There Anything Wrong In That?,” “Wa-Da-Da,” “That’s My Weakness Now,” “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby,” “Ich hab kein Auto, ich hab kein Rittergut!,” and “Breakaway,” which was a hit song in 1929.

Footage of Esther Jones singing or dancing are lost to time. One recorded in 1931 is said to be archived in a São Paulo archive, and the MGM short recorded in 1928 called “Little Esther” or “Baby Esther” which is said to be a nameless 몭lm short that has no name which featured Jones, was last held by the Columbia Phonograph Company.

In 1928, a year after Florence Mills’ death, Esther Jones began to impersonate her at the Everglades Club. There Esther was known as the “Young Florence Mills,” and the “Second Florence Mills.” Seven-year-old Esther is said to have been exploited by her stepfather William Jones and ex-manager Lou Bolton.

Today when people think of Esther Jones, they automatically think of Betty Boop,

but Esther really had no ties to Betty Boop or “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” whatsoever.

Esther was more like the black version of Baby Rose Marie, only more talented.

And for those who don’t know Rose Marie, Esther was more like the black Shirley Temple of her time. A 1937 Brazilian article states that Esther Jones was in a dancing troupe and she later got married to a South Carolina worker.

The Billboard (June 14, 1924) Baby Esther Jones and another youngster about 몭ve years of age are the principals in WW reports to be a “branded percenter”.

The Gazette (April 21, 1925) Baby Esther the child syncopater. Baby Esther, bye-lo-dollie. Juniors, peek-aboo, Guyla Mae, elf dance.

The Gazette (January 4, 1926) The Palace Orchestra offered an overture “The Evolution of Jazz” and Baby Esther demonstrated its dance interpretation.

Chicago Tribune (May 4, 1926)

Chicago Tribune (May 4, 1926) New jests! “L’il Esther,” Farina’s sister.

Chicago Tribune (May 6, 1926) New jests! “L’il Esther,” Farina’s sister.

Exhibitors Herald (May 8, 1926) The symphonic stuff will be dealt by Walter Davidson. With Givot on the bill are Hazel Green, Li’l Esther, Covan and Ruf몭n, and Jason and Harrigan. In the ads the picture has a somewhat bigger play than pictures at McVickers have been given for the last half year.

Exhibitors Herald (May 15, 1926) Li’l Esther, four-year-old colored girl Charleston dancer, stepping the house into a riot. Givot came back to 몭nish with her and the show closed with the crowd screaming.

The Pittsburgh Courier (May 22, 1926) Lil’ Esther, a 몭ve-year-old Charleston prodigy, was also a great sensation at the McVicker’s Theater, Chicago, last week. She was used as a closer for the bill which carried Covan and Ruf몭n.

Exhibitors Herald (June 12, 1926) Esther Jones, pickaninny Charleston expert, dancing as no one else quite does.

The Gazette (August 14, 1926) At the Palace Theatre. Harry Langdon in Comedy, “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp.” Harry Langdon is starring at the Palace next week in a seven reel comedy, “Tramp, Tramp, Tramp.” With this picture Langdon enters the class of Harold Lloyd and Charlie Chaplin as one of the leading 몭lm comedians. One of the features of the production is a hundred mile and hour cyclone. Baby Esther, will appear with the child violinist, Ronald Duquette. Prof. Agostin; with his Palace Symphony will render an overture and “Zampa” and Andy Tipaldi’s Melody Kings will play.

The Gazette (September 27, 1926) Baby Esther the child wonder.

The Gazette (September 27, 1926) Baby Esther takes a prominent part in the revue, with her singing and irresistible dance steps, while Al Edwards contributes a catchy song especially written for the occasion.

The Gazette (September 28, 1926) Baby Esther, singing and dancing, combines the poise of an adult with the charm of a child.

The Gazette (October 16, 1926) Music and dance offerings are to be particularly attractive. They include The Melody Kings, Baby Esther, and Al Edwards.

The Gazette (October 16, 1926) Al Edwards will sing snappy songs, and Baby Esther, who is a diminutive human concentration of pep, will also sing.

The Gazette (October 19, 1926) The performers include the Melody Kings, Baby Esther, Al Edwards, the 몭ve Pepper girls, Sonia Aylin, Viola Miller and Meagher and Sylvester, the eccentric dancers. The 몭lm feature, “So This Is Paris,” also enters into the spirit of celebration.

The Gazette (January 10, 1927) A short 몭lm dealing with the antics of the famous Felix caused much merriment, while the house became boisterous over a Hal Roach comedy Introducing “Our Gang,” entitled “Shivering Spooks.” Baby Esther the juvenile dancer, performed in her usual winning manner, and Roland Duquette, the boy violinist, also a favorite in the city, gave two charming numbers.

The Gazette (April 18, 1927) The Palace Symphony, under G. Agostini, plays excerpts from “The Tales of Hoffman,” with their usual skill, and Andy Tipaldi and his Melody Kings have a programme of snappy dance numbers. Baby Esther is quite delightful in a “song” and dance act.

The Gazette (June 13, 1927)

Baby Esther, Viola Miller and Sylvia Garber were the stars of the afternoon.

Baby Esther was most effective in a Russian number, while garbed in a tricky black and white costume topped with a silk hat. Viola Miller gave an exhibition of the Black Bottom that had a professional 몭nish. In addition Baby Esther offered a Black Bottom number that endeared her to the 몭apper members of the audience.

The Billboard (October 22, 1927) Fireworks for four nights were furnished by Iorlo. and the free acts offered included The Da Homas, featuring Baby Esther, Hunt’s Toney Ford, comedy supreme, Raymond and Una Mae Scheetz, in mystery acts, Little Miss Wiley, toe and acrobatic dancing.

Detroit Free Press (January 22, 1928) Li’l Esther, six-year-old pickaninny in typical “hot” numbers.

Detroit Free Press (January 23, 1928) Tyson and Van, tap dancers. Li’l Esther a diminutive pickaninny under the direction of Walter Bastlan, present an entertaining show.

The Billboard (March 31, 1928) Stage celebrities heard at Jewish guild bene몭t. Sophie Tucker, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra, B. A Rolfe and His Orchestra, Eddie Mayo and His Harmonica Boys, Jack Osterman, Vincent Lopez, Fred Vadja, Lola Menzelli, Mary Nash, W. C. Kelly, Eva LeGalliene, Leon Errol, James Wolfe, Mitzi and an ensemble from Madcap. Milt Gross, Buck Jones, Will Mahoney, Norma Terris, Alexander Carr, Weber and Fields, Pat Rooney and Pat Rooney 3d, Helen Grobus, Lester Allen, Miller and Lyles, Louis Mann, Elliot Dexter, Clayton Jackson and Durante and Little Esther, colored prodigy.

The Times-Union (April 7, 1928) A sad situation at that, these bene몭t shows. Performers wanting to do their share for charity must wait around for hours. Some never get on the stage after being invited many weeks ahead. A big name, arriving suddenly, is always pushed on before the lesser light, who may be bigger of heart. Doris Nurlinger’s mother broke into tears back stage because they manipulated Li’l Esther, Harlem’s miniature, to the fore.

Vaudeville (May 8, 1928) Sherman Activities week of May. Loew Circuit. L’il Esther and Band – State, Newark.

Daily News (June 22, 1928) For allowing Esther Jones, 7, colored, to give singing and dancing imitations of the late Florence Mills at the Everglades, a night club at 203 West 48th street, her father and manager yesterday were held in $500 bail by Magistrate Francis X. McQuade for a hearing Tuesday. The father is William Jones, 60, of 44 West 98th st., and the manager Louis Bolton, 34, of the Commodore Athletic club, 42nd st. and 9th ave.

Variety (July 4, 1928) After listening to testimony of Tomas J. Kelly, Children’s Society representative, Magistrate John V. Flood, in West Side Court, held Louis Bolton, 36, Commodore Athletic Club, and William Jones, 50, 44 West 98th street, for trial in Special Sessions on a charge of allowing a minor to give public performances without a permit.

At the same time a similar charge against William Pearlman, 47, 366, Lincoln place, Brooklyn, of the Everglades restaurant, was dismissed. Bail of $500 was 몭xed in the cases of the other two.

On the morning of June 13, Kelly went to the Everglades and he said he saw Esther Lee Jones, seven-year-old Negro child, who was announced as the sensation of Broadway and impersonator of the late Florence Mills, do several dances and sing some songs.

The manager denied that he or the child or the guardian had received any remuneration for the performance. He said he merely allowed her to dance because friends had requested him. Jones also denied receiving any salary.

Pearlman, who was brought to court because he is head of the club, proved he was not present at the time.

Vaudeville (July 11, 1928) Manager and booker of 7-year-old pleaded guilty. For permitting a seven-year-

old girl to appear publicly in a dance and song act without obtaining a permit, Louis Bolton, theatrical manager and booking agent of 1576 Broadway, and William Jones, decorator, of 44 West 98th street, were each 몭ned $100 in Special Sessions. The two pleaded guilty to the charge. Both men were arrested on the complaint of agents of the Children’s Society after the latter had witnessed Esther Jones, the minor daughter of one of the defendants, do an imitation of the late Florence Mills at the Everglades nite club, June 13. The of몭cers told the Justices that the child did her act at the club at 9pm and again about midnight.

Afro-American (July 14, 1928) Young “Flo Mills” father must face court in New York. The plea that they received no salary for the dancing of Esther Lee Jones, seven years old in the Everglades, failed to save the girl’s alleged father,William Jones and Louis Bolton, white, from being held for Special Sessions court when arraigned here Monday. The pair face charges of allowing a minor to give public performances without a permit.

Considerable interest has been aroused in the case and the child, subbed a “second Florence Mills,” is in charge of the Children’s Society. Found dancing in the club at three a.m., the two sponsors of the child were arrested. Jones, who is said not to be her father, is reported to have exploited the girl in Chicago and 몭eeing the city when an investigation was begun into his activities.

Afro-American (October 13, 1928) Little Esther, stopped the show with a song and dance act. The white press was very enthusiastic in their praise of this youngster, stating that in time she would be another Florence Mills.

Variety (October 31, 1928) Lil’ Esther, child (colored) vaudeville performer, has been signed for a talking short by Movietone. Booked through William Morris.

Variety (January 9, 1929) Harry Crull’s latest offers considerable entertainment, distinguished, however, only for the setting, a novelty in staking, and Lil’ Esther. Lil’ Esther, diminutive colored performer, only smash of the evening. She sings and dances.

The Morning Call (January 17, 1929) Little Esther, the colored kid sensation a riot wherever appearing has been secured especially for this gala week. She is a veritable hit.

The Morning Call (January 19, 1929) Little Esther, the colored kid sensation. Esther has Just turned eight years old and has already captured the plaudits of many theatergoers all over the West. This will mark her 몭rst appearance in the East and from all past performances she should be a welcome addition to the ranks of the eastern performers. Her method of singing songs and doing the newest dances in her own way.

The Herald-News (January 30, 1929) Little Esther novelty offering.

The Daily News (February 1, 1929) The other big attraction was Baby Esther, ace of all child entertainers, she’s a wonder.

The Daily News (February 1, 1929) Five other big act! George Broadhurst & Co. Little Pipifax, The Clown, Henry & Co., Li’l Esther. Silver nite tonight.

The Chat (February 2, 1929) The greatest juvenile dancers in greater New York, Baby Alice, star in this past summer of Cafe Beaux Arts, Atlantic City, with Lil’ Esther, Theresa Green, Rene Edwards, Marilyn Gardner, Baby Chariots, Clara Harrsch, Shirley Rose, Murray Sisters and numerous others.

The Gazette (February 2, 1929) Included in the programme are: “The Farmerette Scene,” evolved by Dorothy Fisher and Betty Thompson; song hits from the latest musical comedy, “New Moon,” by Marie Goyer, Dave Wiseman and Lita Moscovitch; Bertie Marcus, Doris Malles and William Slatkoff In “The Rehearsal”; ‘”Burlington Bertie,” “The Girl in the Moon and Harlequin,” “Mysterious Ottawa Tapley” and Baby Esther and Baby Viola, accompanied by Bluma Sands, in a modern version of “Soft Shoe Taps.”

Afro-American (February 15, 1929) Believe it or not folks, but this is the sum of money “Lil’ Esther” Jones of Chicago will get for theatrical dates in London, Berlin and Paris. Esther, 7 years old, sailed Wednesday accompanied by her mother and her manger Lou Bolton. She has

played many of the big picture houses and has just 몭nished a tour headlining on the Keith Circuit. Esther recently made a Movietone for M.G.M, 몭anked by a 26piece orchestra from the Capitol Theatre, New york City. Harrison Godwin Smith, of New York City, a business associate of Bolden, has furnished Esther with some great songs. “The Turtle Walk,” “My Little Dixie Home,” “I’ve Got the Blues for Dixieland,” and “Need a Man (Around My House).” Here’s hoping that Esther will be the riot abroad that she was in America.

Exhibitors Herald-World (March 2, 1929) Lou Bolton, for several years, an independent theatrical agent in Chicago, has 몭nally fallen into good luck. Lou has a protege called Li’l Esther, who is called “The Miniature Florence Mills.” The child has just 몭nished four years’ training under Bolton’s management and recently won a European engagement through her New York success. Her eccentric dancing and her inimitable singing places her in a position as the most phenomenal juvenile in the profession.

Variety (March 6, 1929) Little Esther red hot. Little Esther, who recently opened at the Empire (vaudeville), is doing exceptionally well for a red hot interpreter of the latest in jazz. She’s a little over the heads of the natives but is drawing considerable applause at each performance.

My Trip Abroad (1929) Newspaper publisher Robert Sengstacke Abbott (founder of The Chicago Defender for African-Americans) stated that he met Esther, her mother, and her then manager Mr. Garner. And that Esther had a six week engagement at the Winter Garden, Berlin’s 몭nest vaudeville house, and Esther was quite a success.

La Revue Mondiale (1929) Carlos Gardel whose voice does not have the charm of many South Americans and Spaniards. A new black star 몭ickers, Little Esther, a little girl of about eight years, delights everyone.

Sjunde Årgången (1929) Sjunde Årgången (Händelserna 1929) by Svenska Dagbladets records the events of 1929, Esther is referenced on page 21. It states that the whole of Stockholm had spoken for days about the black star from Rolf’s Revy, who was denied service because of her skin color.

Variety (March 20, 1929) Lou Bolton’s troubles. Lou Bolton, manager of Little Esther, left suddenly for New York on the America March 19. Partnership dissolved by mother of colored child.

Understood French Negro, Jacques Garnier, used as interpreter, stirred up trouble.

Afro-American (March 23, 1929) “Baby Esther A Hit.” “Baby Esther” Jones, who sailed a few weeks ago for Europe, headlined last week at the Empire Theater in Paris. She has been heralded as the child wonder and is creating a sensation wherever she appears.

The Pittsburgh Courier (March 30, 1929) “Baby Esther” Jones, who sailed to a few weeks ago to Europe, headlined last week at the Empire Theater in Paris. She ha s been heralded as the child wonder of Paris and is creating a sensation wherever she appears.

The Billboard (March 30, 1929) Little Esther, Chicago dance prodigy, will probably be a feature of the new revue of the Casino de Paris, and directress of a new night club.

Uusi Aura (March 31, 1929) New Josephine! Josephine Baker has got a successor. The name of this dark beauty is “Little Esther” and she has American Negro blood in her veins. She has already achieved great success at the Moulin Rouge and is predicted to have a great future. And this new Josephine is only 8-years-old.

Afro-American (April 6, 1929) “Lil’ Esther Jones.” Baby Esther Jones, highest paid child dancer, who was taken abroad by the Dancer News Bureau, 1587 Broadway, Suite 308. Miss Jones receives a weekly salary of $750 per week.

Het Nieuws van den Dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië (April 12, 1929) Josephine Baker’s youngest competitor. Little Esther has never heard of her.

Coming from America, Little Esther, age 9 was already a celebrity. Everyone in the New World knows her as a dancer, who launched the Charleston. In America Little Esther has a jazz band that accompanies her everywhere she goes to perform. Lou Bolton discovered Esther when she was only four. “Little Esther”

comes to Europe. She thinks Paris is the nicest city, she says, and she likes the Parisian public – that is, by the way reciprocal, the Parisian public thinks “Little Esther” is also very charming, very charming and a real female dancer. Her success in the City of Light is assured.

Bataviaasch Nieuwsblad (April 12, 1929) Little Esther’s manager, Mr. Bolton, “discovered” the asterisk when she was only four and a half years old. He made her dance to her own idea and never put her under the direction of a dance master. She remained a natural child, also spiritually, for she had never attended school and never had any lessons.

Nevertheless, in Paris she behaved like a little star. She knows how to receive the most friendly reporters, chat in a charming way and dust her black face with ochre powder.

Afro-American (April 13, 1929) Acts in Paris. Among the acts now going over well in this city are Little Esther, who has recently been added to the Moulin Rouge, Betty Rowland, who is creating a sensation at the Bal Tabarin, and “Strappy” Jones, of Jones and the Keys, who is appearing in a single.

Variety (April 14, 1929) The Moulin Rouge had for the basis of its entertainment, a consignment of American turns, including Hank the Mule, Little Esther and Abe Lyemans’ band, with the Three Pirates and Erne Dillon from England, a Spanish dancer, pair of Japanese jugglers, Argentine chanteuse and a male consignment from the Bosphorus. The show seemed to be thrown together rather than arranged, with apparently no reason for innumerable stage waits. House orchestra played a long succession of jazz and syncopation immediately preceding the appearance of the Lyman band. Abe should have known better, even if the house didn’t.

The Billboard (April 20, 1929) Little Esther, colored child prodigy leaves for Spain at the close of her engagement at the Moulin Rouge to appear at the Moulin Rouge to appear at the Eldorado in Barcelona.

Variety (April 24, 1929) Lou Bolton, who managed “Lil Esther” in Paris, back because of Esther’s mama went for

one of those Sengalesians and made him manager.

The Indianapolis Recorder (April 27, 1929) Little Esther, diminutive Chicago dancer, who is regarded as a child prodigy, leaves for Spain at the close of her engagement at the Moulin Rouge in Paris to appear at the Eldorado in Barcelona.

De Indische Courant (May 7, 1929) The newest darling of Paris, a little Negro girl of eight springs from America, but from pure African blood. A black, graceful girl who is slowly emerging as a formidable competitor for Josephine Baker, who is currently making efforts to regain her engagement in Paris. Little Esther is a novelty in the artistic 몭rmament of the Parisian music hall. Every evening she in the music hall, where she performs, stormy applause stars, otherwise there is no explanation for the interest that such a periodical show for this chorographical phenomenon. Little Esther is only at the beginning of her world glory, it is predicted that we will soon know Esther hairstyles, Esther socks, Esther earrings and other things, just as so many other predecessors of this new dancer have given her name to fashion creations, which maybe not the 몭rst. Perhaps it will not be long until the fame of Little Esther will also have reached India. These rules, dedicated to the rotating American-African-African child, and are therefore intended to introduce her to you.

The Sumatra Post (May 15, 1929) Little Esther, the Negro girl who is currently attracting the attention of outgoing Paris, even though she is only ten years old (in some advertising articles has already has a salary of 1500 francs per performance. Little Esther is playing chess these days, not so much for her personal charms or for her money. Little Esther has a black mother, a black secretary and a black impresario. He according to the secretary, is a dangerous man and possesses hypnotic power. Through supernatural input, he has got Little Esther under his control. The Negro child was walking in the street, with her mother. Suddenly Little Esther tore herself away from her mother’s hand and walked on a trot to a black gentleman who was walking a little behind them. It was the impresario, who without the mother had sent his hypnotic power to Little Esther. Little Esther could not resist that. As soon as her mother saw to whom her daughter had turned so enthusiastically, she naturally wanted her child back. But the impresario had already disappeared in a taxi with Little Esther’s chess treasure. The mother’s despair. Violent indignation of the secretary. If that guy thinks that it goes like that, he is wrong! We are not here in America! He raged and since he is an energetic man, he did not leave, but immediately went to work himself. The same evening Little Esther played again –

taken away from her chess player, this time by the secretary. Now it is the impresario’s turn to be furious. Of course Little Esther will be stormed by reporters. She 몭nds it terrible that it said that her mother is not really her mother.

“It is my mother!” she said indignantly, “and I love her very much.”

De Indische Courant (May 15, 1929) A little black asterisk.

The Vaudeville News (June 1, 1929) Little Esther, and Roth and Shay, both from Chicago, are in the lights.

The Pittsburgh Courier (June 22, 1929) “Baby Esther” Jones, who was taken to Paris by Lou Bolton, is still all the rage at the Moulin Rouge, where she is appearing with Abe Lyman’s band, and will soon leave for an engagement in Madrid, Spain. After a 몭ght with her mother about her contract, Bolton has returned to the States, leaving her under the management on a colored Parisian.

The Billboard (August 17, 1929) The Wintergarten has booked the following bill for August, Babe Egan’s Hollywood Redheads, Jackie Hoo Ray, Medini Trio, Two Ristoris, Kurt Lilien and Hermann Feiner, Brown and La Harte, Reso and Reto, Mady and Company, Little Esther, Four Saphirs, Horam and Myrtill, adagio team, open August 1 at the Scala.

The Billboard (August 24, 1929) The Wintergarten’s current bill includes Jackie Hoo Ray, who does a pitiful imitation of Jackie Coogan, Little Esther, another kid act, which has some dif몭culty getting across.

Afro-American (October 5, 1929) In this issue you’ll 몭nd Chicago’s Little Esther Jones, who was refused milk in a Swedish cafe and the then angry Swedes closed the place, also Esther’s dancing all over Europe on a salary of $750 a week.

Afro-American (October 5, 1929) Little Esther, the ten-year-old dancing wonder, accompanied by her mother, Mrs.

Jones of Chicago, and her manager Sidney Garner, passed through this city on her way to Nice and Monte Carlo to 몭ll engagements there.

Mrs. Jones, a modest quiet little woman, is proud of her daughter. To her the astonishing success of her little girl seems more like a dream than reality. This leap from humble circumstances to wealth and popularity.

The white manager failed. Mrs. Jones told the writer that it is Mr. Garner to whom is due all the tanks for her present 몭nancial standing and said that the white manager who brought her from America treated her very badly. She further charges that he used to pass her off as the maid of her child when Little Esther gave performances in private homes.

At the home of M. Dreyfus, Paris banker, Mrs. Jones said that she was made to wait in the hall, and that when M. Dreyfus, himself came out and saw her, and learned who she was, he invited her in and introduced her to his guests. The white manager scolded her and asked if she did not know that that wasn’t done back home in America.

Mr. Garner, who comes from New York City, has been in Europe for 몭fteen years and has made a spen-bles as if caught by sudden fear, or else she places her hand on her stomach as if suffering from the most frightful pain, then suddenly she is all laughter again. The song 몭nished did record with the American Red Cross with whom he served as an ambulance driver from the 몭rst year of the war. He has served as secretary for Johnny Hudgins and others. He says he 몭nds increasing demand for colored acts everywhere. His address is: 17 Rue des Acacia, Paris, France, care of Pons.

The Birmingham Reporter (October 12, 1929) Little Esther is only ten, but she is said to be the highest paid child artist in the world. She has just left Berlin, where she was playing at the Winter Garden at a salary of $1750 a week for six weeks. Her story reads like a fairy tale. Four years ago she was playing in the streets of Chicago, dancing the Charleston just for fun. Her companions were poor like herself. Now she has jewels and her dresses are being made by some of the best designers. At ten Little Esther is already wealthy. She scored her 몭rst success when just a little over 몭ve.

Afro-American (October 12, 1929) Branda Tomton, white, a restaurant-keeper in Stockholm, Sweden, once lived in the United States. He refused a glass of milk to ten-year-old Esther Jones of Chicago, and her mother. Tomton was so severely criticized that he left Sweden amid what the newspapers termed “the greatest scandal Stockholm has ever

had.”

Algemeen Handelsblad (November 11, 1929) Jack Smith the Whispering Baritone and Little Esther the most comical acrobat.

The Billboard (November 30, 1929) Little Esther, the little Chicago entertainer, is at the Theater Mounumental in Madrid.

Afro-American (December 14, 1929) Ten-year-old girl dancer also at fete honoring King of Portugal. Little Esther, the ten-year-old colored child, who has been astonishing Europe, was the principal attraction at a fete given by the King of Spain at the Teatro de la Exposicion, in honor of the president of Portugal. Queen Victoria and other members of the royal family of Spain were present. Later, the King and Queen received little Esther, together with her mother, Mrs. Jones, and her manager Sidney Garner, and complimented her.

Five years ago little Esther was dancing the Charleston on the streets of Chicago, just for fun. Today she is the highest paid child artist in the world, $750 a week.

After leaving Berlin, where she was the hit of the Wintergarten for six weeks, she left for the Riviera, playing at Monte Carlo, and Cannes. From there she went to the Casino Bellevue at Biarritz, where she played with Sam Wooding and his band. While here she appeared at a party given by the Maharajah of Kapurthala, and was later highly complimented by him.

Leaving for Spain, she played with Harry Fleming and his band at the Valenci Theatre where she scored another great hit. While in this city the school children of Valencia presented her with three baskets of 몭owers more than six feet tall.

Little Esther has been a great favorite with the children everywhere, and when she was leaving Stockholm, Sweden, the school children in thousands came to see her off, almost 몭lling her compartment with 몭owers.

The French, German, English and Spanish press have been lavish in praise of her.

Juan de Mentaberry, one of the leading critics of Spain in El Mercantil of Valencia, recently devoted almost two columns to an interview with her, together with her picture, which appeared on the front page. He told of her visit to the bull-몭ght and the manner in which the youthful star was applauded by the public.

He said in part: “She is not one of those children with some forced quality or talent for imitating older people, but a very formidable, comical artist with unusual gifts. And in her life off the stage she is ingenuous and full of love and sympathy. Her steady manner of speaking, her interesting character, her large eyes, full of expressive force, shows a brain organized. I asked her how she liked Spain. She told me among other things that she is interested in bull-몭ght, wearing the other senoritas a small Spanish shawl. She says that she has a great admiration for Manuel Lalanda (the toreador) whom she thinks is the bravest man in the world. I had been talking with her for more than an hour but it was at that moment I saw in little Esther the eternal feminine. Though she is only ten, the woman in her is on the alert. She has more than 몭fty dresses and is frightened because she has gained a few pounds on a few grains of weight.”

El Tiempo said: “Little Esther sings with much grave and talent, adding now and then some comic gestures that are worthy of being 몭ashed on the screen. The Public laughs, everybody laughs, and s does the small artist to whom all surrender themselves unconditionally. Now she dances, her feet rhythmically marketing the time of the number. She has 몭nished and the theatre is ringing again with applause.

“Little Esther has triumphed, and with her, the whole company has triumphed.

She has 몭nished her acting and she returns to her dressing room. Again she is the child and pulls the tail of the small white dog sleeping near its owner – the wife of the leader of the orchestra. The dog does not bark. It turns its sleepy eyes to the small artist as if, it also was smiling in sympathy.”

She was recently 몭lmed by a leading Movietone news agency while on a visit to the Ministry of War, where she met the Spanish dictator, Gen. Primp de Rivera.

She is almost besieged with offers to appear on the stage and in the 몭lms. After a two-months’ tour of some of the leading cities of Spain, she will return to Berlin to 몭ll contracts made while there. English managers want her too, but it will be at least four years before she will be able to comply with the English age limit.

The American Mercury – Volume 20 – Page 2 (1930) In the American Mercury Magazine, Esther is cited as a 10-year-old black girl dancer who had great success in Europe, but was refused service in a restaurant.

A Swedish man who was present while this racism was taking place, invited Esther and her family to his home, by the way of protest.

Afro-American (January 4, 1930) In February 16, Seven-year-old Esther Jones began theatrical dates in London, Berlin and Paris, under a $750 per week contract.

The Billboard (April 5, 1930) The UFA Palace in Hamburg, a recently opened sister house of the Universum, is making great efforts to oppose the famous Hansa, Hamburg by booking exquisite foreign attractions. The Nathano Brothers, The Three Whirlwinds,Young China, Little Esther, Roth and Shay, Georgia Graves, Posh Twins, Larry Kemble and Baird and Thompeon are some of the acts that played there, and Chaz Chase is coming over now under a UFA contract for both houses.

The Billboard (April 12, 1930) Little Esther doubles at the Atrium with the Kabaret der Komiker.

Afro-American (April 12, 1930) Little Esther to London. Little Esther, the phenomenal child-artist, now playing in Berlin, is expected to go to London in the spring, accompanied by her manager, Sydney Garner, and her mother, Mrs. Jones of Chicago.

Today’s News (May 13, 1930) Esther here again. The Stockholm public, the little black Little Esther, who last summer awakened such a sensation in Stockholm with her dance and her milk glass. Little Esther has come here on a French visit and only appears for a week.

Aftonbladet (May 13, 1930) Little Esther again with Rolf from the scene last year’s many talked about Little Esther is now back in Stockholm and performs in Rolfrevyn for the next seven days.

Svenska Dagbladet (May 19, 1930) From Hollywood and Buenos Aires, Little Esther world attraction.

Svenska Dagbladet (May 20, 1930) Revy at 8. Ernst Rolf with Little Esther – Olympe Bradna – Tutta and Randi.

Svenska Dagbladet (May 23, 1930) Foreign stars both little ones Little Esther and Olympe Bradna have already become real audience favorites.

Svenska Dagbladet (May 24, 1930) Little Esther currently making great success in the exhibition edition of Rolf’s revue only stops two days. Little Esther returns to Berlin on Sunday.

Aftonbladet (May 25, 1930) Little Esther the multifaceted singer and dancer is performing today.

De Telegraaf (June 12, 1930) Little Esther, the singing dancing Negro child with all the grotesque and all the woe and all the brutal success hunter of her breed.

The Billboard (June 21, 1930) Ernest Rolf is presenting an excellent revue at his China Theater in Stockholm.

Among the features are the American comedians, Crabtree and Sturgess. Olympe Bradna, the young acrobatic dancer; Little Esther, the Negro dancer; Josephine Hall, the radio entertainer; the 10 Gordon Ray Girls and the 42 Rolfs Girls.

The Pittsburgh Courier (June 28, 1930) Josephine Hall shared honors with Baby Esther Lee Jones, 10-year-old dancer of Chicago, who represented their race as well as the United States.

The Pittsburgh Courier (June 28, 1930) Josephine Hall, well-known radio songbird, returned June 16 on the steamship Drottingholm of the Swedish-American Line, embarking from Gothenburg after completing three months’ engagement with Rolphs’ Revy of 1930 at the China Theater, Stockholm, Sweden. Miss Hall was chosen for this unusual engagement through the appreciation of her radio and night club presentations, having appeared with great success at the Cotton Club and Plantation. The production was a highly selected conglomeration of international stars representing a dozen European countries. She shared honors with Baby Esther Lee Jones, 10-year-old dancer of Chicago, who represented their race as well as the United States.

Afro-American (July 12, 1930) Child star leaves Berlin for engagement at theatre in Oslo, Sweden. Unable to 몭ll all engagements that are offered. Little Esther has been a sensation in Western Europe. In 1929 she played for six weeks at the Wintergarten, here, where she was the big hit, and returned here in Berlin for a short stay in May of this year.

In Stockholm recently she was the chief attraction at the China Theatre. The next day King Gustave of Sweden, for whom she had danced in 1929, recognized her and her mother, Mrs. Jones of Chicago, on the Exposition Grounds, and lifting his hat, the King said to her in English: “Here is Little Esther. I am very glad to see you back in Stockholm.”

Last year while Little Esther was in Stockholm, the proprietor of a leading restaurant, named Branda Tomton, who had been in America, refused to serve her, her mother and her manager, Syndey Garner. Without a single exception, the newspapers of the city condemned the proprietor, and a Swedish nobleman who was present, to show his disapproval, invited the whole party to his house.

Little Esther’s rise to stardom has been phenomenal. She is only eleven years of age, and six years ago she was dancing the Charleston with other children on the sidewalks of Chicago. Since then she has played in most of the leading theatres of Western Europe, including the Casino de Paris, and the Empire Theatre of Paris. Two weeks ago, the Paris-Midi carried a special article about her, with her picture. She earns $800 a week, and has so many offers that it is impossible for her to 몭ll them. She has also been 몭lmed.

In addition to her manager, Sydney Garner, her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Jones, of Chicago, travel with her. While in Stockholm, she and Miss Josephine Hall of Chicago, appeared on the same bill.

The Billboard (September 6, 1930) Little Esther returns to the Kabaret der Komiker September 1 after a successful month in Oslo.

The Billboard (September 27, 1930) Kabaret der Komiker has Little Esther, Karinaska and Ryiber, and Rio and Santos the current month, with the usual cabaret auditions.

Afro-American (September 28, 1930) A Swedish restaurant refused to serve ten-year-old Esther Jones, brown-skinned dancing star and her ma and pa. Stockholm white people made so much fun of the restaurant owner that he had to close. Read of Little Esther’s triumphs abroad in next week’s Afro.

The Billboard (October 18, 1930) Little Esther, famous colored Juvenile star, is now appearing at three houses in

Berlin, the Wintergarten, the Kabaret der Komlker and the Plaza. A great little artiste and fast getting headline honors.

The Billboard (October 25, 1930) Little Esther the rage of the European continents. Headlining everywhere!

Manager: Sydney Garner.

Delftsche Courant (November 15, 1930) Little Esther the little black revue star.

Voorwaarts: Sociaal Democratisch Dagblad (November 19, 1930) The little revue star “Little Esther,” a descendant of some Negro tribe, soon won the hearts of those present, she dances and sings excellently.

Het Vaderland (November 20, 1930) Little Esther the little Negro girl, is conquering hearts.

The Billboard (December 6, 1930) Harry Fleming, another colored show, is at the Hansa in Hamburg. Little Esther returns in December to the Ufa Palace in Hamburg.

The Billboard (December 13, 1930) Little Esther is in big type at the Arena, Rotterdam, and going very strong.

Jules Marx has signed this little colored star for all his houses, including the Scala.

Afro-American (January 24, 1931) Child entertainer, who is a hit abroad singing not only American jazz numbers but the folk songs of the countries she visits. She masters many languages.

She has also appeared before the King and Queen of Norway, their Majesties of Sweden, the King and Queen of Spain and other notabilities.

Little Esther is versatile, and has picked up the popular songs of the countries in which she plays, and sings them in the language of the country for her audience.

When the royal family of Norway visited Victor Bernaus Theatre at which she was playing in Oslo, she sang a Norwegian love song in their honor. The King and

was playing in Oslo, she sang a Norwegian love song in their honor. The King and Crowned Prince asked she be presented to them, which was done during the entr’acte.

The following week she was invited to the palace where she sang and danced for the whole royal family.

She has appeared in talkies for the Excelsior Film Co of Berlin. Her salary runs into four 몭gures weekly, and she is booked for the next four years.

Mrs. Jones (Esther’s mother), who was on a visit to America has returned to Germany, while, the wife of Mr. Garner has presented him with a son.

Afro-American (March 28, 1931) Little Esther, the dancing marvel of Chicago, continues to create a sensation in Germany, where she has been headlining in many of the leading theatres. She is now the big attraction at the Scala in Leipzig.

The German press praises her in the most enthusiastic language, calling her “a super-Josephine Baker,” “the little Negro girl with the nickelled voice, a milliondollar talent and the ability of her race,” and one “whose talent and gracefulness pockets a hundred big stars.”

She dominated a big theatre and her name was not even on the program, but she was announced as a “special attraction” in place of Claire Waldoff who is ill and all of a sudden she is there: Little Esther, this wonderful and highly talented Negro child actress. After having seen her in more than one cabaret stage in the Western district, it is quite surprising how she is able to master this enormous stage and big house of the Plaza. A great success. And only after she gave several encores she was permitted to leave the stage.

Little Esther, this delightfully cute and sweet little Negro child can do more than a hundred of her grown-up colleagues on the stage. She must have found all this great talent in her cradle, for she does it with a child-like happiness in a quite new, appealing, and fascinating way.

Though only twelve years old, she is one of the highest paid artists in Europe, her salary running into four 몭gures weekly. With her mother, Mrs. Jones, and her manager, Sydney Garner, she leaves shortly for a six months’ tour of South America.

Afro-American (April 11, 1931) Little Esther so now South America bound. Little Esther, whose dancing has

captivated theater-goers of many large European cities, passed through here on her way to Marseilles, to take a ship for South America, where she is to make a six months tour.

Accompanying her is her sister Miss Jones of Chicago, and her manager Sydney Garner, of New York. While in Paris, Little Esther, who is 12 years of age, was received on the stage of the Casino de Paris by Josephine Baker, and presented with a box of candy. The little star was heartily applauded by the audience.

Afro-American (July 11, 1931) Little Esther, the twelve-year-old dancing marvel of Chicago, they also say, is making a big hit. South America, they think, is the ideal colored man’s dream.

L´Impartial (January 16, 1932) It is interesting to note in this regard that the little Negress Little Esther, age 8, who imitates Josephine Baker perfectly.

De Sumatra (July 22, 1932) For those who saw Josephine Baker and Little Esther dancing or attended pagan dances with inseparable throne guidance. Must the shape of the Negro dances inevitably appears to be like a jack-of-all-trades, and so there is no greater contradiction between the hefty leg and arm movements and the torso twists that the Bosnian dancers showed me, between the dances of the two mentioned dance phenomenons or the typical ones that are seen in Harlem, see the Negro Quarter of New York on one side and the slow shuf몭e passes, with which one sees a pair of European dance halls dressed in fashion dancing the jazz dances derived from the Negro dances, and it is certainly not surprising that Josephine Baker has not been able to let go of her innate ridicule.

Afro-American (June 3, 1933) Baby Esther, clever stage star, who drew thousands a week in Europe, but is not good enough to play a Topsy here. She is telling a blood hound to leave Liza alone.

The Indianapolis Star (October 22, 1933) Nightly 8, 10:30, 12:30 with “Little Esther” international juvenile star.

The Indianapolis News (December 16, 1933)

Curly Brooks is a colored singer and dancer, whose dancing in particular has the rhythmic qualities for which his race is famous. With him is “Little Esther,” as she is called, a young girl you may have seen dancing hereabouts.

The Indianapolis Star (December 22, 1933) From Cafe de Pare and Lennox Club, X.Y. City. Little Esther, international star.

The Indianapolis Star (December 24, 1933) As a special extra attraction, “Little Esther,” diminutive dancing star, who recently returned from Europe.

The Tennessean (March 9, 1934) Little Esther “Hot Cha In Black.”

Muncie Evening Press (April 14, 1934) Little Esther the fastest colored dancer you ever saw and how she can sing!

Formerly with Cab Calloway Orchestra.

Muncie Evening Press (April 14, 1934) Little Esther, one of the cleverest singing and dancing colored girls in vaudeville, heads this portion of the stage attractions. She has been featured in vaudeville for many years, with her routines of tap and acrobatic dances and her ability as a blues singer. In the article, they misspelled her name and dubbed her “Little Lester.” But the name “Little Esther” can be seen in the banner.

The Star Press (April 15, 1934) Little Esther the peer of all colored singers and dancers formerly with Cab Calloway.

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 18, 1934) Lou Bolton is in New York to appear as the principal witness for ParamountPublix and Max Fleischer in Helen Kane’s $100,000 suit against them for using the “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” expression in the Betty Boop cartoons. It seems Bolton’s colored prodigy, “Little Esther,” was “Boop-Boop-a-Dooping” it long before Paul Ash discovered Miss Kane.

The Evening Sun (May 1, 1934)

Witness in Helen Kane’s $250,000 Betty Boop suit says actress Helen Kane took cue from “Baby Esther” Jones in 1928.

The Evening News (May 2, 1934) Negro girl of night club is a real dooper. Helen Kane’s title to claim disputed in court. Helen Kane’s “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” trial today went “Booping” back to the night clubs of 1928 and a little Negro girl, proclaimed as the original dooper. Baby Esther delivered many a “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” in New York months before , according to the testimony of Lou Bolton, the child’s manager. Bolton stated that Helen Kane had a ringside seat at the Everglades Club on Broadway one Winter’s night when Baby Esther was “Booping” that was before Helen’s 몭rst “Boop,” too.

Democrat and Chronicle (May 2, 1934) Court stenographers who struggled to record in shorthand the “Boop-OopDoops” of Helen Kane were on the verge of hysterics tonight. Supreme Court Judge Edward J. McGoldrick ordered them to set down “Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-DeWa-Da-De-Da.” The “Boop-Oop-a-Doop” trial, in which Helen Kane seeks $250,000 damages from the animated cartoon creators of “Betty Boop,” became this complicated when Lou Bolton testi몭ed, for the defense, Bolton testi몭ed that nine years ago in Chicago he taught Baby Esther, a Negro child to interpolate “Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da” between the bars of music in popular songs. Bolton said Miss Kane heard Baby Esther’s song treatment here in 1928 and shortly afterward began her famous “Booping.” Testimony also was heard today from Bonnie Poe and Margie Hines, two petite piping-voiced misses who said they were hired by the Max Fleischer studios as voices for Betty Boop after winning Helen Kane contests. Miss Hines said she won a preliminary contest before she ever heard Miss Kane.

The Spokesman-Review (May 2, 1934) Testifying for the defense, Lou Bolton, theatrical manager, said that one of his stage proteges, Esther Jones, a Negro woman, had interpolated songs with syllables similar to Miss Kane’s as long ago as 1925. In April, 1928, Bolton continued, Miss Kane and her manager attended a performance of Miss Jones, whose stage name was Baby Esther in a New York night club. Just a few weeks later, he testi몭ed, Miss Kane began to “Boop” at a theatre here. Then followed an exhaustive retracting of the history of “Boop-Boop-a-Doopery.” Baby Esther made funny expressions and interpolated meaningless sounds at the end of each bar of music in her songs.

Afro-American (May 3, 1934)

Witnesses tell of “Boops” heard before Helen Kane’s. Miss Kane insists that she was the originator of the singing technique which she has claimed hers since 1928, and that the technique was stolen by Max Fleischer, Fleischer Studios, Inc., and Paramount-Public corporation in the promotion of Betty Boop animated cartoons.

The 몭rst witness today was Alfred Evans, who said that in 1927, a year before Helen Kane 몭rst offered a “Boop,” he heard Edith Grif몭th, who affected a baby voice in her stage performances.

Marion Luber, a dancer told the court that in early 1928, she heard Baby Esther a Negro child performer, employ the “Boop” style of singing.

Muncie Evening Press (May 4, 1934) Stage attractions – Little Esther, a red-hot dancer.

Muncie Evening Press (May 4, 1934) Little Esther a red-hot dancer.

Afro-American (May 6, 1934) Baby Esther originated the “Boop-a-Doop” style of singing, and Helen Kane, white movie and radio star, barefacedly swiped it and made a fortune from it, a court trial reveals, as Miss Kane sues imitators of the “Boop” style. T’would be logical now for Baby Esther to sue Miss Kane, to make the thing even all around.

The Courier-Journal (May 10, 1934) The stage show is to be presented by Helena Justa and her “Harlem Maniacs” in a Harlem Night Club revue. Helena Justa was formerly with Lew Leslie’s “Blackbirds” and is heralded as the “female Bill Robinson.” As an added attraction of the stage show The National has booked Little Esther, billed as “The Sepia Dancing Doll.”

The Courier-Journal (May 10, 1934) As an added attraction of the stage show The National has booked Little Esther, billed as “The Sepia Dancing Doll.”

The Courier-Journal (May 13, 1934)

Little Esther, a sepia dancing girl appears as an added attraction with the stage show, and is said to be one of the youngest vaudeville artists to have achieved success on three continents. She has appeared in practically every theater of consequence in the United States and Canada. Remained four months at the Empire Theater in Paris, then played lengthy engagements in Berlin.

Journal and Courier (June 2, 1934) Williams and Walker, sons of the old stage favorites of the same names, do some intricate tap steps as does “Little Esther,” very young and very small, who also taps as only those of her race can.

Afro-American (July 21, 1934) Big midnight crowd enjoys NAACP bene몭t. Another outstanding number among the juvenile satellites was the song and dance number of that jazz Baby Hilda, who it was recalled, “stopped the show” at the Alpha Formal several years ago.

She was good then, she is best now. Little Esther, on the other hand had a bit too much art and 몭nesse, born of her extensive travel and contacts, not to mention expert tutelage, to bring for her the spontaneous applause which usually follows the more abandoned type of expression. But she had charm and grace and form.

The acrobatic dance number was very good.

Afro-American (July 28, 1934) A bouquet of roses: Ethel Waters, Baby Edwards, Cora Green, the Pope Sisters and Little Esther for their splendid efforts put forth on last Sunday evening at the bene몭t bill at the Lincoln Theatre.

Afro-American (September 8, 1934) Racket bene몭ts are rapped by Bill “Bojangles” Robinson. Little Esther, Blanche Saunders and Anise Short were next in line and scored heavily. Miss Brock, an amateur acrobat got a big hand and was followed by a revue from the Dreamland Cafe. The Kiddie Radio group, under the direction of Lou Garcia, featured Baby Hilda, and Dorothy Saulters and others.

Bed and World (1932/1967/2008) Dutch writer Jo Otten explains how fascinated he was with Esther Jones and also how he met Esther. He also says that Esther was 13-years-old in Paris, and 14years-old in Berlin. And that he named his daughter (Ayla/Alja) Alexandra Esther, after Esther Lee Jones.

Afro-American (November 2, 1946) One of Gordon Stretton’s most interesting stories is of the time he took a show to Rio De Janerio, “Little Esta.” After the show, he visited the Presidential Palace with President Vargas and later the home of a family he had met earlier.

Afro-American (November 2, 1946) Former Harlemite advised Carmen Miranda to come to America. Sidney Garner was touring with Little Esther when her 몭rst heard Carmen Miranda sing. Carmen Miranda, Hollywood actress, as being one of the highest paid women in America.

In Paris, Sidney Garner, formerly of New York’s Harlem, con몭rms his statement with old Brazilian newspaper clippings and photos, that he was instrumental in starting Carmen Miranda up the “stairway to the stars.”

The story goes back to a day in June, 1931: Garner, then manager of the wonder girl, “Little Ester,” 8-year-old dancer, comedienne and singer, arrived in Rio de Janero from Europe with his child prodigy who opened at the Cine Theatre Eldorado and scored such a success that Generosa Pence, co-owner of the establishment, honored Little Esther with a party in his luxurious apartment.

Miss Miranda, then 19, who was born in Marco Canavezes, Portugal, but had been living in Brazil for some years, was among the invited guests and met Garner fr the 몭rst time.

After dinner, Miss Miranda asked Little Ester to sing a song she had enjoyed hearing the child star sing on the stage. But Little Ester refused. “Well,” said Miss Miranda (quoting Garner), “If you won’t sing for me, then I’ll sing for you.”

Miss Miranda began to sing and Garner admits that he was overwhelmed by her voice, talent and personality. On Sunday, Oct. 25, 1931, Rio’s principal newspaper, “A Patria,” gave considerable space to Garner’s “몭nd,” whom he termed as a “a revelation of Brazilian talent,” and his prediction of her un-questionable rise to stardom should she go to Hollywood. Miss Miranda’s success was spontaneous and inspiring.

During World War II, he was interned by the Germans. He became manager of Little Esther in Feb., 1929, following her arrival here on a tour, built a show around her and toured Europe, Brazil and Argentine.

Returning from South America in 1931, Garner fell ill in Portugal. Little Esther, who was born in Chicago, and her aunt, Miss Ruth Jones, her accompanist, were both tired and homesick, so they returned to the United States.

Sex and Race: The Old World by J.A Rogers (1970) The most popular vaudeville artist in Berlin in 1929 was a coal-black Aframerican girl of six, named Little Esther. I saw her play to vast, applauding crowds in Berlin and elsewhere.

Solen och sjön (1979) While touring Stockholm in a revue, Esther enchanted the audience singing “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love, Baby.” Sparre was born in 1903 and died in 1984, writing and publishing 33 books between the ages of 22 and 73.

The Times-Tribune (November 30, 1983) Helen Kane a popular vaudeville star, claimed violation of the “Boop-Boop-aDoop.” But she lost her suit when it was shown that not only did Grim Natwick completely reconstruct the animated character, but the basic characteristics that Kane charged Fleischer with stealing from her were, in fact stolen by her from another vaudevillian, Baby Esther.

The Life, Music and Times of Carlos Gardel (1986) In Simon Collier’s book, Esther is referenced on page 115. Gardel shared a bill with Little Esther, “a Josephine Baker in miniature,” the roller-skating acrobats Van Horn and Inez and a chimpanzee called Djibo, who did a trapeze routine.

Talking Animals and Other People (1986) In animator Shamus Culhane’s book, Baby Esther is cited as the original “BoopBoop-a-Dooper.”

Incredibly Strange Music, Vol. 1 (1993) In V. Vale’s book, it states that “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” didn’t originate with Kane, but with a black artist named Baby Esther.

The Rise and Fall of Popular Music (1995) In historian Donald Clark’s book it states that Helen Kane’s 몭apper persona was soon passe, and that her “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” had earlier been practised by a black singer, Baby Esther.

Crosscurrents: African Americans, Africa, and Germany in the Modern World (1998)

African-Americans abroad such as Sydney Garner who lived in Germany, Leslie Hutchinson or Harold Browning of the Four Harmony Kings – both based in London started managing careers in Europe.

Garner, for example, managed one of the most successful African American child stars of the 1920s, Little Esther, and was secretary to the comedian Johnny Hudgins.

It goes without saying that Hudgins and Little Esther performed in Weimar Germany.

Masters of Animation (2001) Baby Esther is referenced John Grant’s book Masters of Animation.

The Middling Sorts (2001) In Burton J. Bledstein book The Middling Sorts: Explorations in the History of the American Middle Class originally published in 2001, it says that in Jack L. Cooper’s essay “The Negro Runs Riot With The Stage,” that dancer Bill “Bojangles” Robinson’s record run at the Palace Theatre, as well as those local performers such as the Byron brothers and Little Esther Jones. The book was given a digital release in 2013.

Swing It: An Annotated History of Jive (1954/2001/2003) In biographer Bill Milkowski’s book, Baby Esther is cited as an obscure singer, who’s catchphrase was coined by Helen Kane.

Uptown Conversation: The New Jazz Studies (2004) In professor Robert O’Meally’s book it states that footage of black cabaret artist “Baby Esther,” performed a song that contained the heavily debated phrase “Boop-Boop-a-Doop.” The lawyers further surprised the court with testimony from Baby Esther’s manager Lou Bolton, that Helen Kane and her manager Tony Shayne had heard Baby Esther sing in a cabaret in 1928. The point of course was that even if the Fleischers’ singers (Margie Hines, Little Ann Little, Catherine Wright, Bonnie Poe, Mae Questel) had copied Kane to create Betty Boop, Kane herself, if the evidence was believed, was “an imitation of an imitation” and had, as it were, a black grandmother in her background.

Moderna Människor : Folkhemmet Och Jazzen (2004) In professor Johan Fornäs‘ 2004 book it says: “Ernst Rolf sjöng med svartmålat

In professor Johan Fornäs‘ 2004 book it says: “Ernst Rolf sjöng med svartmålat ansikte och den svarta barnsångerskan Little Esther i famnen “Pojken min” (“Sonny Boy”) på China 1929, på Barnens Dag.” The translation to this by Baby Esther Jones of몭cial website here is: “Ernst Rolf sang with a black painted face and the black child singer Little Esther in the arms of “My Boy” (“Sonny Boy”) on the China Theatre 1929, on Children’s Day.” Max Fleischer and the Animation Revolution by Richard Fleischer (2005) A piece of sound 몭lm made in 1928 was dredged up proving that a black nightclub entertainer named Baby Esther was singing “Boop-Oop-a-Doop” long before Helen Kane. The judge ruled that Kane had failed to prove that the defendants wrongfully appropriated her technique and ruled against her.

Kalle Lind (2008) Esther was referenced on Kalle Lind’s of몭cial website by Johnny Högberg in 2011.

He stated that Esther was refused service while touring in Rolf’s Revy because she was Negro. This was long before anyone knew that Baby Esther Lee Jones and Little Esther Lee Jones were the same person.

De Doodskabouters Van Een Puddingliterator (2008) Esther is referenced as the “Godly” dancing Negro girl in a 2008 article by writer Arnold Heumakers.

Gardel: El Cantor Del Tango (2010) Esther is referenced in the Tango Singer, that was released in 2010.

Sex and Race, Volume 1: Negro-Caucasian Mixing in All Ages and All (2014) On page 298, Esther is cited as a popular vaudeville artist in Berlin in 1929. It states in 1929, she was a coal-black African-American girl of six, named Little Esther. She played to vast, applauding crowds in Berlin and elsewhere. Around that time, Adolf Hitler’s 몭rst act in power was to drive all the black musicians and entertainers from Germany – Esther was one of them. According to data, the black performers were making the Germans laugh and it prevented them from reaching murderous grimness necessary for war.

Paris Blues (2014) Esther is referenced on page 49 in Paris Blues: African American Music and

French Popular Culture, 1920-1960 by Andy Fry. Selling the Silver Bullet: The Lone Ranger Transmedia Brand Licensing (2015) The Fleischer Studios successfully defended its origination claims to the Betty Boop character against actress Helen Kane, who claimed the character’s likeness and singing style were based on her own (the court found that Kane’s look and sound were derivatives of Clara Bow’s and Baby Esther’s and that therefore she had no claim to being the inspiration for Betty Boop.

Moving Performances: Divas, Iconicity, and Remembering the Modern Stage (2016) Betty Boop was based on the white performer Helen Kane’s appropriation of the African-American performer Esther Jones’ “Baby Esther” persona.

Diario de Sevilla (2016) Esther is referenced in an article about Harry Flemming.

Charmören (2017) Esther is referenced in Kar De Mumma aka Erik Harald Zetterström’s memoirs, in which she is referenced as Little Ester. According to information at Rolf’s Revue he saw a little colored girl called Little Ester in Summer of 1929. He stated that it was stated that she was the darkest from Africa, and that one day she was denied milk at a restaurant without justi몭cation.

Tropical Travels (2018) Little Esther is referenced on page 24 in Tropical Travels: Brazilian Popular Performance, Transnational Encounters, and the Construction of Race which was released by Lisa Shaw in 2018. The book states that in June 1931 Gordon Stretton, who was accompanied by his jazz band teamed up with the Afro-American child star Little Esther, an acrobatic dancer, who was billed by the press as “Josephine Baker’s legitimate successor.” Stretton would impersonate Al Jolson at Rio’s Eldorado Theatre, singing “Sonny Boy” and “My Mammy,” the latter in duet with Little Esther. Preempting Josephine Baker’s adoption of this Afro-Brazilian persona in Rio in 1939. Little Esther also performed in the city as a baiana during the tour.

“Baby Esther” single by Kyle Dion (2017) Esther Jones is referenced in a tribute song by singer Kyle Dion. The song

references plagiarism, which is directed towards Helen Kane, who adapted her “Boop-Boop-a-Doop” scat singing routine from Esther Jones in 1928.

Gordon Stretton, Black British Transoceanic Jazz Pioneer (2018) Esther is referenced in Gordon Stretton, Black British Transoceanic Jazz Pioneer: A New Jazz Chronicle. It states what we already know. In 1932, Gordon was in Brazil playing with the popular American child performer Esther Jones on her South American tour. They appeared at the El Dorado Theater in Rio, where both of their names were up in lights. Gordon taught a stage struck nameless Carmen Miranda how to dance, and they all met up at a function. At that function Miranda asked Esther to sing for her, Esther refused, so Miranda sang for Esther.

Underneath It All: A History of Women’s Underwear (2018) Max Fleischer, based Betty Boop on white singer and actress Helen Kane. He modeled the character’s appearance, “Boop-Oop-a-Doop” catchphrase, and famous song “I Wanna Be Loved By You” on Kane’s stage performances. What he didn’t realize was that Kane had stolen the style, look, and unique riff from 1920s black jazz singer Esther Jones, known as Baby Esther. The truth came out when Kane sued Fleischer for exploiting her image.During the trial, a 1928 audio recording of Baby Esther singing the famous “Boop-Oop-a-Doop” phrase con몭rmed that Kane had taken Baby Esther’s work and called it her own. The suit against Fleischer was dismissed, and Betty Boop claimed her place in the pantheon of iconic female images.

And I BOOPS!! Baby Esther you are the one!! (2020) A podcast about Baby Esther by You Heard That.

Swedish Wikipedia Esther Jones aka Little Esther happens to be listed on the Swedish Wikipedia. She is cited as part of the major events that had taken place in May of 1929.

Trivia: 1.

Esther Jones appeared in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer short known as “Little Esther” or “Baby Esther” which was recorded on the 6th of December in 1928. The last known master copy of the 1928 몭lm short was at the Columbia Phonograph Company, Bridgeport, 1064 Connecticut. In São Paulo cinematógrafos, Esther Jones appears in Little Esther, no “Para Todos” which was recorded 02 jul. 1931.

2. Esther Jones had been scat singing since 1925, and dancing since 1923.

3. While touring she was accompanied and shared the stage with artists such as Carlos Gardel, Sam Wooding, Ernst Rolf, Little Olympe Bradna, Cotton Club singer Josephine Hall, Gordon Stretton Jazz, Harry Flemming, Abe Lyeman and Ascendino Lisboa.

4. Her mother was Gertrude Jones, and her father was William Jones a photographer and decorator, who was 60-years-old in 1928. In some articles William is cited as not being her real father. Esther had a aunt by the name of Ruth Jones, and several siblings. Lou Bolton was Esther’s 몭rst manager, up until he was 몭red in Paris. Black Parisian Sydney Garner became Esther’s new of몭cial manager and lead her to success in Europe and South America.

5. In the United States was known as “Farina’s Kid Sister,” “Young Flo Mills,” “Second Florence Mills” and “Miniature Florence Mills,” but in Europe she was known as “Miniature Josephine Baker” and “Josephine Baker’s Rival.” Jones was dubbed “The Black Baby” in Paris. Later to be known as “The Dancing Doll” and “The Sepia Dancing Doll.”

6. At the age of four Esther, in dances entirely of her own invention, was the star turn at the infant school. And grown-ups came to see her as she whirled and pirouetted to the accompaniment of a rudimentary orchestra supplied by her ten-year-old brother with the help of an old kettle and a drum.

7. When she met Mistinguett, she was dubbed “The Black Mistinguett.” While dancing on the lid of a grand piano with faultless precision, Mistinguett got up from her seat and kissed her, exclaiming, “You will be one day the black Mistinguett of the stage.”

8. Esther Lee Jones went by the names and titles: Ester Jones, Little Ester, Baby Ester, Esther Jones, Baby Esther, Bay Esther, Little Esther, Little Esta, Little Hester, Little Lester, Child Wonder, Child Prodigy. The apostrophe in her “LIL ESTHER” name would often change, so it would be L’il Esther, Li’l Esther, Lil’ Esther, L’il Ester, Li’l Ester and Lil’ Ester.

9. Esther met Josephine Baker at the Casino de Paris. Esther Jones actually had no idea who Josephine Baker was and cited as saying when asked about the great Josephine: “Who? Josephine Baker? I do not know.”

10. Baby Esther’s fake death was created as a hoax by a woman by the name of May Farrington, who runs a Helen Kane fan website. As she was unhappy that the Esther Jones story came to light in 2014. May later asked an actress by the name of Ginger Pauley (a well known character impersonator) to fabricate the story on social media to de몭ect what really happened during the $250,000 Helen Kane and Betty Boop lawsuit, and that is where Esther’s fake death originates. Both women are or were known modern day Helen Kane impersonators, and most likely created the hoax to protect Helen’s legacy, which is what fans normally do when their heroes or heroines are outed as not being original. One of the modern day voices of Betty Boop randomly also got

involved and also spewed anger and rage in “secret shade” over Esther Jones being the original “scat singing” sensation due to the fact that she also was a member of the Helen Kane fan club which was run by Farrington. They all failed miserably, and the truth was shared worldwide. Racist behavior is not acceptable in this decade and most people will not stand for it. We will speak up against it.

Throwing false narratives around, because you didn’t get to hide a vital part of history is quite how you say, blasée?

11. During the three-way “$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit” between Helen Kane, The Fleischer Studios and their Betty Boop character, including Paramount Pictures the corporation Kane used to work for prior to the lawsuit, in court Helen Kane’s attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage of Baby Esther singing was “irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial,” and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court. After vast research it proves that Esther was actually a Florence Mills impersonator at the Everglades in 1928. People today who like to “whitewash” history have tried to cover this up, but the truth has been set free as of 2018.

Recently as of 2020 a “White” man from Australia by the name of “David Lee Down Under” stole many photos from my blog here, and my images and did not credit a single source.

Pretended that they were “his” photos for unknown reasons. Possibly racist motives. Probably because I called out speci몭c “White” women who he “idolizes” as being openly racist and that is the only thing I can think of. But karma has its way of returning the favor.

Which is weird because when “White” people band together and do these things, it only proves my point. My point was, why try to cover up the real Esther Jones’ story? By trying to make me seem as if I am a liar when I clearly am not?

I have had to deal with “current” day voices or impersonators of Betty Boop, Sandy Fox and Ginger Pauley, two known KKKaren-types attack me for defending Esther Jones with KKK racist followers. They have done a lot of vicious things. Sandy Fox the voice of Betty Boop recently as of 2020 contacted a website to have them “scold” me for talking about her “RACISM” on my other blogs. Over what!? People claiming Betty Boop is Black!? Or me calling out her obvious downlow racism?

Since “researching” Esther Jones I had a lot of racist people trying to undermine me. That is what I noticed. But the hardcore truth eventually silenced them.

But the man in question “Dave Lee” who is clearly Autistic didn’t say anything negative, he actually promoted Esther Jones and the truth, so there is no beef

there.

The only beef is him stealing images from this blog here which I took the time to obtain and not crediting the source. And also “removing” watermarks pretending that they were his photos. He could have been given copyright strikes. But I’m not that kind of person. So I let it slide. He goes by the name @daveleedwnundr on Twitter. I personally think that if you steal content, it is only right that people are aware. That is why I am making it be known.

I released all of Esther Jones photos to the public because of what that man did.

And anyone can use them now. Feel free to remove the links too if you want to crop them.

This “Dave Lee” only covered the story because he was lurking and following my posts and then the “real” Esther Jones story blew up after I released a video in 2018.

Then trying to “subject” me to ridicule like the other racists for my personal opinions on ‘online perverts’ who openly stalk people, who I have called out in the past. Who this Dave seems to side with. Must be the Autism. Obviously.

I don’t care. At the end of the day this person in question from Australia is bypassing copyright to get famous and known. When in reality he has a thief-like mentality. That is why Warner Bros. ensured that they copyright and or DCMA him.

He basically uses other people’s content and pulls it off as his own. And doesn’t give credit where credit is due. So any research done, he will swipe. But that is what most people do. But this is for anyone wondering if he has “plagiarized” them to be wary of him.

As of 2021, a lot of people have since covered the story. And are calling out “racists” who try to hide the truth. It is only racist people who are getting upset when people talk about the truth. Nobody else does that. Normal people accept and embrace truth and facts. But racists often get upset and often decide to lie.

Which doesn’t really work in their favor.

Thank you to everyone who spoke up against this kind of behavior. Personally I won’t be getting involved. The research is over and done with. People can continue where “I” left off. I have moved onto bigger things.

Anyway a big thank you to all those “Black” content creators out there who referenced this blog. I am ever so happy this blog helped you with your research.

Quotes: 1. “Of all of the countries I know, Spain has the richest cooking. It is making me fat and I am worried.” (Madrid, 1929) 2. “I like sharks a lot.” (Nederland, 1929) 3. “I love the Parisians.” (Nederland, 1929) 4. “It’s my mother! And I love her very much.” (Nederland, 1929) 5. “I had so far escaped their wrath by staying out of the South.” (Brazil, 1932)

Alternative Website:

https://babyestherjones.blogspot.c om Baby Esther Gallery:

Baby Esther Jones (1937)

A 1937 Brazilian article asks what happened to Baby Esther Jones. It asks where is she today? It is asked if she was married to a South Carolina worker. And also says that she was dancing in a troupe in Harlem.

Little Esther: New York, London, Paris (1931)

Baby Esther (1931)

Little Esther (1931)

Little Esther & Gordon Stretton Jazz (1931)

Baby Esther Jones (1931)

Esther Jones (1931)

Baby Esther Jones (1931)

Baby Esther despede-se Rio! (1931)

https://babyestherjones.wordpress.com

https://babyestherjones.wordpress.com

BABY ESTHER JONES FEATURED

BABY ESTHER JONES — Little Esther Jones the originator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" made famous by the chubby Helen Kane. Names : Esther Jones, Baby Ester, Bay Esther, Lil Esther, Baby Esther Lee Jones, Little Esther, Child Wonder, Miniature Florence Mills, Miniature Josephine Baker, Sepia Dancing Doll. Baby Esther Lee Jones originally billed ( Lil Esther ) was a child entertainer who lived in Chicago, Illinois. Esther was a trained dancer who used to

perform at nightclubs in Harlem in the 1920s. In her act Baby Esther would dance, make… funny faces, roll her eyes and interpolated words such as " Boo-Boo-Boo ", " Wha-Da-Da

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BABY ESTHER AND GORDON STRETTON JAZZ (1931)

UM PRODIGIO ARTISTICO! (1931)

LITTLE ESTHER E O EXTRAORDINARIO CONJUNCTO DE JAZZ SYMPHONICO: GORDON STRETTON JAZZ (1931)

A NEGRINHA DE OURO QUE NEW YORK, LONDON, PARIS E BERLIN (1931)

PARIS E BERLIN (1931)

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RISOLETA COSTA, A BABY ESTHER JONES IMPERSONATOR (1931)

BABY ESTHER JONES IMPERSONATOR (1931)

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Ginger Pauley Exposed For Lying About Me! Stop Lying Heaux! I Don't Know You!

Lol! Ginger Pauley, So Unoriginal.

Thanks to everyone who read the original article. Let us recap for 2021!

BETTY BOOP ENCYCLOPEDIA

"Boop-Boop-a-Doop" was more than Betty Boop, it was the exclamation point of the 1920s and early 1930s.

ESTHER JONES

Someone sent me a snapshot recently and stated that Hollywood actress and night club singer Ginger Pauley who has appeared on The Goldbergs, among other stu has been referencing me. Basically she started her career as a Betty Boop impersonator at Universal Studios but has no loyalty to Betty Boop. Because she would rather spread lies and fabrications and rally people to do disgusting things on her behalf. Is she crazy? Hell yeah!

She's a lunatic!

She's also stolen ideas from me and my quotes too that I created. So in return I just took back what was mine. Ginger Pauley owns nothing. She is a shoddy, cheap copy-cat. Who in Hollywood has to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" with men for money.

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Let me just make this clear. Not all white people are racist but a majority are. Especially the people referenced here. That's why people call them Karen and Ken.

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I don't know you Ginger Pauley or anybody you know. And you don't know me. But I do know about your racist shenanigans and I'm gonna tell everyone.

Baby Esther Jones aka Little Esther Jones POPULAR POSTS

Ginger Pauley Exposed For Lying About Me! Stop Lying Heaux! I Don't Know You! Lol! Ginger Pauley, So Unoriginal. Thanks to everyone who read the original article. Let us recap for 2021!

Someone sent me a snap...

Betty Boop Now I forgot to give my opinion on Betty Boop Now. So earlier this year Betty Boop was given a brand new design. With that new design they g...

Ginger Pauley has a big fake clown-like smile on her face. But in reality this woman is twisted in the brain. Like literally racist as hell. This woman went on a racist rant over this too but deleted all of her posts. What really? Really Ginger Pauley!? You didn't think somebody was watching out for you all those years ago? Course. There are moles everywhere on social media, here for a "KIKI" and the "HAHA" heaux!

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So this was many years ago. Apparently way back in 2014, when Ginger Pauley rst had the problem. You know back then everyone was saying Betty Boop was black right?

Well Ginger Pauley had been making posts about Betty Boop not being black, and it angered some people. Especially black people. So Ginger being the raicst that she is went on some racist rants and then quickly deleted the posts. But white people condone this behavior. So she got away with it.

To be honest. Ginger Pauley wasn't really known back then. Until she got all these TV o ers.

Let's admit. She was humble back then and put on a persona that she was sweet. How would I know? I am bitch too. And I will drag a heaux! So I know a bitch when I see one.

Also by the way Ginger Pauley... Getting your racist followers to make troll accounts and call me racial slurs does nothing. I ain't the one baby!

I'm from a place called troll central. We drag heauxs. We don't play.

By the way doesn't matter how many posts you delete. Remember this Ginger Pauley, there are always people who will screenshot.

All I ponder is are these people linked to one another being indirectly racist? You know indirectly as in not so arouse suspicion. Because you know cancel culture.

Just a quick note. Sites I run or work on are not associated with the o cial Betty Boop websites.

I don't care about anyone's approval, and I'm not looking for attention or validation.

If you like what I have to say that is ne by me, as long as you ain't a stalker. I say it like it is and I do not sugar coat anything. If you have racist intentions or you are a crazy racist cyberstalker, keep away.

Now known as the "Boop" blog. To unlink as this is a personal blog, personal feelings and opinions are here. If you don't agree, you shouldn't be hear reading this blog, go about your way. Nobody is forcing anyone to read things here. And yes, there are a lot of rants and ranting on here. And!?

And if you are being blatantly racist or stalking me on a personal level, I will call you out. You are sick and deranged, seek medical help.

But it seems to me that nobody has even noticed.

You know when it comes to me and being more than one ethnicity. People don't seem to care about people like me. But I do. And I care about the black people being harmed too.

But I know racism when I see it and I know perversion too. And that is why I had a problem with those perverted Autistic stalkers too. Was I not to say anything? Was I just to sit back and allow that to happen?

And then you have these racist people gloating about it? There was really no need for any of this kind of behavior. Over what? Who Betty Boop was based on?

Though we have a lot of information. They want to cover things up. And you know in the end people like this with powerful links to racist groups of people, eventually get their way.

Does it a ect me? Nope.

😏

Deluded Ginger Pauley as Betty Boop

So basically Ginger Pauley who had that boring TV show Vintage America with Ginger, was manipulating Autistic people to stalk and harass me over a Helen Kane story.

And is STILL going on about it to this day. It has been years. GET OVER IT!

If you are referencing me and talking about me of course I am going to say something. Who TF do you think you are? You scrawny scarecrow-looking heaux!

Quite pathetic. And I kinda made a rage rant. But I wanna narrow it down and make it more simple.

If you don't know why she is a Helen Kane impersonator. One in which stalked me on social media, and stole some of my ideas through the years and claimed them as her own.

Well apparently she had been making rage rants about me. And keeps sending mentally deranged people to attack. And she has been paying people to re-write the "Helen Kane" lawsuit thing.

You know how Helen Kane lost that Betty Boop lawsuit because she was outed as not being original?

You know I don't think anyone cares anymore. We know the facts and the facts are that Baby Esther was only partial evidence. The Judge put every single evidence into consideration.

Including Helen Kane stating that she herself was not the rst "baby-talk" singer.

And like Shamus Culhane stated that Helen Kane had to admit that she in turn, had copied the "scat-singing" business from Baby Esther.

Obviously Baby Esther copied it from Florence Mills, who in turn copied it from Gertrude Saunders. So basically Gertrude Saunders is the originator for those women.

It doesn't matter how far scat-singing goes back. What matters is that that is where Helen Kane got the idea, which was from those African-American singers.

Ginger Pauley is basically just rewriting history. Ginger Pauley hates black people you see. She is in a racist group on social media. Sandy Fox the o cial voice of Betty Boop is in that group too. That's why Sandy Fox was angry about the Baby Esther thing too for NO reason at all. She just randomly got o ended. Quite disgusting to be honest that Sandy Fox is like that. But I guess that is how a majority of white people are when they want to cover something up. Yet if you were to pick up a history book, you would see the opposite of what these people claim.

There is a group of them. They are all white people. Some of them according to someone on Twitter has been masking as black people. You know nobody cares right?

So if you see anyone pretending to be black on Twitter ranting about Baby Esther. That is actually a white racist person in digital blackface. Sickening. Those people who are that racist and hate people that much that they are willing to lie and fabricate something based on the color of merely someone's skin need to be killed. Racists needs to die.

💀

We need a death penalty for racism. And that goes all ways. Not just one way. All ways! So anyone racist against anyone should be sentenced to death.

And they seem to have a problem with African-Americans or anyone of a di erent race.

They have to be right and you have to be wrong.

They know that Baby Esther was a Florence Mills impersonator and that Helen Kane saw Baby Esther "scatting" and adapted that to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" only not using the same phrase.

So obviously Baby Esther is not going to be sole creator of the "Boop" or the "Doop" because she never once laid claim to it.

It actually came out that Esther was tributing Helen Kane in a MGM short. Even though Helen Kane had coined her act and adapted it. Not that Esther cared.

In fact Esther Jones had a better career than Helen Kane. Helen Kane lost everything. Why? And had a habit of not paying her bills. Look it up people! I am not lying!

Helen Kane even once forgot to or deliberately did not pay her bill at a clothing boutique.

Bonnie Poe the voice of Betty Boop who looked like Helen Kane went into the store. The store thought she was Helen Kane and refused to believe that she was not. That is until a news reporter picked up the story, proving Helen Kane to be a cheapskate.

She never paid her rent sometimes, tried to sue one of her ex-friend's Murray Posner for a loan, only to have to pay some of it back. Wasted most of her fortune of her friends buying them cars and living the life of luxury.

Helen Kane only ever wanted to help poor girls in Brooklyn achieve fame as she did by hosting contests. But indirectly destroyed her own career.

Allowing people to impersonate her then getting angry and upset that they are cashing in on her act, an act that she allowed them to imitate.

Helen Kane never once "patented" the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" and why was that?

You have to ask yourself these questions. And that is why in court she was outed and even exposed herself by giving vague answers to questions and admitting she apart from not being the rst "scat-singer" she was also not the rst baby-talk singer in the business either.

May the Manipulator

Here is the main manipulator behind the scenes, her name is May Farrington and she is an obsessive Helen Kane fan who was working on Helen Kane's biography. She is also Autistic too. So her xated is at an all time high. She has a link to Ginger Pauley and also racist ideals.

Actually you probably don't know this. May Farrington herself is a has-been Helen Kane impersonator. She used to herself do shoddy impersonations of Helen Kane.

And that is why she has taken this all to heart. Also the fact that people often will lie for the people they idolize. Even though Helen is long dead, you still have lunatics like May Farrington who will actively obsess and xate over someone who coined someone else's act. And get people to rally and be racist on her behalf.

I remember May. She does not like Baby Esther Jones. She said that Esther was "POOR" and "BLACK" and would never have been able to have performed at the "COTTON CLUB" which was later debunked, when Esther was listed as Cab Calloway's back-up sepia dancer.

See!? The lies some people tell.

May has been angry for decades about Baby Esther. And she has been trying to re-write history in order to discredit the Baby Esther story. But Baby Esther is only part of the Helen Kane suit. It wasn't really about her. We have made that clear many times.

The case was actually more about Helen Kane showing the Judge how Mae Questel, Margie Hines and Bonnie Poe were her protégés. And how she gave them their start in show business by allowing them to impersonate her.

I mean Bonnie Poe, the voice of Betty Boop used to perform at the Everglades Nite Club in 1932, not long after sharing the stage with Helen Kane.

Anyway "Betty Boop Checks" was the initial source that everyone followed. They said that a photograph of Esther Bigeou was Baby Esther! And fooled everyone! Yet May lied and said it was me! May is such a liar.

As I said May and Alec saw me praising Ginger Pauley through the years. So they later hooked up with her and told her lies. I do not know any of these people.

So emailing these people behind the scenes about me is meaningless. Because that means you see me as a threat, and you should not.

You know people like May Farrington. They are warned to leave people alone. But heaux-types like her do not listen and continue on the BS. I ain't the one heaux! You will deal if you keep the BS up! We know who you are. Stop now heaux!

This heaux has been doing a lot. Let's just say she is racist.

I'm sick of this old racist heaux May Farrington from Tacoma, Washington who went to Clover Park and College, who owns the business Pretty Printables & Design xating on me online.

Get over it heaux! We've moved on. You should too. Stop xating heaux!

Imagine this old crow-faced heaux throwing rocks and then hiding like she did nothing. You stirred the pot, you lied to all those people and made them attack me for no reason at all.

Other than the fact that someone BLACK did something before someone WHITE. Write your book! And piss o ! I don't want to know what you are doing. Stop xating and get on with whatever remaining LIFE SPAN you have left.

Don't worry. By Winter 2021 or 2025 most of these people will get their karma.

Esther Bigeou

Who is this woman in the photo!? Her name is Esther Bigeou and the photo was taken in 1923 by James Van Der Zee. Bigeou was a light skin African-American model and singer who was most popular in the early 1920s.

Esther Bigeou - That T… T…

Listen to Esther Bigeou sing a scat song in this video above. She also sung for Clarence Williams! Scat singing genius! Clarence testi ed against Helen in the lawsuit and said that Helen Kane was not original, which helped Paramount and the Fleischer Studios in the process.

Clarence was married to Eva Taylor! Eva was Florence Mills' best friend and was also in the musical Shu e Along. Read Williams barking at Helen Kane which is archived online somewhere. You just have to look for it. We know some Autistic pervert stole the article and tried to rename it but it is one of the many crazy people online who have been stalking me for unknown reasons.

They'll read a post here or there. Specially here. And then become xated and feel the need to elaborate on something, that nobody cares about. They try to tell me, as if I care? When I don't give a shit.

Like for example the last deranged sexual predator Daniel Burger with a love for spiders. We got his IP you see. Masking as troll pages. Nobody cares. You just get blocked gremlin. Maybe say what you said on your main pages? And see where that gets you, you sick fuck. You better stay hidden bitch!

When I did my research and found real photos of the real Esther Jones who was a child from Chicago, suddenly Esther Jones existed to these people!

They then lied and said Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. But the truth was that Esther Jones was a Florence Mills and Little Farina impersonator.

Make it make sense!

People like May and Ginger are very good at lying to the public. So good that Ginger got her Hollywood links and people who talk about "Betty Boop" and "Boop" origins to lie for her in books.

So much that these people literally bashed "ME" in books. Saying that I was a liar and painting Kane as the one true originator and whitewashing and hiding the true origins. Like these fake historians, who are all white - go gure.

Funny before I started blogging about origins of "Boop" or "Doop" and sharing truth and facts, nobody cared. Literally it was me who rallied for this "Boop" phase. No joke! If it wasn't true, I would have never got millions of views on YouTube and my blogs.

Ray Pointer Ray Pointer is the only historian who does not lie, he tells the story like it is. He probably thought I was taking aim at him, but in reality, I was actually talking about "other" historians, as there are more and also so-called historians like May Farrington.

He made it clear many years ago. That Baby Esther was only part of the lawsuit. The lawsuit was NOT about her. She just helped Judge McGoldrick made a decision on the spot, and also the other evidence all pilled up against Kane and she lost.

It's sad for Helen Kane. But she coined that idea from a galaxy of performers and was not original, and though Betty Boop was based on her it doesn't hide the fact that Helen was copy-cat.

In fact Helen Kane and Dan Healy would always hang out at Cab Calloway's "Cotton Club" in Harlem. So Helen watching Esther at the Everglades and having the same booking agent as Esther, really sums up that Helen copied an African-American.

That's why it clearly states that for the lawsuit they sent researchers to the "negro" aka the "black" clubs. Why would they do that? Because they knew where Helen Kane got the idea.

They knew she pilfered from one of the many African-American singers.

Pervert Italian Stalker!

Little did I know that someone who followed me an Italian man called Alec Caprari better known as Alessandro Caprari, saw my post and it directed him to May.

He's actually openly racist.

He is Autistic by the way... Obsession and xation...

Now we know Ginger Pauley tried to paint a picture that "I" hate Autistic people. That is not true. I don't like these kind, who lie and stalk people when they are not able to spin their narratives.

Alec is a racist Italian who has been stalking me for years. I ignored him and never once responded, and it angered him. So he basically would follow whatever I followed. And one day he happened to see me posting about Ginger Pauley so he befriended her by giving her money.

Depending on what she DID for him in return.

In that part of Hollywood there is some gossip that allegedly you have to turn tricks to climb that ladder. Ginger Pauley has a terrible singing voice, so she didn't really make it by just

singing. She cannot sing to save her life.

They are all in a group together.

So here is the deal, Ginger Pauley has been manipulating Autistic people on social media by saying things about me

Ginger Pauley has them calling me racial slurs over social media. Over what? A Betty Boop story? Don't worry Ginger Pauley people will know. And I did pass over all of your details to a few Internet trolls of my own.

I have had people email me who I do not know, I just block them. There are a lot of crazy people online. And if you have racist manipulators like Ginger Pauley

Sandy Fox Asked About Black Girls !?

You wouldn't believe this Sandy Fox got angry too.

Keep in mind this is another Betty Boop impersonator, who eventually became the voice of Betty Boop because she couldn't nd actual jobs in Hollywood so she was told by someone because of her annoying voice to become a cartoon vocalist instead.

She said something in a deleted video when asked about Baby Esther. She was told by a black man how "black girls" like Betty Boop and it upset her and her face went funny and Sandy said "no" everyone likes Betty Boop.

He overlooked the video and it seems he noticed me somehow referencing Sandy. And he deleted the full video and snipped it. Basically protecting her indirect-racism.

Because had I know Sandy Fox has such a problem. I would have spoken out against her years ago.

Ask yourselves. Would you wanna support Betty Boop, had you known she was voiced by someone who has a dislike for other races of people?

She was really upset and furious. And I asked myself what is Sandra's problem? Is their a problem Sandra? What is your problem Sandra Fox?

She seemed to have a problem with black girls liking Betty Boop. What's wrong with that Sandy Fox? You got a problem with black people!? Just because people won't follow that racist narrative that you promote? You getting angry because people are painting Betty Boop black?

Betty Boop's not black. We all know that. Why are you getting so upset Sandy Fox? We've made that clear. Whether people wanna claim Betty Boop as black is up to them.

Personally I think Sandy Fox is indirectly racist. But if Sandy Fox comes across a black person, she will put on a fake smile. But you can tell she has a problem.

She is married to an Italian a man Lex Lang and has a Italian family. No kids, because Sandy Fox is infertile, she cannot have children. She hates children, and probably thinks she is still a child.

Sandy had one "phone call" that she spoke about years ago and was bragging how much the man thought "she" was a child. How crazy is that? You have to watch out for the people in Hollywood who do not have children because they get up to all sorts. That heaux Sandy Fox could have always adopted. She and her husband have been married for years.

Sandy Fox actually went around on social media on websites and was making complaints about "me" being biased about her in 2020. WHAT!? But you cannot silence me here though heaux!

You are so lucky you were promoted by me for years. Nobody even knew you were the back-up voice for Betty Boop. Cindy Robinson is Betty Boop. But she doesn't care about being racist or saying indirect racist stu on social media.

So why did Sandy Fox take this seriously? She too is a Helen Kane fan and has a dislike for Mae Questel for unknown reasons.

Helen Kane never voiced Betty Boop. She hated Betty Boop.

I can actually repeat Helen Kane's words to describe Betty Boop which are REPUGNANT!!! Yeah that is what Helen Kane said about Betty Boop.

So if you are the "new alternative" voice of Betty Boop why are you defending someone who didn't like the character? Merely because Betty was based on her?

But Betty Boop became famous on her own. Helen Kane did not help Betty Boop rise to fame.

You know how I see it, KKKaren I mean... The Karen part is a joke. Sandy Fox looks like Karen from Will and Grace. Megan Mullally is not racist. So we cannot really compare Sandy Fox and Megan Mullally. Sandy Fox is another bitch I need to call out.

Sandy Fox complaining about me ranting about her to websites. Shows me that she really is embarrassed about her indirect-racist behavior.

Yes! Sandy Fox! You should be ashamed! And you WILL NOT silence me. A lot of trolls have tried me through the years. You really think because of your Hollywood links you are going to SHUT ME up? Hell no heaux!

Ooo! But karma got Sandy Fox good! She's aged really badly since 2021.

So Sandy Fox who o cially voices Betty Boop? Because of the Baby Esther story? You had a problem with me? Someone you don't know? Someone who never once said a bad thing about you?

😁

But now that I know Sandy Fox hates other races of people, but will smile in people's faces.

How does she still work in Hollywood you ask? It is white dominated. Specially in the industry in which she works, where she only has to use her voice.

By the way Sandy Fox... Helen Kane appealed her case "more than once," and was denied because she was not original and she could not copyright a voice or look.

So no matter how many books or videos Ginger Pauley makes defending Helen Kane or how many people she pays or gets to do her bidding, in history it will always be known that Helen lost her lawsuit and her case because she was a copycat and was not ORIGINAL, just like Ginger Pauley herself, she is a well known CHARACTER IMPERSONATOR who often like Kane steals people's ideas and make a pro t from them.

Kane appropriated from HARLEM, and then got re-appropriated by impersonators and the one and only Betty Boop and the rest is history.

Doesn't matter how many of these outlets you pay to re-write history. Most of us never really forget. Most things are re-written as time goes by and also forgotten. As you see now this NWO era wants people to forget that racism ever existed. But as you know history will continue to repeat itself. And people who think the way these people do, will always be around.

Like said. To all those racists. What you say is meaningless. You can go on racist rants for hours upon ends, it doesn't change what I personally know. You can re-write history, get paid by racists to do so, and change history. But for people like me who know the truth, it doesn't really change my opinion and like I said. The Baby Esther story is no dream or illusion. It has been known for decades.

Pick up a book sometime. And you'll see Baby Esther cited everywhere. Was she Betty Boop?

No she was not. Did she have any ties to Betty Boop? No. But has been used by the Fleischer Studios as defense for many decades.

I personally should have never responded to any of these people being racist. And I should have never ranted throughout the years. But I never knew that any of these people referenced in this post had a problem.

But since 2021 and rewriting this article. It has came to my attention that a lot of racist white people, seem to have it in for me. And all I have to say is, it ain't working.

And many people who have covered this story. They claim they have experienced racist comments from racist people. So something just ain't right.

So if we know that "scat-singing" specially Helen Kane's lineage is from a black woman, and not before then, because Gertrude Saunders was the MOLD. Then why do you have people trying to discredit these BLACK performers? When obviously Gertrude Saunders is the one who for WOMEN of the 1920s, was the one that inspired ALL of them to do it. You know WOMEN? Not MEN! WOMEN!!! Especially BLACK WOMEN! Anyway nishing up. Black artists like Florence Mills, Gertrude Saunders, Josephine Baker they are the origin for this. But everyone did it. And that is why Helen Kane lost in a court of law.

Keep in mind that I do not follow any of these people on social media and I do not keep up with them. Anyone ranting about any of this. You just will be blocked, like last ten or so racists who tried me. I do not care.

You can re-write history if it makes you feel better. Ain't got nothing to do with me. So all those blaming me, get over yourselves. And get a life.

And yes I did hear that one of the new agenda plans was to pretend that racism never existed nor does it. But it does. So that ain't gonna work.

What people need to worry about is this. We need all everyone especially the elderly to get this by 2025. Personally I think the is crowded. So this needs to be done. And maybe if this goes to plan, those elderly people and some of the people with racist ideals will vanish and maybe by 2030 we can all live the way we want to.

🌐

💋

Like I said Ginger Pauley! Stay mad old heaux!

We the people want Ginger Pauley to vaccinate her brain for 2021!!! No saline! you hear?

Vaccinate heaux! Ah! I love a good roast and gag!

😁

Labels: Ginger, Ginger Pauley, Pauley, Sandra Fox, Sandy Fox, SandyFoxWorld

LABELS

Betty Boop Betty Boop Checks Betty Boop Now Clara Bow Cyber-Stalker David Lawrence Esther Jones Ginger Ginger Pauley http://bettyboop.wikia.com/wiki/BETTY_BOOP_Wiki Mae Questel Pauley Pervert Sandra Fox Sandy Fox SandyFoxWorld Stalker Top Pages Tyler Frederick Wikia What Year Did Betty Boop Debut, And Who Was Her Voice? - Invalid Date File:Dingdong1.png - Invalid Date Ding Dong Doggie - Invalid Date File:Dingdong1.png - Invalid Date Voices of Betty Boop - Invalid Date The Baby Esther story angered a lot of racist people, but I was never silenced.

Ain'tcha by Betty Bo… Bo…

15/06/2021

$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit | BETTY BOOP Wiki | Fandom

in: Spoiler, Article stubs, Trivia, and 3 more

$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit In May 1932, Helen Kane filed a $250,000 infringement lawsuit against Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation for the deliberate caricature that produced unfair competition. While Kane had risen to fame in the late 1920s as "The Boop-Oop-A-Doop Girl," a star of stage, recordings, and films for Paramount, her career was nearing its end by 1931. Paramount promoted the development of Betty Boop following Kane's decline. The case was brought in New York in 1934. Although Kane's claims seemed to be valid on the surface, it was proven that her appearance was not unique. Both Kane and the Betty Boop character bore resemblance to Paramount top-star Clara Bow On April 19, Fleischer testified that Betty Boop purely was a product of the imaginations of himself and detailed by members of his staff. Little Ann Little, Mae Questel, Margie Hines and Bonnie Poe were all summoned to testify.

$250,000 Lawsuit

Contents 1 Plaintiff/Defendants 1.1 Judge: 1.2 Plaintiff:

Name

1.3 Defendants: 2 Testimonies

Kane v. Fleischer et al., 248 A.D. 554 (New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division New York State Library, Albany. 130.)

3 Fleischer vs. Kane 4 Helen Kane's Scat Interpolations: 5 Early 1928: 6 "Poop," "Poo," "Pe," "Pa," "Doo," "Bop," "Dop" and "Doop" (1928): 7 "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" (1928): 8 Betty Boop vs. Helen Kane 9 Betty Cavorts Boopless 10 Boop-A-Doops Worry Stenogs 11 Mae Questel Grilled In Court 12 Margie Hines Tells Court About Hot Licks 13 Poop Poop Padoop?

14 Edith Griffith 15 Felix Mayol 16 Clarence Williams 17 Hot Licks Man Testifies In Helen Kane Suit 18 Max Fleischer Denies Lifting Helen Kane's Stage Act 19 Dave Fleischer 20 Resemblance 21 According to Helen Kane 22 Helen Kane the Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl 23 Court Solemn as Helen Kane Boops Out Grief 24 Grim Natwick on the Creation of Betty Boop 25 Baby Esther Footage? And Helen Kane Reference?

26 Leslie Cabarga on the Lawsuit 27 Helen Kane Explained Her Difficulties 28 Loser In Suit 29 Verdict 30 Victory Newsreel 31 Helen Kane Is Mad! Mad! Mad! 32 Stage & Radio Adaptions of the $250,000 Trial 33 Betty Boop References Lawsuit Several Years Later 34 Trivia 35 See Also

Plaintiff/Defendants Judge:

Edward J. McGoldrick Plaintiff:

Helen Kane Samuel Robert Weltz (Attorney for Helen Kane) Defendants:

Max Fleischer N. William Welling (Attorney for Max Fleischer and Fleischer Studios) Austin C. Keough (Attorney for Paramount Publix Corporation) Mae Questel Bonnie Poe Margie Hines Little Ann Little Alfred E. Evans Lou Bolton Jacques Van Straden Julie Van Surdam Miriam Luber Frederick L. Maish Lilian Axelrod Mildred Sharra Elliott Shapiro Louis S. Diamond Clarence Williams

Testimonies $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Max Fleischer $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Margie Hines $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Mae Questel $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Little Ann Little $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Bonnie Poe $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Clarence Williams $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Miriam Luber $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit: Baby Esther Jones

Fleischer vs. Kane

The action was commenced by the service of the summons and complaint on the defendants on or about April 30, 1932. Issue was joined by the service of the defendants' answers on or about June 14, 1932. The action was brought to trial before Hon. Edward J. McGoldrick without a jury on April 17. 1934, and continued until May 4, 1934. The decision containing findings of fact and conclusions of law is dated June 8, 1934. The judgement in favor of defendants and against plaintiff is dated June 8, 1934, and filed on June 23, 1934.

"The plaintiff seeks to prevent the defendants from using and exploiting pictorial representations and portrayals of her and to prevent the defendants from using and exploiting her professional, theatrical name, in violation of Sections 50 and 51 of the Civil Rights Law; and the plaintiff seeks to prevent the defendants from deceiving the public into the belief that the performances of the cartoon character Betty Boop are the performances of the plaintiff, and from deceiving the public into the belief that the plaintiff actually supplied the singing and talking synchronized with the actions of the said cartoon character in the Betty Boop cartoons. Plaintiff originates and still uses a method of singing songs consisting of the interpolation at frequent intervals of the sounds Boop-Boop-a-Doop, or Boop-Boopa-Doop or Boop-Boop-Pa-Do or Boopa-Doop or simply Boop alone." Your honor," said Miss Kane's lawyer to Justice Edward J. McGoldrick, "we contend this character has Miss Kane's personality her mannerisms her plumpness, her curls, her eyes, and that she sings the songs Miss Kane made famous." The attorney for Max Fleischer, whom Miss Kane was suing contended that almost 60 songs were used in the cartoons and that only a few of them had been sung in pictures by Miss Kane. "You Honor." said Miss Kane's attorney, "we next will offer in evidence a picture called Pointed Heels in which Miss Kane was starred." A five-reel picture, made in 1929, was started. In this production, Helen Kane as a vaudeville dancer known as "Dot" almost drives a composer of symphonic music insane. Several times during the performance. Miss Kane and her husband Max Hoffman. Jr., and nearly everyone else in the movie-courtroom laughed but not Justice McGoldrick. "We will hear the phonograph records next," he said. A phonograph began playing: "That's My Weakness Now". Helen Kane "Booped" for the enlightenment of Justice McGoldrick and "Boop-Boop-a-Dooped" the court into giggles and herself into tears. Visibly agitated, Helen pursed her lips and trickled a few "Boop-Boop-a-Doops". Counsel insisted on more "Doops". In exasperation over the delays Kane bowled; "Of course I'm the original Boop girl!" I began Booping about 1928. My Boops earned me as much as $25,000 a week. Here's how I Boop!" The most significant evidence against Kane's case was her claim as to the uniqueness of her singing style.

Testimony revealed that Kane had witnessed seven-year-old African-American Florence Mills impersonator Baby Esther Lee Jones, scat singing at an obscure nightclub called the Everglades Night Club some years earlier. Esther was a child wonder, who used to sing and dance in her acts. She would later go on to tour several countries in a revue becoming a hit in Paris in 1929, and creating a sensation wherever she appeared. Also to note, Jones and Kane had the same booking agent (Tony Shayne). In 1928, Baby Esther was dubbed the miniature Florence Mills and had based her singing and dancing style on Mills, who died in 1927. Mills had become famous by replacing Bessie Smith's rival Gertrude Saunders in the musical Shuffle Along. You can find out more about Baby Esther in the article titled What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?.

Florence Mills who toured at the London Pavilion, in Paris, France, and other European cities long before Josephine Baker and Baby Esther Jones, was known to incorporate a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" into her song "Baby and Me" in a higher pitch obbligato, kind of like a flute. Jones being a Florence Mills impersonator sums up her interpolations. Only difference is that Jones used completely different scat rhythm to Mills. Which Kane was inspired by when she saw Esther perform at the Everglades.

"I Wanna Be Loved By You"

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According to information, Helen hadn't actually debuted her "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" in the hit Arthur Hammerstein musical show (h

Goodboy. Esther's ex-manager Lou Bolton, stated that Kane had debuted her "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" in Summer 1928, whereas Esther had delivered many "Boops" months before her in April, 1928 and had been scat singing on stage to live audiences since 1925. Kane was introduced to Bolton in 1928, and saw Esther's performance on stage. Bolton also claimed that Helen had a ringside seat at the Everglades Club on Broadway one night when Baby Esther was actively scat singing on the stage. Which then inspired Kane to want to scat sing in her songs.

"That's My Weakness Now"

Kane later introduced the unique sounds into the hit song "I Wanna Be Loved By You", and later a variety of scat sounds in the (h

songs (which were neither "Boop" or "Poop") in several other song releases, "That's My Weakness Now " and "Get Out and (h

Get Under the Moon ". "That's My Weakness Now" and "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" were released in July, (Summer, 1928).

"Get Out and Get Under the Moon"

Both of Helen's early recordings feature alternative scat sounds, similar to sounds Baby Esther used to interpolate into songs, indicating that Helen had adapted the scat sounds she'd heard. Helen didn't record the hit song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" for (h

Victor Records until the 5th of September, 1928. A few days later, Helen officially recorded the song on record on the 20th of September. The song was that popular that it became a 1928 hit song. The song is that popular that it is still relatively remembered to this day. Even so much, that during the 50s, the famous Marilyn Monroe covered the song, making it a classic.

To find out more into detail as to why Kane lost, read the article How Did Helen Kane Lose Her $250,000 Lawsuit?.

An early test sound film was later discovered featured Baby Esther (originally billed Lil' Esther) performing in this style, disproving Kane's claims. In the footage Baby Esther performed "Wa-Da-Da" and two Helen Kane songs which were "Don't Be Like That" and "Is There Anything Wrong In That?". Songs that had not only been performed by Helen Kane, but a galaxy of performers, as back in the 1920s, artists used to cover the same songs. 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.

During the trial Helen Kane's attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage of Baby Esther singing was irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court.

According to Leslie Cabarga (who had met Mae Questel in person), Helen Kane went to Max Fleischer and said if you use me in the cartoons instead of Mae Questel, I'll drop the suit. Max who knew Mae Questel said that he wouldn't use anyone other than Mae to voice Betty Boop, and also the main fact that Helen Kane who had been in debt would have probably asked for a larger salary, when in reality Fleischer could hire an impersonator to do the role for less. Had Paramount and the Fleischers wanted Kane to have done the role, they would have went to her from the start. Instead, they asked Margie Hines, who had won several Helen Kane impersonation contests to do the role because she did the singing for less money, as did Mae Questel and the other girls. Not only did the women who voiced the characters in Fleischers cartoons play Betty, they also had to play numerous other characters, from mothers to babies, to boys, including inanimate objects. Mae Questel was perfect for the role because she could play multiple characters. Even when Mae Questel wasn't doing the voices in the Betty Boop cartoons, the other women who did voice-over for the Fleischers were also expected to play more than one character role, something Kane would have had trouble doing, as she was not experienced in character voice-over and impersonation, Kane was a singer who could only do one voice and that was the baby-talk one. Mae however was able to do more than one voice, which is why she had such a successful career on radio and on the stage and also later in life.

When African-American singer, actress, dancer and comedian Gertrude Saunders (who is not to be mistaken for Baby Esther Jones) caught wind of the trial, she later came out as the one true originator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop". She stated that she had "Boop-Boop-a-Dooped" in 1921, long before Betty Boop and Helen Kane and long before Baby Esther, and she herself originated the style of singing when she used to appear in an all-black Broadway show in the early 1920s (Shuffle Along) where she ended with her number "Daddy Won't You Please Come Home," ending the entire scat chorus in baby talk. From 19341950, Saunders was tributed as the originator of the "Boop" scat singing style. According to vast research, African-Americans originated the scat singing style and it was adapted by others. Scat singing in general is most associated with jazz, a genre of music that also originated in African-American communities in the United States.

Helen Kane's Scat Interpolations: Helen Kane's original scat techniques were neither "Boop" or "Poop," her original interpolations seem to be a variety of scat sounds. The original scat singing techniques that Kane used in early 1928 are said to have been inspired by interpolations that Florence Mills impersonator Baby Esther Jones used to use at the Everglades. Kane's original interpolations are very similar to sounds used in the all-black Broadway musical Shuffle Along. Similar sounds that Gertrude Saunders, Florence Mills and Josephine Baker would frequently use in their musical performances. https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/$250,000_Infringement_Lawsuit

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Early 1928: 0:00

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"Bu-Du-Da-Du-Bada-Bu-Du-Da-Do-Da-Bu-Du-Da-Do" by Helen Kane.

"Bu-Du-Da-Du-Ba-Du-Du-Da-Da-Baddun-Da-Da-Da-Da-Da-Ba-Da-Da-Da-Ba-Da-Da" by Helen Kane.

"Baddle-a-Daddle-a-Daddle-a-Daddle-a-Do-Da-Diddle-a-Do-Ba-Do-De-Do-Da-Ba-Du-Ba-Du-Bo-Pa-Tiddle-a-Taddle-a-Do-Da-De-Da-Do-DoTittle-a-Tattle-a-Toodle" by Helen Kane.

By mid-1928 Kane adapted her scat technique to "Poop" and was then known as the "Poop" girl.

"Poop," "Poo," "Pe," "Pa," "Doo," "Bop," "Dop" and "Doop" (1928): 0:00

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"Bop-Pe-Dop-Pe-Dop-Pe-Dop-Poop-Poop-a-Doop" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Poop-Poop-Poop-Pe-Doo" by Helen Kane.

"Bap-Bap-Be-Dap" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Poop-Pa-Doo" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Poop-Pe-Doop-Poop-Poop-Pe-Doo" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Oop-Pe-Doo" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Oop-a-Doo-Uh" by Helen Kane.

"Poop-Poop-a-Doop-Oh" by Helen Kane.

"Boop-Boop-a-Doop" (1928): Helen later decided to change her "Poop" routine to "Boop," and then change her title from the "Poop" and "Poo" girl to the "Boop" and "Boo" girl. Revealing that Helen Kane was never the "Boop" girl to begin with, she was originally the "Poop" girl.

In most of her early performances, she is saying "Poop" not "Boop," which is why she held "Poo-Poo-Pa-Doo" contests.

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"Boop-a-Doop-a-Doop-a-Doo-Poop-Poop-a-Doo" by Helen Kane.

Betty Boop vs. Helen Kane

Helen Kane Vs Betty Boop

In court cartoons featuring Betty Boop were shown against Kane's film appearances. Dizzy Dishes (1930), Pointed Heels (1929), Boop-Oop-a-Doop (1932), Nothing But the Truth (1929), The Bum Bandit (1931), Dangerous Nan McGrew (1930), but with no sound. As the Judge was very strict in his ruling so Helen Kane was then asked to demonstrate her "Boop" technique in front of him.

Demonstrates "Boops" In Court - Helen Kane, famed Boop-Boop-a-Doop girl, in Supreme Court in New York in her $250,000 suit against two film organizations for alleged imitation of her in animated cartoons. On the stand, she gave a musical demonstration of the art of Booping. Max Fleischer was cross-examined by Samuel R Weltz, the counsel for Helen Kane.

Max Fleischer told of seeing Helen Kane at an entertainment given by the Paramount Company in 1928. Al-though a number of other actors appeared. Mr. Fleischer was unable to recall their names."Aren't you influenced by the people you meet in life when you create a cartoon character?" demanded Mr. Weltz. "Not exactly," said the witness. "Is the hairdress of Betty Boop one of the figments of your imagination" Mr. Fleischer replied in the afirmative, adding that in the production of the entire character he was assisted by members of his staff. Mr. Weltz, had previously called attention to the fact that both Betty Boop and Helen Kane parted their black hair in the center and that long split-curls adorn their fore-heads.

In court Max Fleischer was forced to admit that Helen's Booping had antedated Betty Boop's.

Betty Cavorts Boopless

Court sees animated cartoon and Helen Kane film run off silently in plagiarism case. A Boopless Betty Boop flickered silently across the wall of Supreme Court Justice McGoldrick's chambers today as Helen Kane sought to show that the animated cartoon character had copied $250,000 worth of her "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" style. Miss Kane, who says she is the original "Booper" is suing Paramount-Publix Corporation and Max Fleischer, creator of Betty Boop for that amount and is seeking an injunction to stifle the "Boopings" of what she terms her pen and ink mimic. Helen watches - Alternately pouting and giggling, the actress singer watched first the cavortings of Betty Boop and then the filmed versions of how she herself "Boops." Justice McGoldrick also watched, gravely making the notes that will help him to decide whether Betty Boop uses unfair competition. Except for the occasional throat-clearings of a roomful of attorneys, it was strictly a silent performance. The court having ruled against any audible "Booping." Miss Kane's attorneys strove vainly to have the sound tracks included, saying hey wished to show how Betty Boop has "simulated our voice and our style of singing," but Justice McGoldrick ruled that any "Booping" would be incompetent, immaterial and irrelevant. "It looks silly," Miss Kane whispered to the reporters, "without the sound." However, cousel proceeded to run off Betty Boop in "Bimbo, The Bum Bandit" and Helen Kane in Dangerous Nan McGrew. The animated cartoon showed Betty Boop capturing a bandit in one reel. "Dangerous Nan McGrew" showed Helen Kane capturing a bandit in seven reels. Three of the reels were skipped, however to save time.

Boop-A-Doops Worry Stenogs

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Court stenographers who have struggled to record in shorthand the "Boop-Oop-a-Doops" of Helen Kane were on the verge of hysterics tonight.Supreme Court Judge Edward J. McGoldrick ordered them to act down "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-Wa-De-Da." The "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" trial, in which Helen Kane seeks $250,000 damages from the animated cartoon creators of Betty Boop became thus complicated when Lou Bolton testified for the defense. Bolton testified that nine years ago in Chicago he taught Baby Esther, a negro child under his management to interpolate "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da" between the bars of music in popular songs. "Will you spell that?" asked a court stenographer. "I can't," replied the witness. "Put it down as it sounds," ordered Judge McGoldrick.

Mae Questel Grilled In Court

Mae Questel who was the official voice of Betty Boop at the time was grilled by Helen Kane's defense. Hines the original voice of Betty Boop & Poe were also questioned. Questel was asked what song she had performed at the Helen Kane contest. Questel stated she had sung "He's So Unusual" and had won first place. She was asked if she used to mimic Helen Kane and she admitted that she did at the Fordham Theatre along many other girls. She was asked if she was advertised after winning the show and she said yes and went on to perform "He's So Unusual" at the Riverside Theatre. She was asked if she knew Bonnie Poe and asked why Poe had her hair combed like Miss Kane. Questel stated that they always wore curls in their hair. She was then asked if she knew that Helen Kane was the Boop-Boop-a-Doop girl. When asked about singing "That's My Weakness Now" in the 1932 cartoon titled Stopping the Show.

Questel stated she did not mimic Helen Kane but had been to about 4-5 shows at theatres, where she watched Kane perform publicly. According to Questel she was touring at the time of the lawsuit as "Mae Betty Boop Questel" singing Betty Boop songs from the cartoon series, but did not associate her Betty Boop singing voice with Kane through each and every question answered.

Margie Hines Tells Court About Hot Licks

Margie Hines who was known as The Original Betty Boop admitted in court to knowing what "hot licks" in music were and that she used them. There is an archived recording of Hines doing a "Wa-Da-De-De-De-De" proving that she did interpolate alternative "hot licks" into songs. Hines indicated that her "Boop" routine was actually "hot licks" and she also claimed that even though she had impersonated Helen Kane, it was not Helen Kane's "baby-voice" but her own that was used in the Betty Boop cartoons. Helen Kane tried to lay claim to a voice that she did not own. If the Fleischers and Paramount had used Helen Kane's actual voice, it would have been a complete different story.

Poop Poop Padoop?

According to Helen Kane her original scat lyrics were not "Boop-Boop-a-Doop", they were originally "Poop Poop Padoop". Helen Kane claimed that her linguistic invention had been misquoted and that it was really "Poop Poop Padoop" rather than "Boop Boop a Doop". Although the exact difference between a Boop and a Poop was never made entirely clear. It has been indicated that Helen's scat sounds were influenced by other performers and that she had adapted the scat sounds she had heard and made them her own.

According to a 1931 news article, before Helen launched her suit against Paramount and the Fleischer Studios, Broadway performer Chic Kennedy claimed she originated "Poop-Poop-a-Doop" and it was stolen from her by Helen Kane, when she was taken ill.

Edith Griffith

Edith Griffith was also used as evidence as "Booping" in a early recording alongside Baby Esther.

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Several other baby singers were also used against Kane. Nan Halperin, Irene Franklin, Peggy Bernier, Duncan Sisters, Hannah Williams. To find out more about the baby-talk singing style read the article titled The Origin of the Baby-Talk Singing Style.

Felix Mayol

French singer and entertainer Felix Mayol was also used as evidence as "Booping" in the 1913 song titled "Bou-Dou-Ba-DaBoum," Helen responded to this by saying she had never heard of the song.

Clarence Williams

Clarence Williams an African-American music publisher and composer who testified at the $250,000 lawsuit of Helen (Boop-aDoop) Kane, told the Supreme Court Justice McGoldrick in Manhattan that back in 1915 he invented “hot licks" which went mostly "What-Da-De-Da" with an occasional "Boop" thrown in by accident. The witness said he had invented the "hot licks" when he ran out of words and music. He was married to Eva Taylor, who appeared in the musical Shuffle Along the same musical in which "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" was said to have originated, and she was also great friends with Florence Mills, who had died in 1927. One of Williams' hit songs was "Papa De-Da-Da". When Margie Hines was summoned to testify in court she also called the "Boop" sounds she had made "licks".

Hot Licks Man Testifies In Helen Kane Suit

Clarence Williams, colored of New Orleans was a defense witness today in Helen Kane's $250,000 suit. Miss Kane's suit is against Paramount Publix and Max Fleischer, creator of animated cartoon girl Betty Boop claiming infringement. Williams is what is known as a "hot licks" man. Now, said the attorney for the defense, don't sing but illustrate to his honor some "hot licks", Williams tapped his foot, "Wha-Da-De-Da", he testified, "Boo-Boo-Pa-Doo." His honor held up a hand. Williams feet tapped faster. Boop! the attorney for the defense changed the line of inquiry. Lack of further musical ideas said Williams, caused him to invent "hot licks" in 1913 - long before Miss Kane thought up her Boops.

Max Fleischer Denies Lifting Helen Kane's Stage Act Says "Betty Boop" product of imaginations of him-self and staff. The great "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" trial went Booping along in supreme court today with artist Max Fleischer denying he used Helen Kane as an unwitting model for his animated Betty Boop cartoons. Betty Boop, Fleischer testified is purely a product of the imaginations of himself and his staff. Miss Kane, who claims to have originated the idea of interspersing a catchy little "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" now and then when singing a song is seeking $250,000 damages from Fleischer, the Fleischer Studios Inc, and Paramount Publix Corporation on the ground the Betty Boop cartoons are based on her personality and style of singing. Asked if he has ever seen Miss Kane perform before he began drawing Betty Boop cartoons in 1930, Fleischer recalled an entertainment at which she sang in 1928, her numbers were rewarded by "great applause", he added. "Aren't you influenced," Miss Kane's lawyer asked", by the people you meet-in life when you create a cartoon character?" "Not exactly,"replied Fleischer." Is the hairdress of Betty Boop one of the figments of your imagination?" "Yes" said the artist. The attorney previously had observed that Betty Boop and Miss Kane affected similar coiffures. "When you saw Miss Kane in 1928, he pursued "did you look at her nonchalantly or studiously?" Defense counsel objected and Justice McGoldrick told Fleischer he need not answer. In creating Betty Boop, the cartoonist said his principal contributions had been the rolling eyes and mature figure. Miss Kane who says she has been "Booping" since 1920 listened closely to Fleischer's testimony. She wore a flaming red hat with a long brown feather that has a habit of tickling her attorney's ear when he bent over to confer with her.

Dave Fleischer

The trial centered on who had coined the "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" phrase. Dave Fleischer later recalled, "In the courtroom... we were all talking 'Boops' and 'Boop-Boop-Ba-Doops' and 'Boopety Boop-Boops', and we'd say, 'It's not a 'Boop', it's a 'BoopetyBoop'."

Resemblance

Mae Questel, Betty's voice was not the only one who looked like Betty Boop. The popular singer Helen Kane looked like her too. But then so did the movie star Clara Bow, the "It" girl. And so did thousands of other women. The boyish bob and split curls, round face, wide mascaraed eyes was very popular in the late 1920s and the 1930s.

According to Helen Kane According to Helen Kane, the problem was not that she looked like Betty Boop but that Betty Boop looked like her and sang like her and most important, used the phrase "Boop-Oop-a-Doop", which Kane claimed to have invented. Although Kane's accusations strangely mirrored the cartoon, Max Fleischer remained undaunted by her claims that they had taken her "BoopOop-a-Doop".

Helen Kane the Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl In 1923, a plump, impudent artfully infantile young woman named Helen Kane began to appear in vaudeville. In her songs she usually replaced the lyrics with extraordinary noises. Presently her favorite noise, "Boop-Boop-a-Doop," became a recognized word in Vaudeville's nonsense language. By 1928, Helen Kane had innumerable imitators. In 1931, there appeared in animated cinema cartoons a character called Betty Boop. Helen Kane grew fatter. Her infantilism grew less appropriate and profitable.

Betty Boop remained babyish, alert, and so prosperous that her name became almost as familiar in Manhattan courtrooms as that of Ella Wendel. Producer Max Fleischer whose firm made the Betty Boop cartoons, distributed them through Paramount, successfully sued a doll manufacturer for imitating Betty Boop. It was Producer Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corp. who were sued by Helen Kane for $250,000 for copying her voice and mannerisms. Justice Edward J. McGoldrick ruled against a jury. Counsel ordered Helen Kane to remove her coat, arrange her hair like Betty Boop. Defendant Fleischer produced three baby faced young women who do the singing for Betty Boop cartoons. The court was darkened and three Betty Boop cartoons and one reel of a Helen Kane picture were projected on the wall. After this, Justice McGoldrick ruled that he had, had enough, demanded records and music sung by Helen Kane and Betty Boop before he made a decision. Grown fatter but still talking with the voice of an indignant doll.

Court Solemn as Helen Kane Boops Out Grief The trial itself, although deadly serious for the principals, involved seems to have had been a sort of comic opera. The newspapers had a ball with it. Even the staid New York Times carried the headline that had read: "Court Solemn as Helen Kane Boops out Grief." At one point in the trial, the Times reported, Kane's lawyer directed her to remove her hat and coat, so the court might see if her face and figure resembled that of Betty Boop's. To make the resemblance more striking she arranged locks of her hair across her temples and cheeks. Young women in the audience immediately began practicing the coiffure. The same article also contained ecstatic descriptions of her, were introduced. Justice McGoldrick remarked. "Of course, I shall consider only the pictures, but I suppose counsel will have no objection if I try the music on the piano, He said he would have no difficulty considering the pictures alone, because they were obviously the prettiest parts of the sheets. "Thank you", piped Miss Kane.

Grim Natwick on the Creation of Betty Boop According to animator Grim Natwick, it was he who created and designed the character while working on the Talkartoons.

"Once morning they put on my desk a copy of the "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" song sung by Helen Kane, he told John Canemaker. At that time there were no designers and no story men. We virtually wrote our own stories and designed our own characters, then animated them, and so it was with Betty. I'm not even sure she was okayed before I animated her. Helen Kane was then working for Paramount at its studio in Astoria. Paramount had already sent the Fleischers another of its stars,Rudy Vallée (a service it would continue in the future), so the interest in Kane is not surprising. What is unusual is that Fleischer proceeded to copy Kane's distinctive look and sound without bothering to get her permission first. Despite the obvious connections and Natwick's later admission, Helen Kane lost her lawsuit when it was revealed that she was not the first "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" singer in the business. In final irony fans now associate this performance style with Mae Questel, who voiced most of the Betty Boop cartoons.

Baby Esther Footage? And Helen Kane Reference?

According to a historian, the early sound test of Baby Esther did not break at the point of the Boop sequence, but a reference to Helen Kane was removed from the 1932 cartoon Stopping the Show, before being shown to the Judge and no longer appears in the episode. The film of Baby Esther was a double system sound technique like Vitaphone. The film did not break at the point of the "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" part, they did not show this in court. What happened was the print has been spliced in several places https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/$250,000_Infringement_Lawsuit

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due to breakage and went out of sync at the crucial point due to the lost frames. Lou and Kitty Pfister, head Film Cutter stayed up all night locating spots to insert black film slugs to replace the lost frames to put the crucial spot back in sync. A new married print with optical sound was produced, the Paramount News Lab being kept open all night waiting for this to present as evidence the next morning. The remark about Justice McGoldrick being bribed is a conclusion not based on fact. There was enough remaining evidence to prove Miss Kane's case. However since there is a film trade ad that places a picture of Helen Kane next to an early version of Betty Boop. Further evidence can be found in the tampering with the original negative to Stopping the Show, which was built around Mae Questel's stage act impressions, which prompted Max Fleischer in hiring her.

This is the first official Betty Boop cartoon which consists of a series of contemporary celebrities. Each is introduced by a photograph of that celebrity with animated lips and the voice of that celebrity coming from the picture. Only the voice of Maurice Chevalier is authentic. The voice of Fanny Brice is an imitation by Mae Questel. Oddly, the sequence begins with Betty going right into "That's My Weakness Now", a song made popular by Helen Kane. This song is not set up by the celebrity picture on the easel as the others are. You hear an audio splice from the audience applause going to the song. At two points there is a long shot, one of which pans from the stage to the audience. In the background is an image on a easel that looks like the image of Helen Kane. Why else would it be there? This direct reference to Helen Kane was deliberately removed from the negative so that a new print could be shown in court that would not indicate an edit. But it clearly was removed from the negative. Paramount took advantage of the ignorance of film technology on the part of court, which accepted what they saw not knowing what had been done to alter the evidence.

Leslie Cabarga on the Lawsuit

The Junot Files - Betty Boop

According to Leslie Cabarga who had researched the Fleischer Studios, Judge McGoldrick was bribed and was payed off by Paramount. Leslie Cabarga: "I started to research and met Grim Natwick who is credited having created Betty Boop. I called him in California and he told me his story, which was that he had been given a sheet music of Helen Kane and they told him, hey, do a take off of her. What happened was err... Helen's lawyer kept bringing up these facts and he kept being overruled by a Judge that was brought by Paramount. So he, the "Judge" was in Paramount's pocket, he was in money's pocket. Which never happens to this day it never happens. So it was an anomaly then and unheard of now. The fairness of honesty and justice wins out all the time as we know in the American way but not back then. So every time Helen's lawyer would try to bring up an objection, state a fact he would be overruled. It became where he recognized how ridiculous this was and was almost kind of mocking it, saying I don't have a chance here. Apparently, Helen Kane had gone directly to Max Fleischer and said if you use me in the cartoons, I'll drop suit, but Max said I won't use anyone but my Mae Questel."

Helen Kane Explained Her Difficulties

Helen Kane: "I have become a ghost... Recently in Hollywood when some children ran to open the door of my car they greeted me as Betty Boop. Betty is just one stroke removed from Mickey Mouse."

Loser In Suit

Helen Kane who claims to be the original "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" stylist, is shown as she appeared in a New York City supreme courtroom where her $250,000 damage suit against Max Fleischer. She sought an injunction to stifle the movie "Boopings" of Betty Boop, pen and ink character which Fleischer contended was a product of his own imagination.

Verdict

Basically She Lost

Judge McGoldrick found that Helen Kane's singing style was most common to a number of Boop-a-Doopers even before Helen had claimed she had invented the idea and mannerisms. And the lawsuit ended with her losing against the Fleischer Studios and (h

the Paramount-Publix Corporation, a company Helen herself used to be linked to earlier on in her career.

The complaint made by Helen Kane was dismissed on the ground that the plaintiff had failed to make out a cause of action for unfair competition and again, on the entire case of the defendant Paramount Publix Corporation moved to dismiss the complaint upon the ground that the plaintiff had failed to make out a cause of action for unfair competition, in that the plaintiff has failed to prove any property right in any of the things and songs which she claims a property right in; she has failed to prove any deception between herself and the cartoons of which she complains; and upon the further ground that there is not a scintilla of evidence in the record that there is any competition whatever between the plaintiff and the cartoon known as as Betty Boop; and on the further ground that it affirmatively appears that all of the matters as to which plaintiff claims any right are publici juris; upon the ground that it affirmatively appears from all of the evidence that there was no deception and no intent to deceive anybody, and the fact that the girls Margie Hines, Bonnie Poe and Mae Questel and Little Ann Little were known as the girls whose off-screen voice was recorded for use in the Betty Boop cartoons.

The court ruled at the beginning of the trial that, under a liberal construction, the complaint embraced two causes of action: (1) a violation of Sections 50 and 51 of the Civil Rights Law; (2) unfair competition. During the course of the trial the complaint was dismissed as to the individual defendant Max Fleischer.

Victory Newsreel

A Message To Helen Kane

After winning the trial against Helen Kane, Max Fleischer accompanied by Mae Questel, Bonnie Poe, Margie Hines, Kate Wright and Ann Little performed a response to Helen Kane in a Fleischer Victory Newsreel. Max stated that the five voices of Betty had something special in their voices. Mae Questel took the lead and performed "Don't Take Our Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away!". In the newsreel the girls said: "You can say our voices are awful, or my songs are too risqué, but don't take our 'BoopOop-a-Doop' away." The reason for this was while in court Helen had ignored the voices of Betty Boop (several of the women had entered Helen Kane contests and had won first place - according to information Helen had felt betrayed by the women who had won first place in her Helen Kane look and sound-alike contests held in the late 1920s,) so Helen pretended they wasn't there and had basically saw them as nothing so this was their response to Helen after the trial had ended. The newspapers followed the lawsuit for days on end, and had given the character Betty Boop, her creator Max Fleischer and the voices of Betty Boop most of which who were uncredited for their role as Betty Boop in the cartoon series great publicity. Helen Kane responded to three of the girls who had originally entered her "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest" by saying: "You know, people in show business usually stick together. You can imagine how I felt when these three girls that sing for Betty Boop - Mae Questel, Bonnie Poe and Marjorie Hines testified against me. Why I started them on their careers. They all won Helen Kane contests and I gave them my picture and wished them luck. The verdict was a great shock to me. It's not the money - I'm financially independent and I'll spend my last dollar fighting that verdict. There should be some way an artist can protect her creations." Helen had originally claimed she didn't mind being impersonated but by 1930 it started to grate on her career, much so that Mae Questel was dubbed as being better than the original, which led Helen to make a complaint against Questel using the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" title and prompted Helen to declare Claire Bart the best Helen Kane impersonator. A girl group called the Four Betty Boop Girls debuted in 1934, and featured Mae "Betty Boop" Questel as lead vocalist, and Margie Hines, Bonnie Poe and Little Ann Little as the "Boop-Oop-a-Doops" in the group.

Helen Kane Is Mad! Mad! Mad!

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After losing the trial against the Fleischer Studios Helen Kane denounced civilization incognito and then denounced civilization in the flesh. Miss Kane in fact didn't think the human race was being kind to her. She gave a small interview in the papers where she let out her frustration on the Judge. "I want him to know that I'm not all Boop-Boop-a-Doop!" while appealing the case. She told her husband at the time that she never wanted to see another lawyer, newspaperman, Judge or courtroom in all her life. "I am MAD! MAD! MAD! I am so mad," she said, "I am going to spend a lot of money appealing this case. They have stolen my idea! I don't need money. I sued these Betty Boop people for $250,000, I don't want a cent of it. All I want is vindication. It has broken my heart." Helen Kane later decided to fight back with a cartoon caricature of herself dubbed "The Original Boop-Boopa-Doop Girl", after hearing that Betty Boop would appear in a comic strip series. Helen contacted King Features in advance and asked for a comic of her very own which was short lived and was soon replaced by the Betty Boop comic strip. Around that time period Helen also opened a show titled Trial of the People vs. Helen Kane which was based on the events that had taken place in court.

In 1935, a year after the trial had taken place, Helen Kane went on tour in Brooklyn. Her appearances featured Betty Boop as used in the posters and a Betty Boop cartoon. Max Fleischer was advised by the newspapers to sue her, but he did not pursue Kane.

After Helen had lost the suit, lawyers agreed that Helen had made the mistake of charging plagiarism when she should have claimed restraint of trade. Restraint of trade is an action that interferes with free competition in a market, a clause in a contract that restricts a person's right to carry on their trade or profession. Helen appealed her case but it was dismissed by the Appellate Division of the N.Y. Supreme court, which prohibited her from further appeal. Helen based her action on the grounds that Fleischer and Paramount used her voice and originality in the cartoons by Fleischer in his animated shorts, without her permission. She also sought an injunction, Judge Carew held no one could copyright a voice and Miss Kane did not hold the copyright on the actions of the Fleischer character.

Betty Boop was retired in 1939 and no longer appeared on screen. Helen Kane made a comeback in the 1950s and did TV appearances where she performed live and released several songs. One with MGM in 1954 titled "The Boop Boop a Doop Girl".

Helen also used to sign pictures of Betty Boop and hand them out, she was mistaken as the voice of Betty Boop. She died several years later in 1966 as she had battled breast cancer for more than a decade which later killed her. After she had died she was mistaken for the voice of Betty Boop in several newspapers. Betty Boop was later rediscovered during the 1970s but didn't quite make an impact until the 1980s, in which she became an iconic figure of the past.

Stage & Radio Adaptions of the $250,000 Trial After the trial, Helen Kane opened a show based on the trial called Trial of the People vs. Helen Kane also known as Action of the People vs. Helen Kane. The show opened several times, including at Tony Shayne's Sky Rendezvous on the Hotel Walton Roof. Kane also acted out a bit of the trial on Rudy Vallée's radio show The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour in 1934 in which she explained that she wanted a pound of Max Fleischer.

Betty Boop References Lawsuit Several Years Later

On Betty Boop's old official website the Helen Kane vs. Fleischer Studios lawsuit was referenced and later removed. In 2011 on Betty Boop's official Facebook the lawsuit was referenced in a quiz which asked people "Who sued Fleischer Studios in 1934 in a lawsuit that made the headlines? What was the lawsuit about? Who won?" The quiz was left open and answered by fans.

Trivia Helen Kane told the court that Max Fleischer had seen her perform on stage at one of her shows.

A skit of the trial was played on The Fleischmann's Yeast Hour in 1934.

Dizzy Dishes and The Bum Bandit prove that Betty Boop was a caricature of Kane, although the Judge didn't think so.

Helen Kane had played a Betty in the 1931 film Heads Up!, the same exact year Betty Boop was given the name Betty.

But according to the Fleischer Studios the animated character's name was inspired by the classic hit song "Betty Co-Ed".

Helen wanted Betty Boop stopped by injunction.

The lawsuit started in 1932 and ended in 1934. Helen continued to pursue the Fleischers after the Fleischers won, but after being rejected more than once, she later gave up.

Mae Questel had won a Helen Kane look and sound-alike contest when she was 17 years old, and was given a autograph

by Kane which was used as evidence in court. Mae began her career impersonating stars from the 30s such as Marlene Dietrich, Fanny Brice, but was best known for her Kane impersonation.

Margie Hines the original voice of Betty Boop had also had won several of Helen Kane's "Boop-a-Doop" contests that were held in Brooklyn at the age of 17, and not too long after went on to provide Betty's voice. (h

Bonnie Poe and Mae Questel were hired as Helen Kane look and sound-alikes. Look-alikes as in playing Betty Boop in person in live-action Paramount film shorts.

Grim Natwick stated that he had used Kane's hair for the base of Betty Boop, whereas in the court case Max Fleischer and his artist claimed that Betty's hair was styled after the "It" Girl Clara Bow & flappers of the 1920s.

In the 1934 cartoon Poor Cinderella, Betty Boop's hair was turned red which resembled Clara Bow's, although Little Ann Little who was one of the several original voices of Betty Boop had red hair and "claimed" that Max Fleischer made Betty Boop's hair red because she had red hair.

The newspapers followed the trial for days upon end which gave the voices of Betty Boop, Bonnie Poe and Margie Hines publicity which then allowed Hines the original voice of Betty to snag a role alongside Harry Warren in 1933, and Bonnie Poe starred in Rambling Round Radio Row in 1934.

Ann Little insisted that the reason Helen Kane lost her suit was because of the evidence she had given against her in court.

Sometimes it is claimed on official Betty Boop merchandise that Betty Boop's body was designed after Mae West and that her singing voice was taken from Helen Kane, or sometimes with a body like Marilyn Monroe and a singing voice like Helen Kane.

Child performer Baby Esther, who was better known as Li'l Esther was presumed to have died by internet speculation and or fabrication by a Helen Kane fan club. The real lawsuit documents state that her ex-manager Lou Bolton, stated that he thought she was still in Paris. Esther did not comment on the lawsuit, but she was advised by the Afro-American newsaper to sue Kane. Esther however did not pursue Kane.

During the lawsuit Kane claimed that she didn't know what "hot licks" were and lied under oath that she never heard of the term "scat singing" and claimed to not know what "scatting" in songs was. Had she not known what "scat rhythm" was, she would have never been able to interject "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" into her songs.

Baby Esther's fake death was created as a hoax by a Helen Kane fan club.

See Also The Origin of the Baby-Talk Singing Style How Did Helen Kane Lose Her $250,000 Lawsuit?

What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

Protect Her Rights In boop-a-Dooping (1932) Charges Film Stole Boop (1932) Helen Kane Asks $250,000 Claims Film Stole Boop (1932) Miss Kane and Betty Boop (1933) Paramount May Make Betty Boop an Ophan (1934) Betty Removes Coat in Trying to Prove She Was Aped in Film Cartoons (1934) Helen Kane Hears Betty Boop (1934) Artist Denies Miss Kane Was His Inspiration (1934) Five Betty Boops Silent in Court (1934) Court Studies B. Boop's Face (1934) Sings Her Boop-a-Doop in Court (1934) https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/$250,000_Infringement_Lawsuit

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Spur of the Moment (1934) Does Betty Boo Padooper Like Helen Kane? Court Asked to Decide 250,000 Claim! (1934) Booping Contest (1934) Boop Vs Boop May the Best Boop Win (1934) Boop-Boop-a-Dooper's Day in Court (1934) Fleischer Animated News: Wrangle With Helen Kane (1934) Outdo Each Other (1934) Long Trial for Betty Boop (1934) She Was Not So Original (1934) Birth of the Boop (1934) Not So Good (1934) Court Dismisses $250,000 Suit of Helen Kane (1934) Featured Screen and In Person (1934) Boopers to Boop (1934) Paramount, New York (1934) Idemic of Boops (1934) Fox Brooklyn: Helen Kane Uses Betty Boop (1935) Fox Brooklyn: The Same Week (1935) 2D Boop Suit Won by Fleischer Studios (1936) Helen Kane "Betty Boop" Appeal Lost (1936) Can't Copyright a Voice, So Helen Kane Loses Paramount Suit Again (1936)

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$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit

Kane v. Fleischer et al., 248 A.D. 554 (New York Supreme Court, Appellate Division New York State Library, Albany. 130.)

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in: Spoiler, People, Trivia, and 11 more

Baby Esther Jones This article is about Baby Esther Lee Jones. Not to be confused with Little Esther Phillips. See Gertrude Saunders for the originator of Boop-Boop-aDoop.

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

Little Esther Lee Jones Baby Esther Lee Jones originally billed (Lil' Little Esther) was a child entertainer who lived in Chicago, Illinois. She was managed by her mother Gertrude Jones, her aunt Ruth Jones, her father William Jones, and later by Sidney Garner. Esther was a trained scat singer and had been scat singing since 1925, a dancer, and acrobat since 1923. She used to perform regularly at nightclubs in Harlem and all over the United States during the early 1920s and was given great reviews by the white press who stated that in time she would be the next Florence Mills. During the 1920s Baby Esther performed in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Michigan, Jackson, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Union City and New Jersey. In her act Baby Esther would dance, make funny faces, roll her eyes and interpolated words such as "Boo-Boo-Boo", "Wha-Da-Da","Doo-Doo-Doo" & "Do-Do-De-Do-HoDe-Wa-Da-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would finish off her unique scatting routine with a "De-Do" in rhythm. A majority of these scat techniques were taught to Esther by her manager at the time Lou Bolton. Bolton claimed that in Chicago he taught Esther how to interpolate "scat singing" between the bars of music in popular songs. Other scat sounds Esther used to interpolate include "RoopWoop-a-Woop," "Ud-Up-Deo-Do," "Skeet Scat," "Bup-Bup," "Poo-Pooa-Doo" long before Helen Kane. "Roop-Woop-a-Woop" was one of the many scat interpolations used by Esther Jones, which sort of sounds similar to Helen's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine that Kane debuted in the same year. It is said in history that Helen Kane had adapted the scat sounds she had heard Esther interpolate and changed one of the latter to "Poop Poop Padoop," first using it in the Broadway musical Good Boy in which she interpolated the scat sounds into the hit song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" in which Kane became famous overnight. Helen's first two recordings "That's My Weakness Now" and "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" prove this. When Kane tried to sue the Fleischers an early test sound film was discovered which featured Baby Esther performing in this unique style, disproving Kane's claims of inventing the scat lyrics. Baby Esther's ex-manager Bolton testified that Helen Kane had saw Baby Esther's cabaret act in 1928 with Tony Shayne, and then not too long after Kane suddenly started to scat sing in shows.

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 and "scat" style of singing did not originate with Kane. Little Ann Little, 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. At the Everglades Nite Club in 1928, Esther would often impersonate her idol Florence Mills and was known as a Florence Mills impersonator. Mills was known to incorporate a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" into her song "Baby and Me" years earlier. At the Everglades, Esther would sing Florence Mills' most famous songs and would also dance and often uttered her "Do-DoDe-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da" on stage, a unique scat singing style which is said to have originated from other black stars. Florence Mills was likely the inspiration, who in turn was emulating "scat singing" originator Gertrude Saunders. When Max Fleischer, invented Betty Boop he was not only imitating Helen Kane but a whole image of women in the 1920s. Helen Kane did not initiate the phraseology "Boop-Boop-aDoop" even though she most certainly popularized it. This catchy, inane line of scat was first used in "alternative scat form" by Gertrude Saunders, Florence Mills and Baby Esther. Bessie Smith's rival Gertrude Saunders is often cited as the original "scat singing" sensation and spoke out against Helen Kane and Betty Boop in 1934 by saying she "did it first in 1921" while performing in the all-black Broadway musical Shuffle Along. Esther Jones was most popular in European countries such as France especially Paris, Sweden, Germany and Spain.

Also the capital of London, Brazil and South America. Shamus Culhane best known for his work on the early Betty Boop cartoons references (h

Baby Esther

Esther Jones

(h

Baby Ester Little Ester

Bay Esther

Lil' Esther

Farina's Kid Sister

Baby Esther Lee Jones

Little Esther

Little Esta

Little Hester

Little Lester

Child Wonder

Child Prodigy

Miniature Florence Mills

Miniature Josephine Baker

(h

Name

The Black Baby

Black Mistinguett

Sepia Dancing Doll

Esther Jones in his 1986 book Talking Animals and Other People which states "under careful cross-examination Kane had to admit that she, in turn had copied the 'Boop-Boop-a-Doop' business from an obscure black singer Baby Esther." [1] Contents 1 Quotes 2 Baby Esther's Biography 3 Official Betty Boop 4 Lou Bolton and Little Esther Jones 5 Baby Esther Is A Real Dooper (1934) 6 Kylie Dion: Baby Esther (2017) 7 Death 8 Gallery 9 Trivia 10 Links 11 See Also

Quotes Baby Esther Jones: "Who? Josephine Baker? I do not know." (Paris, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "Of all of the countries I know, Spain has the richest cooking. It is making me fat and I am worried."

(Madrid, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "I like sharks a lot." (Nederland, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "I love the Parisians." (Nederland, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "It's my mother! And I love her very much." (Nederland, 1929) (h

Baby Esther Jones: "I had so far escaped their wrath

by staying out of the South." (Brazil, 1932)

Lou Bolton: "She is known as Li'l Esther, Baby Esther." (New York Supreme Court, 1934) Lou Bolton: "I was first introduced to Miss Kane at Tony Shayne's office, Broadway at 47th Street. Tony was the agent for Baby Esther in New York City." (New York Supreme Court, 1934)

Baby Esther's Biography

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In 1929, Esther won a contract and toured the European continent. While touring Europe she became famous, most promptly in Paris. After Paris, Esther went to Spain, Berlin, Oslo, Sweden, Milan and London. Her manager originally was RussianAmerican Lou Bolton, but he was fired in Paris for Jim Crowing the Jones family out of their rightful earnings. Esther's new Parisian manager Sydney Garner led her to success. Esther toured in Ernst Rolf's revue from 1929-1930. After touring Europe, Esther went to Brazil where she proved to be a hit, but later returned to America when Sydney Garner fell ill.

Once Esther returned to America, she became a dancer for Cab Calloway and then toured the vaudeville circuit under the name "Little Esther the Sepia Dancing Doll." She was also booked by The National in Helena Justa's revue called the Harlem Maniacs from 1933 to 1934. Esther was also present in the United States while the Betty Boop suit was taking place, but she did not comment or respond to her name being brought up in the lawsuit, most likely to Lou Bolton having Jim Crowed her in Paris. (h

In July of 1934, Esther took part in an all-black NAACAP benefit show. It stated that by then Esther had too much art and finesse, and that she was born of her extensive travel and contacts and that after her performance, applause usually followed the (h

more abandoned type of expression. Esther is last referenced in September of 1934. It stated that Esther Jones did acrobatics (h

at Bill "Bojangles" Robinson benefit show. It is stated that Esther became a full-time acrobat and continued to perform on the stage. But by late 1934, Esther's popularity died down and there were new black child performers on the scene taking the (h (h

spotlight, such as the Kiddie Radio Group. Baby Hilda and Baby Selma succeeded Baby Esther. Baby Selma Philadelphia was considered to be the next Florence Mills.

from

Official Betty Boop

The official Betty Boop acknowledges Baby Esther. Over the years, Esther has often been referenced on the official website as originator, when the Helen Kane lawsuit has been referenced. Esther is also referenced on the official Fleischer Studios website, in defense that Helen Kane's "scat singing" technique was not original which was proven in court. During the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit Helen Kane's attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage of Baby Esther singing was irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court.

Lou Bolton and Little Esther Jones https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Esther_Jones

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Lou Bolton conducted a theatrical school in the City of Pittsburgh where he taught children and adults dancing, singing, dramatic art and anything pertaining to the show business in general. Lou had been engaged in the business in the city of Chicago since 1922 and had been in show business for 20 years. Bolton first met Little Esther in 1923, where he saw her performing at The Sunset Club in Chicago, Illinois. When Bolton became her manager she was a Charleston dancer and danced in the streets of Chicago. Lou gave footage to court of Esther performing her unique "Wa-Da-Da" technique. It was one of the many scat techniques used by Jones in which inspired Helen to scat sing in the first place. Esther's career took off one year later in 1929 when she was given a contract to tour Europe. In her prime Esther Jones was the highest paid child performer in the world.

Baby Esther Is A Real Dooper (1934)

Helen Kane's Boop-Boop-a-Doop trial today went Booping back to the night clubs of 1928 and a little Negro girl, proclaimed as the original Dooper. It was Summer of 1928, Helen already has told Justice McGoldrick, that she pursed her lips first and "laid 'em in the aisles" with her initial Boop-Boop-a-Doop. That date is important in her $250,000 suit against Paramount Publix Corporation and the Fleischer Studios for imitating her in the Betty Boop animated cartoons. For Baby Esther, 8 year old girl, delivering many a Boop-Boop-a-Doop in New York months before according to the testimony of Lou Bolton, the child's manager. Bolton claimed that Helen had a ringside seat at the Everglades Club on Broadway one Winter's night when Baby Esther was Booping - that was before Helen's first Boop too. The defense, through Attorney Louis Phillips, also submitted testimony that Helen actually encouraged imitation. The article states that Helen Kane allowed Mae Questel, Margie Hines among numerous girls to imitate her.

Kylie Dion: Baby Esther (2017)

On the 4th of November a song titled "Baby Esther" was released by singer Kyle Dion. Child performer Baby Esther Lee Jones was played by Widny Bazile. Esther is depicted as an adult, as at that time most people thought that Esther was a woman who looked like Betty Boop.

Kyle Dion - Baby Esther (MV)

The song dubs Baby Esther a "Cabaret Queen" and references plagiarism. Esther was known to have performed at cabarets and night clubs, including the Moulin Rouge and all over the place most promptly Europe.

The song was produced by Joel Alexander Van & Mars Today with co-production by Nate Mercereau. The song was mixed by Erik Madrid and was mastered by Chris Gehringer.

Death Internet speculation states that Esther Jones died in 1934. However that is untrue. Esther remarried and her second name changed from Jones. Information from a 1937 article states that she conducted a dance troupe in Harlem.

Gallery

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Trivia Her father William Jones was a photographer and decorator.

William Jones was 60-years-old in 1928, making her father quite old. Another article claims that he might have been Esther's stepfather.

Esther lived at 44 West 98th street.

Black Parisian Sydney Garner became Esther's new manager after Louis Bolton was fired. While Esther toured South America, Garner became ill, resulting with Esther and the family returning to Europe, stating they felt feeling homesick.

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(h

(h

Jo Otten

who was born Johannes Franciscus, named his daughter (Alja) Alexandra Esther

after Esther Jones. Esther

Jones is referenced on several pages in Bed and World.

When Esther became a hit and toured, sometimes her mother (Mrs. Gertrude Jones) accompanied her.

She also had a grandmother Mrs. Jones and a sister Miss Jones, who like her mother were rarely named.

Most articles about Esther Jones got her age wrong. Sometimes they would state that she was one year younger, or a year older.

Esther's aunt Ruth Jones was her accompanist during her tour in South America.

Esther met Josephine Baker in Paris.

Baby Esther had been scat singing since 1925, whereas Felix Mayol had in 1913. Gertrude Saunders claimed that she was the one true originator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" and had used it in 1921.

Scholar Robert O' Meally said, Betty Boop was an "imitation of a imitation" and had, as it were, a black grandmother in her background.

Baby Esther Lee Jones is not to be confused with African-American "Double Crossing Blues" singer Little Esther Phillips (from the 1940s-1950s) who had also used the name "Little Esther" in her early career. Baby Esther Lee Jones was originally billed "Little Esther" in the 1920s-1930s. Which is why people mistake both entertainers for one another, as they had the same names and stage names. Esther Phillips was also known as Li'l Esther, just like Baby Esther was.

Esther sharing a similar name with another artist can be compared to Little Ann Little and Ann Little who both also shared the same stage names.

Baby Esther was presumed deceased by people on the internet who decided to try and remove her from history by spreading false fabrications that she had passed away.

Lou Bolton a white Russian-American testified for the defense. Bolton testified that in Chicago he taught Baby Esther a negro child under his management to interpolate "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da" between the bars of music in popular songs, which means the scat lyrics used by the black performer were a variety.

Kane was said to have adapted the black performer's scat sounds to Poop, then later from Poop to Boop.

Baby Esther made funny expressions (funny faces) and interpolated meaningless sounds at the end of each bar of music in the songs that she performed to audiences in Harlem. (h

The image taken by James Van Der claimed to be Esther originated from a Betty Boop website. The image stated to be Esther in 1928 couldn't be Esther, because the woman featured in the image is too old, Esther was only 7-8 in 1928, which would have made her 14-15 years old in 1934.

In a 1934 newspaper interview Little Ann Little one of the several voices of Betty Boop took credit for the AfricanAmerican scat singers who'd claimed they'd Booped at the trial. Ann stated that she had Booped in 1925 and would often

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(h

give a "Wha-Da-De-Da". Ann was dubbed the baby of the Greenwich Village Follies cute baby songs.

in the early 1920s and would sing

Before Esther met Josephine Baker, she didn't know who Josephine Baker was.

A few years after Jones, Bonnie Poe would go on to perform at the Everglades Club, in which she would sometimes in her act impersonate Helen Kane on stage. Not too long after, Bonnie Poe became the voice of Betty Boop.

Baby Esther's fake death was created as a hoax by a Helen Kane fan club.

Links (h

Official Website (h

Baby Esther Jones the Sepia Dancing Doll What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

Baby Esther Gallery

See Also Boops Raise Kane With Court Scribbler (1934) Модель Оля Helen Kane Clarence Williams Felix Mayol Edith Griffith Gertrude Saunders Little Esther Phillips TV Radio Week (1979) 1. https://books.google.com/books?redir_esc=y&id=faRJAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=baby+esther Retrieved from "https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Baby_Esther_Jones?oldid=37355"

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What Ever Happened to Baby Esther? | BETTY BOOP Wiki | Fandom

in: Spoiler, News, Newspapers, and 8 more

What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

What Became of Esther Jones?

(The real Baby Esther, better known as Little Esther Lee Jones.)

The real in-depth story about Baby Esther Jones, who today is most associated with the Betty Boop story and has made her way into Black History, and has also been spotlighted for several Black History Months over the years, starting from 2014 when the Baby Esther story went viral. Usually false images and information are circulated, but the real Esther Jones was a child performer. Only those who have read the lawsuit documents have the valid information on who Baby Esther really was, and she wasn't a woman. Although most people tend to ignore facts, and push forward a lie and have spun it out of control. This article is by "Boopoopadoop" and was created to help people who are confused by misinformation. Research was conduced from 2017, and more in-depth in 2018. Was given access to archives on Esther Jones and tip that she went by a variety of names. The article here is worded by Boopoopadoop, from personal research is to help people learn about the real story. Prior to this article being written, Baby Esther's story was a little misleading due to the original "Esther Bigeou" source which was used for decades.

However Esther Jones is often brought up when it comes to the "$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit" and was partially used as evidence against Helen Kane proving that she was not original when it came to her singing style.

Partially as in, Esther Jones was not the only evidence used in the Betty Boop and Helen Kane lawsuit. Many other singers who sang in the "baby-talk" and "scat singing" styles were also used as evidence. Jones had a natural baby-singing voice because she was a child in 1928, not because she was using a Helen Kane impersonation like women such as Margie Hines or Mae Questel, who were teenagers in 1929, which is when the "Helen Kane Impersonation Contests" were held.

Other performers used as evidence in court were Clarence Williams, Duncan Sisters, Irene Franklin, Nan Halperin, Peggy Bernier and Edith Griffith. According to a historian, who covered the story in his books, Esther Jones footage of her scatsinging is what helped Edward J. McGoldrick make a decision in favor of the Fleischer Studios.

Prior to creating the Betty Boop character. The Fleischer Studios had no idea who Baby Esther was. Grim Natwick who is often uncredited for creating Betty Boop as he would often credit himself as sole creator, has admitted on many occasions that he used a photograph of Helen Kane to create Betty Boop.

As Betty progressed from 1930 to 1932, she seemed to have taken more traits from Helen Kane impersonator Mae Questel. As seen in her 1932 debut, when the character would impersonate people, something Questel often did. Mae Questel was considered to be the new Helen Kane. In 1930, Helen Kane who often classed herself as "The Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" was upset with Mae Questel using "The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" title and made a complaint. Indicating that she did not like other people using the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" title, two years before she sued the Fleischer Studios in court.

When interviewed Mae Questel would often state that she was the model for Betty Boop, not Helen Kane. However Helen is the initial source, as Betty is plump in her first appearance in 1930, not slender. Grim Natwick merged Helen Kane with a French poodle to create Betty Boop.

Margie Hines the original voice of Betty Boop stated that "she" herself created the voice for Betty Boop. Using her "own" babyspeaking voice. She stated that the voice she used was not Helen Kane's but her own. As Kane had tried to sue Max Fleischer for a voice she did not own. Helen Kane did not voice Betty Boop in the cartoons, the voices used in the cartoons were done by known impersonators, who used their own voices making "Betty Boop's" voice in the cartoons not exactly Helen Kane's.

Margie Hines tried to explain that Helen Kane was suing for a voice she did not own. Which was later backed up by Judge Crew, when Kane was told that she could "not" copyright a voice. This is what happened when Kane continued to pursue the Fleischer Studios after the lawsuit had taken place.

It has to be stated and acknowledged that Esther Jones who was actively performing in America under the name "Little Esther" in 1933 and 1934, never once laid claim to Helen Kane's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" singing style. Though she may have gave Kane the idea, the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" was not Esther's style. Esther had her own unique scat-singing and dancing style. Jones mostly incorporated the Charleston dance into her act. Among her own unique singing-style and dancing-style. In America was known as the next Florence Mills and at one point in Paris, Esther was considered to be Josephine Baker's miniature rival.

(Florence Mills Impersonator Esther Lee Jones, the child wonder from Chicago.)

Baby Esther did not sing or debut the song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" and she was not the model for Betty Boop. Helen Kane was the model for Betty Boop as admitted by Betty's initial creator (not Max Fleischer) but Grim Natwick. Esther's influence on Betty was actually the scat singing style. Esther Jones had been scat singing since 1925, and was trained to do so by Lou Bolton.

Scat sounds Esther made were "Boo-Boo-Boo", "Wha-Da-Da" / "Wa-Da-Da", "Doo-Doo-Doo" & "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-WaDa-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would finish off her routine with a "De-Do." Bolton claimed that in Chicago he taught Esther how to interpolate "scat singing" between the bars of music in popular songs, which is possibly true due to Esther being a Florence Mills impersonator, Florence did the exact same thing by copying her Shuffle Along predecessor Gertrude Saunders. While Mills emulated Saunders in that category, the great Josephine Baker is said to have emulated Florence Mills. Other scat sounds Esther used to interpolate include "Roop-Woop-a-Woop," "Ud-Up-DeoDo," "Skeet Scat," "Bup-Bup," "Poo-Poo-a-Doo" and Esther was even said to have used "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" as it was a very popular phrase in 1928. However Esther Jones' contribution to the "Boop" phrase originates in her original scat interpolations.

(Florence Mills. She died in 1927. Esther Jones made headlines as a "Young Flo" and or "Second Flo" in 1928.)

Florence Mills used to frequently use a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" in her song "Baby and Me," in a higher pitch obbligato, kind of like a flute. Esther being a Florence Mills impersonator, sums up where she got the idea to scat sing, which was directly from her Florence Mills impersonation. Only difference is that Jones did not use the exact same scat rhythm as Mills.

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After hearing about the lawsuit Gertrude Saunders the first female scat-singing sensation to inspire and pave the way for others told the newspapers that she had did the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" before Helen Kane, Baby Esther and cartoon character Betty Boop. Saunders also stated that in Shuffle Along she would end the entire scat chorus in baby-talk. And for years had been given (h

tribute as the "Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" in "African-American" newspapers, mostly the Afro-American newspaper.

A few articles include Gertrude Saunders the Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl (1934), Negro Booper (1938), Gertrude Saunders Gets A Break (1939), Remember Gertrude Saunders? (1950) Gertrude Saunders Returns to Broadway (1950), Gertrude Saunders Broadway Comeback (1950), Betty Boop's Rival Gertrude Saunders (1950), most of the articles reference Betty Boop and or Helen Kane. However Gertrude forgot to mention that she did more of a "Tweet-Tweet-Tweet" rather than a "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" but indicated that she was the "first" woman to interject scat-singing into songs, something Helen Kane tried to lay claim to in court. Gertrude also did a variety of scatting which included scat-sounds such as "Twa-Twa-Twa," "Tweet-Tweet-Twat," "Ska-La-De," "Scoodly-Da," "Booly-Boo-Roo-N-Toodly," "Wa-Wa-Wa," "Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa," "De-De-De-De-De-De-De-De," "Rooden-De-De-Do-De-Rooden-De-De," "Dooden-De-De," "Roo-Dooden-De-De," "SkeeRipple-Skee-Rubble," "He-Den-De-Dee," "Rrr-Ree-Rrr-Rrr-Rrr," "Rom-Bo-De," and had been scat-singing since 1921.

Saunders did it before Florence Mills as Mills replaced her in ''Shuffle Along'' as explained above.

Vaudeville star Esther Bigeou a model, dancer and singer who had been mistaken for Esther Jones for decades by an article on a website Betty Boop Checks since 2003, also did a "Twa-Twa-Twa" with a "Twe" scat technique in 1923. Possibly imitating Gertrude Saunders who did it first.

Betty Boop actually uses Esther Jones' "Wa-Da-Da" / "Wha-Da-Da" scat singing technique in several cartoons. Which include A Language All My Own, The New Deal Show, and Betty Boop's Trial. Betty Boop also uses Gertrude Saunders' "Tweet-TweetTweet" in the song "How'm I Doin'?" in the Fleischer Studios' cartoon I Heard.

As sources state that Baby Esther's singing style was "flute" like and was based on Florence Mills' style of singing. It's not 100% known how much Baby Esther inspired Helen Kane, but another comparison would be Helen who was a grown woman at the time pretending to be a little girl and taking on this "baby" child-like little girl persona which adds more controversy to the style she laid claim to. The articles on the Betty Boop Wiki are the only articles online to feature real information on Baby Esther, most media have spun a fabrication and continue to spin a fabrication due to early misleading sources.

The Real Baby Esther Story

It should be noted that Esther Jones was not a woman, she was a little girl, who won the hearts of millions worldwide. Esther's signature songs were "Sonny Boy" and "My Mammy".

Baby Esther's career began in the early 1920s when she won first prize in a Charleston contest in Chicago. Esther lived in the obscure "colored" part of Chicago with her mother and father. She was then only 4. Russian-American theatrical manager Lou Bolton saw her performance and got her engagements in Chicago, New York, Detroit, Toronto and other cities, after which he brought her to Europe.

Esther Jones was rarely called Baby Esther while performing and went by the names "Li'l Esther" and "Little Esther". Originally she was billed "Farina's Kid Sister", but was later known as the "Miniature Florence Mills". Esther started her career (h

impersonating Florence Mills. A 1926 article advert with The Cansinos above references Esther as Lil' Esther Jones. In some early articles she is also referenced as Little Esther and others from circa 1925 as Baby Esther.

Lou Bolton, who was Esther Jones' ex manager, used Farina's fame to promote Esther in her earlier career. In 1926, Farina, better known as Allen Hoskins was an expert Charleston dancer, along with his sister Baby Jane. When Esther Jones debuted as Lil' Esther, she was impersonating and or copying Lil' Farina, and was even using his name. Farina was also known as "Little Farina" and that is where the name "Little Esther" originates. While touring Spain, Esther was referenced as a "La Pandilla" which translates to "Little Rascal." In reality this had more to do with Esther's impersonation of Farina. Sources indicate, that Esther might have appeared in a MGM Our Gang film short. Before Esther left for Europe she was connected to Loew's https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/What_Ever_Happened_to_Baby_Esther%3F

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vaudeville theatre. It states that she, alongside Sunshine Sammy filmed shorts for MGM, but did not specify which films. It is indicated that Esther might have appeared in an Our Gang episode. Most content featuring African-Americans, was later removed, due to being offensive. But a newspaper article that references her film short, just states "Little Esther." It is quite the coincidence, that Esther suddenly became Baby Esther and Little Esther, around the same time Little Farina and his sister Baby Jane were actively performing on the stage, indicating imitation.

Lesser Known Black Stars Baby Esther Jones

In 1928, Esther performed briefly at an obscure nightclub called the Everglades Club in which she would do imitations of the late great Florence Mills late at night.

One time Esther's 60-year-old father William Jones and manager Lou Bolton got fined for having Esther perform on stage.

Esther's booking agent was Tony Shayne at the time, who one night brought Helen Sugar Kane (another person who he managed) to meet Lou Bolton. There both Kane and Shayne had ringside seats and watched Esther sing and dance on stage. Not too long after watching Esther's performance, Helen Kane suddenly started to scat sing in her act. Four years later Helen Kane sued the creators of Betty Boop for stealing her look, singing style and her "hot lick" scat singing technique "Poop-Poop-aDoop" which she later dubbed "Boop-Boop-a-Doop", forgetting that she herself took direct inspiration for her unique scat singing from Esther Jones, and that her look wasn't unique, and that a galaxy of performers had already originated her style, making her unoriginal. Kane slipped up in her lawsuit by trying to lay claim to being the "first" person to interject scat sounds into songs. Everything Kane laid claim to in court was outed. Like jazz, scat singing also originated from AfricanAmericans. Notable people who sung in that style include Clarence Williams, Cab Calloway and Gertrude Saunders, among many others.

In 1928, Esther was signed for a talking short by Movietone booked through William Morris for M.G.M, flanked by a 26-piece orchestra from the Capitol theater, New York city. It is stated that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that Esther Jones appeared in was nameless and that Esther performed three songs which were, "Don't Be Like That," "Is There Anything Wrong In That?" and "Wa-Da-Da." During the 1920s, Baby Esther performed in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Michigan, Jackson, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Union City and New Jersey.

Songs furnished for Esther by Harrison G. Smith, a business associate of Bolden Smith of New York. "The Turtle Walk," "My Little Dixie Home," "I've Got the Blues for Dixieland" and "I need a Man (Around My House)" were used for Esther's 1929 European tour.

Esther toured Europe in 1929 and became the highest paid child artist in the world. While touring Europe she delighted audiences including Kings and Queens. In Spain she played for King Alphonso and Queen Victoria. In Sweden King Gustave and the Queen came to the theater especially to see her. In France, Germany and Sweden, Milan, Oslo and other countries Esther also gave private performances for the nobility and high society. According to information, while touring with Josephine Hall, it stated that Esther was constantly going from one country to another to fill engagements. One minute she was with (h

Josephine Hall in Sweden,

the next she was off to fill her next engagement in Europe. Esther also returned to America a few times.

Esther Jones' first appearance was at the Moulin Rouge. In Paris, Esther was known as the "Miniature Josephine Baker".

Audiences raved over her and the Parisian papers, daily and illustrated gave much space to her. Vu, leading illustrated weekly, devoted the entire front cover to her picture and a full page in the interior. Esther would sing, dance, do the splits and generally carried on to the great delight of her audiences and was dubbed as being "too cute for words".

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The London Sunday People in its review of Paris plays said of Baby Esther: "Thousands flock no longer to the Moulin Rouge to (h

see Mistinguett herself or the clever American ballet girls, or the beautiful women of the chorus, but to applaud a little mite, 10-year-old, who has won fame and wealth within the space of a few weeks. We are living in an age of speed but this amazing little child has broken every record of sudden theatrical success."

While touring in the European revue, songs Esther would also sing were "That's My Weakness Now" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby."

Despite being African-American, whenever Esther Jones appeared on the streets or in restaurants she was always the centre of admiring crowds and many people were anxious to speak to her. And with it all she was unspoiled as the average child, black or white.

ADD A PHOTO TO THIS GALLERY

Vu described Esther Jones as: "Dressed in a costume with spangles like some brilliant little butterfly, the light of the projectors is shining on her. With surprise one realizes that her flute-like voice comes distinctly to each in the audience. Because she sings at first, her body softly swaying to the accompaniment of the popular American songs that she interprets with a very seductive mixture of seriousness and childish mischief."

After appearing at the Follies Bergere, the Empire and other leading Paris theaters and cafes she went to Spain, where the audiences and the press went wild over her. But it was in Stockholm, Sweden that she caused the biggest sensation. This was not only because of her work, but because the leading Swedish restaurant owner drew the color line against her.

Baby Esther traveled with her mother and her new manager Sidney Garner, who was also black. When the party entered the restaurant the owner Branda Tomton, who had lived in America was catering to white Americans, refused service.

At this Mr. Garner demanded that a glass of milk be brought for the child and when the owner still refused Mr. Garner sent for the police. Other guests in the establishment voiced their indignation at Tomton's conduet, and to show how thoroughly they disapproved of it, several of them gave the party invitations to their homes, among the number being a Swedish baron.

The next morning every Stockholm paper carried articles denouncing the lone apostle of Jim Crow. The Swedish Blad called the incident "the greatest scandal Stockholm has ever had."

It asked: "Has the owner of a restaurant the right to behave the way he likes to customers who visit his place? That was the question asked in Stockholm. The glass of milk that was refused Esther has caused as much indignation as a real crime.

A correspondent to this same paper wrote: "I hope that the colored persons who were refused service at Tomton's will not think that all Swedish people are like that. The Swedish people are indignant over the affair."

The Jim Crow restaurant was eventually closed while Baby Esther's popularity rose higher than ever. Offers poured in on her and on leaving Stockholm thousands of children with flowers came to see her off.

While touring Europe Lou Bolton was fired. He was coining the Jones' out of their rightful earnings and would pass off Esther's mother Mrs. Gertrude Jones as a maid whenever they went to fill private engagements.

After firing Lou Bolton and replacing him with Sidney Garner, Esther's mother Mrs. Jones declared that she was thoroughly satisfied with Mr. Garner's management, and that he submitted all contracts to her so that she knew what Esther was earning.

Mr. Garner came from New York City, and had been in Europe for 16 years and was well acquainted with the theatrical situation. Garner spoke several languages and served as secretary and interpreter for many black stars, among them being (h

Johnny Hudgins. During the entire period of the war he served as an ambulance driver with the American Red Cross and worked with Mrs. W.K Vanderbilt and others.

While touring Germany, Esther appeared in talkies for the Excelsior Film Co of Berlin. (h

Dutch writer Jo Otten had some kind of weird obsession with Esther Jones, and went to see her perform live several times, and once even met her backstage. He claimed that Esther was 13-years-old in Paris and 14-years-old in Berlin, and that watching her perform took away his depression. Esther is cited as several different ages in history - age fabrication. He also fantasized about her, which comes across very weirdly in his book. Esther is referenced on several pages in his book "Bed

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(h

and World." Otten also stated that Esther's uncle who toured the continent with Esther was later killed at a nightclub, as the people who booked Esther one night, didn't know they were booking an African-American performer and a fight broke out, and (h

that he never saw Esther again. Otten named his daughter (Alja) Alexandra Esther,

after Esther Jones.

(Jo Otten partially named his daughter after Esther Jones.)

Alexandra Esther (Alja) was born on the 3rd of December, an incubator child weighing three and a half pounds. Otten and Dity initially did not agree with the naming. Otten was impressed by the black, American revue star Litle Esther, a prodigy à la Shirley Temple, that is between the 16th and 30th of November at the Arena Theater in Rotterdam, with her facial expressions, her voice and her catchy dance steps, Esther apparently conquered his heart. For that reason, Otten wanted to give his daughter the same name.

Esther continued her success in South America. In Rio de Janeiro Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Montevideo she proved to be a sensation. At Rio de Janeiro, American Ambassador Morgan came to see her play and after her performance came back stage to congratulate her. He said that is was simply marvelous that she could sing in so many different languages and invited her to sing for him at the American embassy. Accompanying Esther was Gordon Stretton, who was known as the Prince of Wales' favorite jazz entertainer. In the course of the evening the president of Brazil expressed to Sidney Garner, his great pleasure at seeing such capable black American artists in Brazil. (h

In Brazil, Esther was interviewed at Rio de Janeiro in a hotel lobby. She was surrounded by press who wanted to know how she had avoided the racists who lynched and burned black people in Texas and Alabama. Esther replied that she had so far escaped their wrath by staying out of the South.

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When Esther returned to the United States she continued touring and danced for Cab Calloway and his Orchestra as one of his (h

Sepia Dancers at his club in New York. From 1933 to 1934, Esther appeared in Helena Justa's Harlem Maniacs revue. One of the main reasons as to why Baby Esther is not remembered, is because she was never a feature attraction in Cab Calloway's New York club, she was a background Sepia dancer, which is why Esther was only given a small tap dancing number in Justa's revue. Justa had loaned the Sepia dancers from Cab Calloway. In 1934, Esther would have been 13-years-old, as she was 7 in 1928. Although with Esther, there seemed to have been a bit of age fabrication, to make her seem either younger or older than she actually was.

In a few articles from 1929, it states that Esther was around 11-12 years of age. This cannot be true, because if Esther was eleven or twelve, that would have made her ten in 1928 and nine in 1927, when articles from 1928, clearly state that she was seven at the time. Other mistakes are that she was eight in 1928, when really she was seven.

Justa was a dancer who was also likened to the great Florence Mills. In 1934 when Helen Kane sued the Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures, Louis Bolton was brought in court to testify. Bolton told the court that he had no idea where Esther was, and he thought that she was still in Paris, forgetting to mention that he had Jim Crowed her in Paris. This information had been twisted online by people who try to change history.

Esther later returned to the stage as "The Sepia Dancing Doll" and was dubbed the fastest colored dancer who was red hot.

Misinformation spread by pseudologists lay claim that Esther died, when in reality she was still active up until September of 1934. The liars even went to the length of claiming that Esther was a Helen Kane impersonator. The Betty Boop Wikia found out that Esther was a Florence Mills impersonator in 1928 at the Everglades. Lies about Esther Jones were spread, because people who are part of a Helen Kane fan club got upset when the Baby Esther Lee Jones story came to light. After the story came out, they tried everything to obviate the original scat singing sensation Esther Jones by spreading lies and fabrications by also getting their fans to do the same, in order to discredit anyone who wanted to share what had really happened and as to why Helen Kane lost her $250,000 Betty Boop lawsuit in the first place. During the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit, Helen Kane's attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage of Baby Esther singing was irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court.

In 1934, Esther also attended a NAACP for Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Robinson, also taught Helena Justa, and the great Florence Mills. According to a source, Esther later became a full-time acrobat and had later lost most of her appeal and was then succeeded by other black child stars such as Baby Hilda and Baby Selma.

(Esther May Phillips was also known as Li'l Esther and Little Esther.)

Baby Esther shares her original name and original stage name with Little Esther Phillips, who was also known as Esther Mae Jones. Both singers used the names "Little Esther" and "Li'l Esther", the only difference is the time that they were active. Baby Esther (Betty Boop) was active in the 1920s-1930s with late 1934 being her last performance on stage, and Esther Phillips debuted in the 1940s and later became a sensation in the 1950s and was relatively known up until her death by a drug overdose in 1984. Photo above is Esther Mae Phillips, not Baby Esther, for those who cannot seem to identify images, for those who don't read and just copy and paste. Ensure you know what you are posting, so you don't mislead people. Esther Lee Jones from Chicago was Baby Esther, and Esther May Jones from Texas was Esther Phillips.

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This is a chart that has been created for those truly interested in the Baby Esther story. The chart will tell you who the real Baby Esther is, and who isn't. The real Baby Esther's first manager Lou Bolton was a Russian-American, but Baby Esther wasn't Russian. A image that went viral (dubbed Baby Esther) was a white Ukrainian female model called Oyla. And most people accidentally use images of Esther Phillips (another Esther Jones) when trying to identify Baby Esther. Older images claiming to (h

be Baby Esther went viral because a official Betty Boop Checks source called Betty Boop and Helen Kane, which is no longer online, had used one of James Van Der Zee photographs of a pretty black college girl beside an image of Clara Bow, claiming it to be Baby Esther without solid proof, confusing everyone to believe that the photo was in fact Baby Esther Jones.

An archived copy of the "Betty Boop Checks" page dating back to 2003 has recently been archived on the Betty Boop Fandom.

Which is the origination of the false information, which confused millions of people online. In which they used a photo of Esther Bigeou a scat-singer and known light-skinned African-American model from the early 1920s, who would often promote skin bleaching.

Since then the Betty Boop Checks website has closed down, although a screenshot of the image that was once displayed on the (h

website still exists online. The real Esther Jones was a child performer from Chicago who was best known as Little Esther Lee Jones and in history she will always be known as the originator of Helen Kane's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop". Esther Jones has also been incorporated into Black History Month as of 2014. When Baby Esther is referenced, sources and media often use fake images and often twist the story to their liking, due to misleading sources that once confused the world. There are some fabricators that tried to point the finger directly to the Betty Boop Wiki, but the Betty Boop Wiki was only following sources, that everyone else was following, that is until the Betty Boop Wiki decided to look into the matter and find out the truth, mainly to prove that Esther Jones existed, proving that Esther went on to inspire many people. Today Esther is probably best known today for inspiring Helen Kane to scat sing in her act. You can find out more about Baby Esther on the Betty Boop Wikia and (h

also the official Baby Esther website here.

(This image here is not the real Esther Jones, it is a photo of Esther Bigeou that was taken in 1923.)

Even though the Betty Boop Checks website was shut down, people are still confused today, because when the story went viral (h

PBS aka the Public Broadcasting Service, who also were confused, decided to set up a page about Esther Jones for Black History Month. People are now using the PBS website as a source for the Esther Jones story, the story featured on the site is a little fabricated, it uses a fake image, that isn't of Esther Jones, it is actually a photo of Esther Bigeou, and the article also claims

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that Esther died in obscurity, when in reality the real Esther Jones retired from show business in late 1934. Though a 1937 (h

Brazilian article

uncovered by the Betty Boop Wikia states Esther Jones formed and danced in a troupe in Harlem and that (h

she had possibly married a South Carolina worker. You can also find out more real information on the real Baby Esther here.

See Also Baby Esther: A Little Black Star (1929)

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This article is about Baby Esther Lee Jones. Not to be confused with Little Esther Phillips. See Gertrude Saunders for the originator of BoopBoop-a-Doop.

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

Little Esther Lee Jones Baby Esther Lee Jones originally billed (Lil' Little Esther) was a child entertainer who lived in Chicago, Illinois. She was managed by her mother Gertrude Jones, her aunt Ruth Jones, her father William Jones, and later by Sidney Garner. Esther was a trained scat singer and had been scat singing since 1925, a dancer, and acrobat since 1923. She used to perform regularly at nightclubs in Harlem and all over the United States during the early 1920s and was given great reviews by the white press who stated that in time she would be the next Florence Mills. During the 1920s Baby Esther performed in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Michigan, Jackson, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Union City and New Jersey. In her act Baby Esther would dance, make funny faces, roll her eyes and interpolated words such as "Boo-BooBoo", "Wha-Da-Da","Doo-Doo-Doo" & "Do-Do-De-Do-HoDe-Wa-Da-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would finish off her unique scatting routine with a "De-Do" in rhythm. A majority of these scat techniques were taught to Esther by her manager at the time Lou Bolton. Bolton claimed that in Chicago he taught Esther how to interpolate "scat singing" between the bars of music in popular songs. Other scat sounds Esther used to interpolate include "Roop-Woop-aWoop," "Ud-Up-Deo-Do," "Skeet Scat," "Bup-Bup," "PooPoo-a-Doo" long before Helen Kane. "Roop-Woop-a-Woop" was one of the many scat interpolations used by Esther Jones, which sort of sounds similar to Helen's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine that Kane debuted in the same year. It is said in history that Helen Kane had adapted the scat sounds she had heard Esther interpolate and changed one of the latter to "Poop Poop Padoop," first using it in the Broadway musical Good Boy in which she interpolated the scat sounds into the hit song "I Wanna Be Newsletter Loved By You" inLab which Kane became famous FandomShop Join Fan

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overnight. Helen's first two recordings "That's My Weakness Now" and "Get Out and Get Under the Moon" prove

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this. When Kane tried to sue the Fleischers an early test sound film was discovered which featured Baby Esther performing in this unique style, disproving Kane's claims of inventing the scat lyrics. Baby Esther's ex-manager Bolton testified that Helen Kane had saw Baby Esther's cabaret act in 1928 with Tony Shayne, and then not too long after Kane suddenly started to scat sing in shows. 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 and "scat" style of singing did not originate with Kane. Little Ann Little, 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. At the Everglades Nite Club in 1928, Esther would often impersonate her idol Florence Mills and was known as a Florence Mills impersonator. Mills was known to incorporate a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" into her song "Baby and Me" years earlier. At the Everglades, Esther would sing Florence Mills' most famous songs and would also dance and often uttered her "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da" on stage, a unique scat singing style which is said to have originated from other black stars. Florence Mills was likely the ADVERTISEMENT inspiration, who in turn was emulating "scat singing" originator Gertrude Saunders.

When Max Fleischer, invented Betty Boop he was not only imitating Helen Kane but a whole image of women in the 1920s. Helen Kane did not GAMES MOVIES "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" TV VIDEO evenWIKIS initiate the phraseology though she most certainly popularized it. This catchy, inane line of scat was first used in "alternative scat form" by Gertrude Saunders, Florence Mills and Baby Esther. Bessie Smith's rival Gertrude Saunders is often cited as the original "scat singing" sensation and spoke out against Helen Kane and Betty Boop in 1934 by saying she "did it first in 1921" while performing in the all-black Broadway musical Shuffle Along. Esther Jones was most popular in European countries such as France especially Paris, Sweden, Germany and Spain. Also the capital of London, Brazil and South America. Shamus Culhane best known for his work on the early Betty Boop cartoons references Esther Jones in his 1986 book Talking Animals and Other People which states "under careful cross-examination Kane had to admit that she, in turn had copied the 'Boop-Boop-a-Doop' business from an obscure black singer Baby Esther." [1]

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What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

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Contents [hide] 1 Quotes 2 Baby Esther's Biography 3 Official Betty Boop 4 Lou Bolton and Little Esther Jones 5 Baby Esther Is A Real Dooper (1934) 6 Kylie Dion: Baby Esther (2017) 7 Death 8 Gallery 9 Trivia 10 Links 11 See Also

Quotes Baby Esther Jones: "Who? Josephine Baker? I do not know." (Paris, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "Of all of the countries I know, Spain has the richest cooking. It is making me fat and I am worried." (Madrid, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "I like sharks a lot." (Nederland, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "I love the Parisians." (Nederland, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "It's my mother! And I love her very much." (Nederland, 1929) Baby Esther Jones: "I had so far escaped their wrath

by staying out of the South." (Brazil, 1932)

Lou Bolton: "She is known as Li'l Esther, Baby Esther." (New York Supreme Court, 1934) Lou Bolton: "I was first introduced to Miss Kane at Tony Shayne's office, Broadway at 47th Street. Tony was the agent for Baby Esther in New York City." (New York Supreme Court, 1934)

Baby Esther's Biography

In 1929, Esther won a contract and toured the European continent. While touring Europe she became famous, most promptly in Paris. After Paris, Esther went to Spain, Berlin, Oslo, Sweden, Milan and London. Her manager originally was Russian-American Lou Bolton, but he was fired in Paris for Jim Crowing the Jones family out of their rightful earnings. Esther's new Parisian manager Sydney Garner led her to success. Esther toured in Ernst Rolf's revue from 1929-1930. After touring Europe, Esther went to Brazil where she proved to be a hit, but later returned to America when Sydney Garner fell ill.

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Once Esther returned to America, she became a dancer for Cab Calloway and then toured the vaudeville circuit under the name "Little Esther the Sepia Dancing Doll." She was also booked by The National in Helena Justa's revue called the Harlem Maniacs from 1933 to 1934. Esther was also present in the United States while the Betty Boop suit was ADVERTISEMENT taking place, but she did not comment or respond to her name being brought up in the lawsuit, most likely to Lou Bolton having Jim Crowed her in Paris. In July of 1934, Esther took part in an all-black NAACAP benefit show. It GAMES MOVIES TV VIDEO WIKIS stated that by then Esther had too much art and finesse, and that she was born of her extensive travel and contacts and that after her performance, applause usually followed the more abandoned type of expression. Esther is last referenced in September of 1934. It stated that Esther Jones did acrobatics at Bill "Bojangles" Robinson benefit show. It is stated that Esther became a full-time acrobat and continued to perform on the stage. But by late 1934, Esther's popularity died down and there were new black child performers on the scene taking the spotlight, such as the Kiddie Radio Group. Baby Hilda and Baby Selma succeeded Baby Esther. Baby Selma from Philadelphia was considered to be the next Florence Mills.

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Official Betty Boop

The official Betty Boop acknowledges Baby Esther. Over the years, Esther has often been referenced on the official website as originator, when the Helen Kane lawsuit has been referenced. Esther is also referenced on the official Fleischer Studios website, in defense that Helen Kane's "scat singing" technique was not original which was proven in court. During the $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit Helen Kane's attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage of Baby Esther singing was irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court.

Lou Bolton and Little Esther Jones

Lou Bolton conducted a theatrical school in the City of Pittsburgh where he taught children and adults dancing, singing, dramatic art and anything pertaining to the show business in general. Lou had been engaged in the business in the city of Chicago since 1922 and had been in show business for 20 years. Bolton first met Little Esther in 1923, where heNewsletter saw her performing at The Sunset Club in Chicago, Illinois. When Bolton became her manager she was a Join Fan Lab

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Charleston dancer and danced in the streets of Chicago. Lou gave footage to court of Esther performing her unique "Wa-Da-Da" technique. It was one of the many scat techniques used by Jones in which inspired Helen to scat sing in the first place. Esther's career took off one year later in 1929 when she was given a contract to tour Europe. In her prime Esther Jones was the highest paid child performer in the world.

Baby Esther Is A Real Dooper (1934)

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Helen Kane's Boop-Boop-a-Doop trial today went Booping back to the night clubs of 1928 and a little Negro girl, proclaimed as the original Dooper. It was Summer of 1928, Helen already has told Justice McGoldrick, that she pursed her lips first and "laid 'em in the aisles" with her initial Boop-Boop-a-Doop. That date is important in her $250,000 suit against Paramount Publix Corporation and the Fleischer Studios for imitating her in the Betty Boop animated cartoons. For Baby Esther, 8 year old girl, delivering many a Boop-Boop-a-Doop in New York months before according to the testimony of Lou Bolton, the child's manager. Bolton claimed that Helen had a ringside seat at the Everglades Club on Broadway one Winter's night when Baby Esther was Booping - that was before Helen's first Boop too. The defense, through Attorney Louis Phillips, also submitted testimony that Helen actually encouraged imitation. The article states that Helen Kane allowed Mae Questel, Margie Hines among numerous girls to imitate her.

Kylie Dion: Baby Esther (2017)

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On the 4th of November a song titled "Baby Esther" was released by singer Kyle Dion. Child performer Baby Esther Lee Jones was played by Widny Bazile. Esther is depicted as an adult, as at that time most people thought that Esther was a woman who looked like Betty Boop.

Kyle Dion - Baby Esther (MV)

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The song dubs Baby Esther a "Cabaret Queen" and references plagiarism. Esther was known to have performed at cabarets and night clubs, including the Moulin Rouge and all over the place most promptly Europe.

The song was produced by Joel Alexander Van & Mars Today with co-production by Nate Mercereau. The song was mixed by Erik Madrid and was mastered by Chris Gehringer.

Death Internet speculation states that Esther Jones died in 1934. However that is untrue. Esther remarried and her second name changed from Jones. Information from a 1937 article states that she conducted a dance troupe in Harlem.

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Trivia Her father William Jones was a photographer and decorator.

William Jones was 60-years-old in 1928, making her father quite old. Another article claims that he might have been Esther's stepfather.

Esther lived at 44 West 98th street.

Black Parisian Sydney Garner became Esther's new manager after Louis Bolton was fired. While Esther toured South America, Garner became ill, resulting with Esther and the family returning to Europe, stating they felt feeling homesick.

Jo Otten

who was born Johannes Franciscus, named his daughter (Alja) Alexandra Esther

after Esther

Jones. Esther Jones is referenced on several pages in Bed and World.

When Esther became a hit and toured, sometimes her mother (Mrs. Gertrude Jones) accompanied her.

She also had a grandmother Mrs. Jones and a sister Miss Jones, who like her mother were rarely named.

ADVERTISEMENT Most articles about Esther Jones got her age wrong. Sometimes they would state that she was one year younger,

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Esther's aunt Ruth Jones was her accompanist during her tour in South America.

Esther met Josephine Baker in Paris.

Baby Esther had been scat singing since 1925, whereas Felix Mayol had in 1913. Gertrude Saunders claimed that she was the one true originator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" and had used it in 1921.

Scholar Robert O' Meally said, Betty Boop was an "imitation of a imitation" and had, as it were, a black grandmother in her background.

Baby Esther Lee Jones is not to be confused with African-American "Double Crossing Blues" singer Little Esther Phillips (from the 1940s-1950s) who had also used the name "Little Esther" in her early career. Baby Esther Lee Jones was originally billed "Little Esther" in the 1920s-1930s. Which is why people mistake both entertainers for one another, as they had the same names and stage names. Esther Phillips was also known as Li'l Esther, just like Baby Esther was. Esther sharing a similar name with another artist can be compared to Little Ann Little and Ann Little who both also shared the same stage names.

Baby Esther was presumed deceased by people on the internet who decided to try and remove her from history by spreading false fabrications that she had passed away.

Lou Bolton a white Russian-American testified for the defense. Bolton testified that in Chicago he taught Baby Esther a negro child under his management to interpolate "Do-Do-De-Do-Ho-De-Wa-Da-De-Da" between the bars of music in popular songs, which means the scat lyrics used by the black performer were a variety.

Kane was said to have adapted the black performer's scat sounds to Poop, then later from Poop to Boop.

Baby Esther made funny expressions (funny faces) and interpolated meaningless sounds at the end of each bar of music in the songs that she performed to audiences in Harlem.

The image taken by James Van Der claimed to be Esther originated from a Betty Boop website. The image stated to be Esther in 1928 couldn't be Esther, because the woman featured in the image is too old, Esther was only 7-8 in 1928, which would have made her 14-15 years old in 1934.

In a 1934 newspaper interview Little Ann Little one of the several voices of Betty Boop took credit for the African-American scat singers who'd claimed they'd Booped at the trial. Ann stated that she had Booped in 1925 and would often give a "Wha-Da-De-Da". Ann was dubbed the baby of the Greenwich Village Follies in the early 1920s and would sing cute baby songs.

Before Esther met Josephine Baker, she didn't know who Josephine Baker was.

A few years after Jones, Bonnie Poe would go on to perform at the Everglades Club, in which she would sometimes in her act impersonate Helen Kane on stage. Not too long after, Bonnie Poe became the voice of Betty Boop.

Baby Esther's fake death was created as a hoax by a Helen Kane fan club.

Links Official Website Baby Esther Jones the Sepia Dancing Doll What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

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See Also Boops Raise Kane With Court Scribbler (1934) Модель Оля Helen Kane Clarence Williams Felix Mayol Edith Griffith Gertrude Saunders Little Esther Phillips TV Radio Week (1979) 1. ↑ https://books.google.com/books? redir_esc=y&id=faRJAQAAIAAJ&focus=searchwithinvolume&q=baby+esther Categories: Spoiler

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What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

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(The real Baby Esther, better known as Little Esther Lee Jones.)

The real in-depth story about Baby Esther Jones, who today is most associated with the Betty Boop story and has made her way into Black History, and has also been spotlighted for several Black History Months over the years, starting from 2014 when the Baby Esther story went viral. Usually false images and information are circulated, but the real Esther Jones was a child performer. Only those who have read the lawsuit documents have the valid FandomShop

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information on who Baby Esther really was, and she wasn't a woman. Although most people tend to ignore facts, and

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GAMES MOVIES push forward a lie and haveTV spun it VIDEO out of control.WIKIS This article is by "Boopoopadoop" and was created to help people who are confused by misinformation. Research was conduced from 2017, and more in-depth in 2018. Was given access to archives on Esther Jones and tip that she went by a variety of names. The article here is worded by Boopoopadoop, from personal research is to help people learn about the real story. Prior to this article being written, Baby Esther's story was a little misleading due to the original "Esther Bigeou" source which was used for decades.

However Esther Jones is often brought up when it comes to the "$250,000 Infringement Lawsuit" and was partially used as evidence against Helen Kane proving that she was not original when it came to her singing style.

Partially as in, Esther Jones was not the only evidence used in the Betty Boop and Helen Kane lawsuit. Many other singers who sang in the "baby-talk" and "scat singing" styles were also used as evidence. Jones had a natural babysinging voice because she was a child in 1928, not because she was using a Helen Kane impersonation like women such as Margie Hines or Mae Questel, who were teenagers in 1929, which is when the "Helen Kane Impersonation Contests" were held.

Other performers used as evidence in court were Clarence Williams, Duncan Sisters, Irene Franklin, Nan Halperin, Peggy Bernier and Edith Griffith. According to a historian, who covered the story in his books, Esther Jones footage of her scat-singing is what helped Edward J. McGoldrick make a decision in favor of the Fleischer Studios.

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What Ever Happened to Baby Esther?

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Prior to creating the Betty Boop character. The Fleischer Studios had no idea who Baby Esther was. Grim Natwick who is often uncredited for creating Betty Boop as he would often credit himself as sole creator, has admitted on many occasions that he used a photograph of Helen Kane to create Betty Boop.

As Betty progressed from 1930 to 1932, she seemed to have taken more traits from Helen Kane impersonator Mae Questel. As seen in her 1932 debut, when the character would impersonate people, something Questel often did. Mae Questel was considered to be the new Helen Kane. In 1930, Helen Kane who often classed herself as "The Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" was upset with Mae Questel using "The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" title and made a complaint. Indicating that she did not like other people using the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" title, two years before she sued the Fleischer Studios in court.

When interviewed Mae Questel would often state that she was the model for Betty Boop, not Helen Kane. However Helen is the initial source, as Betty is plump in her first appearance in 1930, not slender. Grim Natwick merged Helen Kane with a French poodle to create Betty Boop.

Margie Hines the original voice of Betty Boop stated that "she" herself created the voice for Betty Boop. Using her "own" baby-speaking voice. She stated that the voice she used was not Helen Kane's but her own. As Kane had tried to sue Max Fleischer for a voice she did not own. Helen Kane did not voice Betty Boop in the cartoons, the voices used in the cartoons were done by known impersonators, who used their own voices making "Betty Boop's" voice in the cartoons not exactly Helen Kane's.

Margie Hines tried to explain that Helen Kane was suing for a voice she did not own. Which was later backed up by Judge Crew, when Kane was told that she could "not" copyright a voice. This is what happened when Kane continued to pursue the Fleischer Studios after the lawsuit had taken place.

It has to be stated and acknowledged that Esther Jones who was actively performing in America under the name "Little Esther" in 1933 and 1934, never once laid claim to Helen Kane's "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" singing style. Though she may have gave Kane the idea, the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" was not Esther's style. Esther had her own unique scatsinging and dancing style. Jones mostly incorporated the Charleston dance into her act. Among her own unique singing-style and dancing-style. In America was known as the next Florence Mills and at one point in Paris, Esther was considered to be Josephine Baker's miniature rival.

(Florence Mills Impersonator Esther Lee Jones, the child wonder from Chicago.)

Baby Esther did not sing or debut the song "I Wanna Be Loved By You" and she was not the model for Betty Boop.

Helen Kane was the model for Betty Boop as admitted by Betty's initial creator (not Max Fleischer) but Grim Natwick. Esther's influence on Betty was actually the scat singing style. Esther Jones had been scat singing since 1925, and was trained to do so by Lou Bolton.

Scat sounds Esther made were "Boo-Boo-Boo", "Wha-Da-Da" / "Wa-Da-Da", "Doo-Doo-Doo" & "Do-Do-De-DoHo-De-Wa-Da-De-Da," "Boo-Did-Do-Doo," "Lo-Di-De-Do," and would finish off her routine with a "De-Do." FandomShop

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Bolton claimed that in Chicago he taught Esther how to interpolate "scat singing" between the bars of music in

GAMES MOVIES TV trueVIDEO popular songs, which is possibly due to EstherWIKIS being a Florence Mills impersonator, Florence did the exact same

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thing by copying her Shuffle Along predecessor Gertrude Saunders. While Mills emulated Saunders in that category, the great Josephine Baker is said to have emulated Florence Mills. Other scat sounds Esther used to interpolate include "Roop-Woop-a-Woop," "Ud-Up-Deo-Do," "Skeet Scat," "Bup-Bup," "Poo-Poo-a-Doo" and Esther was even said to have used "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" as it was a very popular phrase in 1928. However Esther Jones' contribution to the "Boop" phrase originates in her original scat interpolations.

(Florence Mills. She died in 1927. Esther Jones made headlines as a "Young Flo" and or "Second Flo" in 1928.)

Florence Mills used to frequently use a "Tooty-Tooty-Too" in her song "Baby and Me," in a higher pitch obbligato, kind of like a flute. Esther being a Florence Mills impersonator, sums up where she got the idea to scat sing, which was directly from her Florence Mills impersonation. Only difference is that Jones did not use the exact same scat rhythm as Mills.

After hearing about the lawsuit Gertrude Saunders the first female scat-singing sensation to inspire and pave the way for others told the newspapers that she had did the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" before Helen Kane, Baby Esther and cartoon character Betty Boop. Saunders also stated that in Shuffle Along she would end the entire scat chorus in baby-talk.

And for years had been given tribute as the "Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl" in "African-American" newspapers, mostly the Afro-American newspaper. A few articles include Gertrude Saunders the Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop Gertrude Saunders Gets A Break (1939), Remember Gertrude Saunders? (1950)

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Gertrude Saunders Returns to Broadway (1950), Gertrude Saunders Broadway Comeback (1950), Betty Boop's Rival

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mention that she did more of a "Tweet-Tweet-Tweet" rather than a "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" but indicated that she was the "first" woman to interject scat-singing into songs, something Helen Kane tried to lay claim to in court. Gertrude also did a variety of scatting which included scat-sounds such as "Twa-Twa-Twa," "Tweet-Tweet-Twat," "Ska-La-De," "Scoodly-Da," "Booly-Boo-Roo-N-Toodly," "Wa-Wa-Wa," "Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa-Wa," "De-De-De-De-De-De-DeDe," "Rooden-De-De-Do-De-Rooden-De-De," "Dooden-De-De," "Roo-Dooden-De-De," "Skee-Ripple-SkeeRubble," "He-Den-De-Dee," "Rrr-Ree-Rrr-Rrr-Rrr," "Rom-Bo-De," and had been scat-singing since 1921. Saunders did it before Florence Mills as Mills replaced her in ''Shuffle Along'' as explained above.

Vaudeville star Esther Bigeou a model, dancer and singer who had been mistaken for Esther Jones for decades by an article on a website Betty Boop Checks since 2003, also did a "Twa-Twa-Twa" with a "Twe" scat technique in 1923.

Possibly imitating Gertrude Saunders who did it first.

Betty Boop actually uses Esther Jones' "Wa-Da-Da" / "Wha-Da-Da" scat singing technique in several cartoons. Which include A Language All My Own, The New Deal Show, and Betty Boop's Trial. Betty Boop also uses Gertrude Saunders' "Tweet-Tweet-Tweet" in the song "How'm I Doin'?" in the Fleischer Studios' cartoon I Heard.

As sources state that Baby Esther's singing style was "flute" like and was based on Florence Mills' style of singing. It's not 100% known how much Baby Esther inspired Helen Kane, but another comparison would be Helen who was a grown woman at the time pretending to be a little girl and taking on this "baby" child-like little girl persona which adds more controversy to the style she laid claim to. The articles on the Betty Boop Wiki are the only articles online to feature real information on Baby Esther, most media have spun a fabrication and continue to spin a fabrication due to early misleading sources.

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The Real Baby Esther Story

It should be noted that Esther Jones was not a woman, she was a little girl, who won the hearts of millions worldwide.

Esther's signature songs were "Sonny Boy" and "My Mammy".

Baby Esther's career began in the early 1920s when she won first prize in a Charleston contest in Chicago. Esther lived in the obscure "colored" part of Chicago with her mother and father. She was then only 4. Russian-American theatrical manager Lou Bolton saw her performance and got her engagements in Chicago, New York, Detroit, Toronto and other cities, after which he brought her to Europe.

Esther Jones was rarely called Baby Esther while performing and went by the names "Li'l Esther" and "Little Esther".

Originally she was billed "Farina's Kid Sister", but was later known as the "Miniature Florence Mills". Esther started her career impersonating Florence Mills. A 1926 article advert with The Cansinos above references Esther as Lil' Esther Jones. In some early articles she is also referenced as Little Esther and others from circa 1925 as Baby Esther.

Lou Bolton, who was Esther Jones' ex manager, used Farina's fame to promote Esther in her earlier career. In 1926, Farina, better known as Allen Hoskins was an expert Charleston dancer, along with his sister Baby Jane. When Esther Jones debuted as Lil' Esther, she was impersonating and or copying Lil' Farina, and was even using his name. Farina was also known as "Little Farina" and that is where the name "Little Esther" originates. While touring Spain, Esther was referenced as a "La Pandilla" which translates to "Little Rascal." In reality this had more to do with Esther's impersonation of Farina. Sources indicate, that Esther might have appeared in a MGM Our Gang film short. Before Esther left for Europe she was connected to Loew's vaudeville theatre. It states that she, alongside Sunshine Sammy filmed shorts for MGM, but did not specify which films. It is indicated that Esther might have appeared in an Our Gang episode. Most content featuring African-Americans, was later removed, due to being offensive. But a newspaper article that references her film short, just states "Little Esther." It is quite the coincidence, that Esther suddenly became Baby Esther and Little Esther, around the same time Little Farina and his sister Baby Jane were actively performing on the stage, indicating imitation.

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Lesser Known Black Stars Baby Esther Jones

In 1928, Esther performed briefly at an obscure nightclub called the Everglades Club in which she would do imitations of the late great Florence Mills late at night.

One time Esther's 60-year-old father William Jones and manager Lou Bolton got fined for having Esther perform on stage. Esther's booking agent was Tony Shayne at the time, who one night brought Helen Sugar Kane (another person who he managed) to meet Lou Bolton. There both Kane and Shayne had ringside seats and watched Esther sing and dance on stage. Not too long after watching Esther's performance, Helen Kane suddenly started to scat sing in her act.

Four years later Helen Kane sued the creators of Betty Boop for stealing her look, singing style and her "hot lick" scat singing technique "Poop-Poop-a-Doop" which she later dubbed "Boop-Boop-a-Doop", forgetting that she herself took direct inspiration for her unique scat singing from Esther Jones, and that her look wasn't unique, and that a galaxy of performers had already originated her style, making her unoriginal. Kane slipped up in her lawsuit by trying to lay claim to being the "first" person to interject scat sounds into songs. Everything Kane laid claim to in court was outed. Like jazz, scat singing also originated from African-Americans. Notable people who sung in that style include Clarence Williams, Cab Calloway and Gertrude Saunders, among many others.

In 1928, Esther was signed for a talking short by Movietone booked through William Morris for M.G.M, flanked by a 26-piece orchestra from the Capitol theater, New York city. It is stated that the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer that Esther Jones appeared in was nameless and that Esther performed three songs which were, "Don't Be Like That," "Is There Anything Wrong In That?" and "Wa-Da-Da." During the 1920s, Baby Esther performed in Chicago, New York, St. Louis, Michigan, Jackson, Michigan, Toronto, Ontario, Atlantic City, Elizabeth, Union City and New Jersey.

Songs furnished for Esther by Harrison G. Smith, a business associate of Bolden Smith of New York. "The Turtle Walk," "My Little Dixie Home," "I've Got the Blues for Dixieland" and "I need a Man (Around My House)" were used for Esther's 1929 European tour.

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Esther toured Europe in 1929 and became the highest paid child artist in the world. While touring Europe she delighted audiences including Kings and Queens. In Spain she played for King Alphonso and Queen Victoria. In Sweden King Gustave and the Queen came to the theater especially to see her. In France, Germany and Sweden, Milan, Oslo and other countries Esther also gave private performances for the nobility and high society. According to information, while touring with Josephine Hall, it stated that Esther was constantly going from one country to another to fill engagements. One minute she was with Josephine Hall in Sweden, the next she was off to fill her next engagement in Europe. Esther also returned to America a few times.

Esther Jones' first appearance was at the Moulin Rouge. In Paris, Esther was known as the "Miniature Josephine Baker". Audiences raved over her and the Parisian papers, daily and illustrated gave much space to her. Vu, leading illustrated weekly, devoted the entire front cover to her picture and a full page in the interior. Esther would sing, dance, do the splits and generally carried on to the great delight of her audiences and was dubbed as being "too cute for words".

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The London Sunday People in its review of Paris plays said of Baby Esther: "Thousands flock no longer to the Moulin Rouge to see Mistinguett herself or the clever American ballet girls, or the beautiful women of the chorus, but to applaud a little mite, 10-year-old, who has won fame and wealth within the space of a few weeks. We are living in an age of speed but this amazing little child has broken every record of sudden theatrical success."

While touring in the European revue, songs Esther would also sing were "That's My Weakness Now" and "I Can't Give You Anything But Love, Baby."

Despite being African-American, whenever Esther Jones appeared on the streets or in restaurants she was always the centre of admiring crowds and many people were anxious to speak to her. And with it all she was unspoiled as the average child, black or white.

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Vu described Esther Jones as: "Dressed in a costume with spangles like some brilliant little butterfly, the light of the projectors is shining on her. With surprise one realizes that her flute-like voice comes distinctly to each in the audience. Because she sings at first, her body softly swaying to the accompaniment of the popular American songs that she interprets with a very seductive mixture of seriousness and childish mischief."

After appearing at the Follies Bergere, the Empire and other leading Paris theaters and cafes she went to Spain, where the audiences and the press went wild over her. But it was in Stockholm, Sweden that she caused the biggest sensation. This was not only because of her work, but because the leading Swedish restaurant owner drew the color line against her.

Baby Esther traveled with her mother and her new manager Sidney Garner, who was also black. When the party entered the restaurant the owner Branda Tomton, who had lived in America was catering to white Americans, refused service.

At this Mr. Garner demanded that a glass of milk be brought for the child and when the owner still refused Mr. Garner sent for the police. Other guests in the establishment voiced their indignation at Tomton's conduet, and to show how thoroughly they disapproved of it, several of them gave the party invitations to their homes, among the number being a Swedish baron.

The next morning every Stockholm paper carried articles denouncing the lone apostle of Jim Crow. The Swedish Blad called the incident "the greatest scandal Stockholm has ever had."

It asked: "Has the owner of a restaurant the right to behave the way he likes to customers who visit his place? That was the question asked in Stockholm. The glass of milk that was refused Esther has caused as much indignation as a real crime.

A correspondent to this same paper wrote: "I hope that the colored persons who were refused service at Tomton's will not think that all Swedish people are like that. The Swedish people are indignant over the affair."

The Jim Crow restaurant was eventually closed while Baby Esther's popularity rose higher than ever. Offers poured in on her and on leaving Stockholm thousands of children with flowers came to see her off.

While touring Europe Lou Bolton was fired. He was coining the Jones' out of their rightful earnings and would pass off Esther's mother Mrs. Gertrude Jones as a maid whenever they went to fill private engagements.

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After firing Lou Bolton and replacing him with Sidney Garner, Esther's mother Mrs. Jones declared that she was thoroughly satisfied with Mr. Garner's management, and that he submitted all contracts to her so that she knew what Esther was earning. Mr. Garner came from New York City, and had been in Europe for 16 years and was well acquainted with the theatrical situation. Garner spoke several languages and served as secretary and interpreter for many black stars, among them being Johnny Hudgins. During the entire period of the war he served as an ambulance driver with the American Red Cross and worked with Mrs. W.K Vanderbilt and others.

While touring Germany, Esther appeared in talkies for the Excelsior Film Co of Berlin.

Dutch writer Jo Otten had some kind of weird obsession with Esther Jones, and went to see her perform live several times, and once even met her backstage. He claimed that Esther was 13-years-old in Paris and 14-years-old in Berlin, and that watching her perform took away his depression. Esther is cited as several different ages in history - age fabrication. He also fantasized about her, which comes across very weirdly in his book. Esther is referenced on several pages in his book "Bed and World." Otten also stated that Esther's uncle who toured the continent with Esther was later killed at a nightclub, as the people who booked Esther one night, didn't know they were booking an AfricanAmerican performer and a fight broke out, and that he never saw Esther again. Otten named his daughter (Alja) Alexandra Esther, after Esther Jones.

(Jo Otten partially named his daughter after Esther Jones.)

Alexandra Esther (Alja) was born on the 3rd of December, an incubator child weighing three and a half pounds. Otten and Dity initially did not agree with the naming. Otten was impressed by the black, American revue star Litle Esther, a prodigy à la Shirley Temple, that is between the 16th and 30th of November at the Arena Theater in Rotterdam, with her facial expressions, her voice and her catchy dance steps, Esther apparently conquered his heart. For that reason, Otten wanted to give his daughter the same name.

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Esther continued her success in South America. In Rio de Janeiro Buenos Aires, Sao Paulo and Montevideo she proved to be a sensation. At Rio de Janeiro, American Ambassador Morgan came to see her play and after her performance came back stage to congratulate her. He said that is was simply marvelous that she could sing in so many different languages and invited her to sing for him at the American embassy. Accompanying Esther was Gordon Stretton, who was known as the Prince of Wales' favorite jazz entertainer. In the course of the evening the president of Brazil expressed to Sidney Garner, his great pleasure at seeing such capable black American artists in Brazil.

In Brazil, Esther was interviewed at Rio de Janeiro in a hotel lobby. She was surrounded by press who wanted to know how she had avoided the racists who lynched and burned black people in Texas and Alabama. Esther replied that she had so far escaped their wrath by staying out of the South.

When Esther returned to the United States she continued touring and danced for Cab Calloway and his Orchestra as one of his Sepia Dancers at his club in New York. From 1933 to 1934, Esther appeared in Helena Justa's Harlem Maniacs revue. One of the main reasons as to why Baby Esther is not remembered, is because she was never a feature attraction in Cab Calloway's New York club, she was a background Sepia dancer, which is why Esther was only given a small tap dancing number in Justa's revue. Justa had loaned the Sepia dancers from Cab Calloway. In 1934, Esther would have been 13-years-old, as she was 7 in 1928. Although with Esther, there seemed to have been a bit of age fabrication, to make her seem either younger or older than she actually was.

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In a few articles from 1929, it states that Esther was around 11-12 years of age. This cannot be true, because if Esther was eleven or twelve, that would have made her ten in 1928 and nine in 1927, when articles from 1928, clearly state that she was seven at the time. Other mistakes are that she was eight in 1928, when really she was seven.

Justa was a dancer who was also likened to the great Florence Mills. In 1934 when Helen Kane sued the Fleischer Studios and Paramount Pictures, Louis Bolton was brought in court to testify. Bolton told the court that he had no idea where Esther was, and he thought that she was still in Paris, forgetting to mention that he had Jim Crowed her in Paris. This information had been twisted online by people who try to change history.

Esther later returned to the stage as "The Sepia Dancing Doll" and was dubbed the fastest colored dancer who was red hot. Misinformation spread by pseudologists lay claim that Esther died, when in reality she was still active up until September of 1934. The liars even went to the length of claiming that Esther was a Helen Kane impersonator. The Betty Boop Wikia found out that Esther was a Florence Mills impersonator in 1928 at the Everglades. Lies about Esther Jones were spread, because people who are part of a Helen Kane fan club got upset when the Baby Esther Lee Jones story came to light. After the story came out, they tried everything to obviate the original scat singing sensation Esther Jones by spreading lies and fabrications by also getting their fans to do the same, in order to discredit anyone FandomShop

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who wanted to share what had really happened and as to why Helen Kane lost her $250,000 Betty Boop lawsuit in the

GAMES TV Infringement VIDEO Lawsuit, WIKIS first place.MOVIES During the $250,000 Helen Kane's attorney Samuel Weltz claimed that the footage

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of Baby Esther singing was irrelevant, incompetent and immaterial and stated that Esther Jones was a Helen Kane impersonator. He was denied by the court.

In 1934, Esther also attended a NAACP for Bill "Bojangles" Robinson. Robinson, also taught Helena Justa, and the great Florence Mills. According to a source, Esther later became a full-time acrobat and had later lost most of her appeal and was then succeeded by other black child stars such as Baby Hilda and Baby Selma.

(Esther May Phillips was also known as Li'l Esther and Little Esther.)

Baby Esther shares her original name and original stage name with Little Esther Phillips, who was also known as Esther Mae Jones. Both singers used the names "Little Esther" and "Li'l Esther", the only difference is the time that they were active. Baby Esther (Betty Boop) was active in the 1920s-1930s with late 1934 being her last performance on stage, and Esther Phillips debuted in the 1940s and later became a sensation in the 1950s and was relatively known up until her death by a drug overdose in 1984. Photo above is Esther Mae Phillips, not Baby Esther, for those who cannot seem to identify images, for those who don't read and just copy and paste. Ensure you know what you are posting, so you don't mislead people. Esther Lee Jones from Chicago was Baby Esther, and Esther May Jones from Texas was Esther Phillips.

This is a chart that has been created for those truly interested in the Baby Esther story. The chart will tell you who the real Baby Esther is, and who isn't. The real Baby Esther's first manager Lou Bolton was a Russian-American, but Baby Esther wasn't Russian. A image that went viral (dubbed Baby Esther) was a white Ukrainian female model called Oyla. And most people accidentally use images of Esther Phillips (another Esther Jones) when trying to identify Baby Esther. Older images claiming to be Baby Esther went viral because a official Betty Boop Checks source called Betty Boop and Helen Kane, which is no longer online, had used one of James Van Der Zee photographs of a pretty black college girl beside an image of Clara Bow, claiming it to be Baby Esther without solid proof, confusing everyone to believe that the photo was in fact Baby Esther Jones.

An archived copy of the "Betty Boop Checks" page dating back to 2003 has recently been archived on the Betty Boop Fandom. Which is the origination of the false information, which confused millions of people online. In which they used a photo of Esther Bigeou a scat-singer and known light-skinned African-American model from the early 1920s, who would often promote skin bleaching.

Since then the Betty Boop Checks website has closed down, although a screenshot of the image that was once displayed on the website still exists online. The real Esther Jones was a child performer from Chicago who was best known as Little Esther Lee Jones and in history she will always be known as the originator of Helen Kane's "BoopBoop-a-Doop". Esther Jones has also been incorporated into Black History Month as of 2014. When Baby Esther is referenced, sources and media often use fake images and often twist the story to their liking, due to misleading sources that once confused the world. There are some fabricators that tried to point the finger directly to the Betty Boop Wiki, but the Betty Boop Wiki was only following sources, that everyone else was following, that is until the Betty Boop Wiki decided to look into the matter and find out the truth, mainly to prove that Esther Jones existed, proving that Esther went on to inspire many people. Today Esther is probably best known today for inspiring Helen FandomShop

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Kane to scat sing in her act. You can find out more about Baby Esther on the Betty Boop Wikia and also the official MOVIES TV VIDEOBaby WIKIS Esther website here.

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(This image here is not the real Esther Jones, it is a photo of Esther Bigeou that was taken in 1923.)

Even though the Betty Boop Checks website was shut down, people are still confused today, because when the story went viral PBS aka the Public Broadcasting Service, who also were confused, decided to set up a page about Esther Jones for Black History Month. People are now using the PBS website as a source for the Esther Jones story, the story featured on the site is a little fabricated, it uses a fake image, that isn't of Esther Jones, it is actually a photo of Esther Bigeou, and the article also claims that Esther died in obscurity, when in reality the real Esther Jones retired from show business in late 1934. Though a 1937 Brazilian article uncovered by the Betty Boop Wikia states Esther Jones formed and danced in a troupe in Harlem and that she had possibly married a South Carolina worker. You can also find out more real information on the real Baby Esther here.

See Also Baby Esther: A Little Black Star (1929)

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15/06/2021

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in: Spoiler, Article stubs, People, and 6 more

Margie Hines

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

Margie Hines Marjorie L. Hines (better known as Margie Hines) from Freeport, New York, on the South Shore of Long Island, was a voice actress who was already with Fleischer Studios long before they had auditioned more women to do the voice of Betty Boop. Hines was the first voice actress for Fleischer's popular Betty Boop and is classed as the original voice of said character, which debuted in the cartoon short Dizzy Dishes in 1930. While she was touring in vaudeville, she was heard by Billy Murray, a member of the Fleischer staff who there and then found what they were seeking for Betty Boop. They talked business, and Max Fleischer hired Hines to perform "I Have To Have You", as she was a Helen Kane sound-alike and Kane was the basis for the character. Hines won a "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest" in Brooklyn at the age of 17, and was given a part in a song-and-dance act which toured the country on Publix, Keith, Loew and Fox time.

According to Hines, she won a Helen Kane contest in 1929, and began work for the Fleischer Studios in May, 1930, not only giving voice to Betty, but other female characters in the Talkartoon and Screen Songs series. Hines voiced Betty until her contract with Paramount expired. In 1931, Hines shared the role of Betty Boop with Mae Questel, up until Questel became the official voice of Betty Boop in 1932. According to lawsuit documents, Hines recorded all of the dialogue for several of the 1932 cartoons in 1931. However according to Max Fleischer, Hines actually recorded for one or two of the cartoons in 1932 before leaving the role with her final role as Betty Boop being I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You. In 1932 Miss Hines exclusively signed a contract with Van Beuren Studios to voice characters in their animated cartoons.

In 1938, Hines was cast as Olive Oyl and was re-cast as Betty Boop in the Fleischer Studios cartoons. She was the last person to voice Betty in the animated series up until the character was retired in 1939, the same year she married Jack Mercer. Hines continued to do voice-overs for Fleischer Studios which was later known as Famous Studios up until 1944, then she retired from voice work. According to a 1943 article, she may have gone into defense work while Mercer was away. Before Hines entered the entertainment field, she was employed as an office worker in New York. Her marriage to Jack Mercer ended in heartbreak. She married Raymond Brenneis in 1951 and became Marjorie L. Brenneis, but divorced in 1954. Hines then went on to marry Jesse Heidtmann in 1956 and became Marjorie L. Heidtmann.

Margie Hines

Name

Audio:

Audio:

Audio:

Audio:

4 RKO "Helen Kane Contest" Winner (1930)

Audio:

5 The Billboard (1930)

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Margie Hines as Mariah Cat (1931): 0:00

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Margie Hines as Betty Co-ed (1931): 0:00

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Margie Hines as Betty Boop (19381939): 0:00

3 Master's Association of Kings County (1928)

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Margie Hines as Billy Boop (19311932): 0:00

1 Quotes 2 Roles(s)

Margie Hines as Betty Boop (19301932): 0:00

Audio:

Contents

Margie Hines

Margy Hines

Marjorie Louise Hines

Margaret Hines

Margret Mercer

Margie Mercer

Olive Oyl (referenced by Jack Mercer)

The Original Betty Boop

MENU

Margie Hines as Olive Oyl: 0:00

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6 In Florida (1930) 7 Stage (1930) 8 Masters & Gautier Marjorie Hines (1930) 9 Margie Hines Is Voice of Betty Boop (1931) 10 Radio Rambles (1931) 11 Betty Boop's Voice (1931) 12 Paramount's Cartoon Voice Drifts (1931) 13 Ghost Voice (1932) 14 Boop-Boop-a-Doop Won Film Chance for Margie Hines (1932) 15 Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut 43 (1932) 16 Musical Justice 17 In Person Betty Boop (Miss Marjorie Hines) (1932) 18 Voice Doubles (1932) 19 Aesop Fables Countess is Given New Voice (1932) 20 New Boop Boop a Dooper Likes the Stage But- (1933) 21 Feature News for Radio (1933) 22 The Billboard (1933) 23 Harry Warren America's Foremost Composer 24 The American Magazine (1933) 25 The Original Betty Boop (1933) 26 The Nassau Daily Review (1934) 27 Original Betty Boop Girl With Orchestra (1934) 28 Four Betty Boop Girls (1934) 29 Dance Friday at Idlewild (1934) 30 Margie Hines Testifying (1934) 31 $250,000 Lawsuit 32 Miss Marjorie Hines (1934) 33 Olive Oyl Got Him (1939) 34 Princess Glory Uses 3 Voices (1939) 35 Miami, Florida 36 Wide Horizons (1944) 37 Songs Performed as Betty Boop 38 Filmography 39 Death 40 Gallery 41 Trivia 42 See Also

Quotes Margie Hines: "Oh, I like the show business. But too many heartaches in it. Too much uncertainty."

Helen Kane: "Margie Hines won three Boop-Boop-a-Doop contests. I think she won one of them or two in Brooklyn, and one at the Riverside Theatre, New York City. Let me see, where was I? In 1931, I should say, or 1932. I don't remember?"

Margie Hines: "My uncle told me that there was a contest at a theatre in Brooklyn and he urged me to enter."

Margie Hines: "I sang in my own baby-voice." ($250,000 Infringement Lawsuit)

Roles(s) Character(s)

1930

Betty Boop

Dizzy Dishes

1930

Cats

Dizzy Dishes

1930

Betty Boop

Barnacle Bill

1930

Mermaids

Barnacle Bill

1930

Betty Boop

Mysterious Mose

19311932

Betty Boop

Bimbo's Express

1931

Betty Co-ed

Betty Co-Ed

1931

Kitty

Kitty From Kansas City

1931

Mariah Cat

That Old Gang of Mine

1931

Little Annie Rooney

Little Annie Rooney

1931

Herring's Wife

The Herring Murder Case

1932

Child

Swim or Sink

1932

Mouse

Swim or Sink

1932

Lady

Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee

1932

Nellie

Wait Till The Sun Shines, Nellie

1932

Billy Boop

Boop-Oop-a-Doop

1932

Countess Cat

The Farmerette

1932

Countess Cat

Wild Goose Chase

1932

Countess Cat

Silvery Moon

1932

Countess Cat

A Cat-Fish Romance

1933

Honey Bear

Love's Labor Won

19381939

Betty Boop

Sally Swing

19381943

Olive Oyl

Plumbing is a Pipe

1939

Red Indian Chief's Wife

Rhythm on the Reservation

1939

Sis

Musical Mountaineers

Master's Association of Kings County (1928)

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In 1928 around the age of 15-16 Margie entered a contest and won first place. The prize was a kewpie doll and was featured in the newspapers.

RKO "Helen Kane Contest" Winner (1930)

Margie Hines, who won first prize in an RKO "Helen Kane Contest" a few months ago, has joined Dave White's act. It is playing indie out-of-town dates before showing for the major circuits in New York.

The Billboard (1930)

Opening has a trailer plugging Ray's concert success. From then on the band takes on the bulk. The Wheeler girls do two numbers, and Margie Hines and Ray do a solo apiece. The familiar baby-voiced and Boop-Boop-a-Doop singing is contributed

by Margie Hines, who handles it nicely in Do Some-thing.

In Florida (1930)

(h

On the stage a Winter vacation treat. Dick Powell presents In Florida with Sunshine Sammy of Our Gang comedies. Master & Gautier, Marjorie Hines, Enright Rockets, Johnny Mitchell.

Stage (1930)

Margie Hines who emulates Helen Kane's style of "Booping," emulates in a fairly good manner and is being nicely received.

Masters & Gautier Marjorie Hines (1930)

Don Gautier, a comedian with a fine crooning voice, is the bright light in a trio In which Frank Masters, former chorine tutor at the Stanley, adds some chatter and dancing and Marjorie Hines, winner of the Helen Kane Boop-Boopa-Doop contest, sings (h

with moderate appeal. (The Pittsburgh Press )

Margie Hines Is Voice of Betty Boop (1931) You've wondered perhaps who it is that speaks for Betty Boop in Max Fleischer's inkwell cartoons on the screen. Her voice is the voice of Margie Hines, once on the vaudeville stage and in radio, who got her start in a Helen Kane "Boop-a-Doop" contest in Brooklyn. It was while she was Boop-a-Dooping in vaudeville that she was heard by a member of the Fleischer staff who (h

realized her voice was just what they needed for Betty. (The Decatur Daily Review ) https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Margie_Hines

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Radio Rambles (1931)

Both the pretty young ladies with the tangled eyelashes are none other than Betty Boop, the one the Betty you see, and the other the Boop you hear! The one you hear is Margie Hines of Paramount, and the one you see lived till recently in the fountain pen of the world famous cartoonist, Max Fleischer. You must remember Betty Boop's ancestors. Koko the Clown, Out of the Inkwell, and others - but it took Betty to a stop a show on Broadway.

Betty Boop's Voice (1931)

This is the girl you never see on the screen but who's voice is heard every week by thousands of movie fans. She is the girl who supplies the voice for Betty Boop. She is Margie Hines who got her start when she won a Helen Kane "Boop-a-Doop" contest. (h

(The Richmond Item )

Paramount's Cartoon Voice Drifts (1931)

Margie Hines contract with Paramount for the Max Fleischer cartoons has expired. She will freelance. Miss Hines is the femme voice in the majority of the Fleischer drawings.

Ghost Voice (1932) Margie Hines the "baby" voice of the "Betty Boop" of the cartoon shorts, will try a vaudeville tour on the strength of the popularity of her "ghost" voice. She is never seen in the shorts but her voice is well known to theatergoers. (Fitchburg Sentinel (h

)

Boop-Boop-a-Doop Won Film Chance for Margie Hines (1932)

Freeport girl, with deep blue eyes that register even on screen - fame bound. Until the movies record colors, theatre audiences are going to miss one of the attractive features of Marjorie L. Hines, 19-year-old Freeport lass, who has made her debut in the cinema world.

Miss Hines, for whom great things are predicted by her directors, has the bluest of blue eyes. But they are as expressive as they are blue and, even on the black and white of the silver screen, they "register" as they say in Hollywood with 100 percent effectiveness.

Petite, vivacious and strikingly pretty, Miss Hines is the perfect type for a comedienne, a role for which she was picked by Warner Brothers to play with Benny Rubin.

With Benny Rubin, she has just finished making a Warners' picture called "The Perfect Suitor." The little Freeport girl plays the leading feminine in the film, which was made at Warner Brothers' studios in Flatbush.

A "Helen Kane" contest launched Miss Hines into a theatrical career. She won the competition hands down and easily outBooped all other contestants.

That got her on the stage and her voice won her a six months' contract doing recordings for the Betty Boop cartoons produced

by Paramount.

Her work as the voice for the little girl in the animated drawings attracted the attention of movie directors and she received an offer to play in the Benny Rubin picture.

With her good looks and natural talent, her associates predict a brilliant future for the young actress.

Marjorie lives with her mother at 127 North Grove St, Freeport.

Hartford Courant from Hartford, Connecticut 43 (1932) On the stage at the Allyn this week is "Betty Boop" whose real name is Marjorie Hines and whose Helen Kane-ish speaking and (h

singing voice you've heard more than once in the Paramount Talkartoons. (Hartford Courant

)

Musical Justice

According to a draft in the transcript of the 1931 short Musical Justice, Margie Hines was going to play the role of Betty Boop in person but was replaced by Mae Questel, who then went on to perform "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" in said short. Instead, Hines can be heard performing "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-a-Doop Away" in the 1934 Fleischer Victory Newsreel.

In Person Betty Boop (Miss Marjorie Hines) (1932)

https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Margie_Hines

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The mysterious Boop-a-Doop voice of the Paramount Talkartoons. The cutest little cherub ever to appear before the footlights. (h

Hear her lisp her love songs. (The Hartford Courant )

Voice Doubles (1932)

Margaret Livingston was another who started doubling for a voice. Only she doubled for parrot. And Margie Hines may be heard of in her own name before long. She does a Boop-a-Dooping for the Betty Boop cartoon films.

Aesop Fables Countess is Given New Voice (1932)

Countess Cat, leading lady of the Aesop's Fable cartoon series has a new voice. This transformation was not brought by an operation, but by the singing of a contract, and the young lady involved is Marjorie Hines, well known radio artist and musical comedy star. By terms of the contract, Miss Hines is to lend her voice exclusively to cartoons produced by Van Beuren. The peculiar qualities of this young lady's voice make her particularly adaptable to the character of Countess Cat, which is more or less featured in the Fable series. Some of the Aesop's Fable cartoons released by RKO Radio in which Miss Hines voice is to be heard are Venice Vamp, Hokum Hotel, Pickaninny Blues, A Yarn of Wool and Bugs and Books.

Hines provided the voice of Countess Cat in several animated shorts. Countess made her solo appearance in The Farmerette where she stimulates lazy farm animals back to into work. The cartoon was intended as a direct response to Fleischer's Betty Boop but instead of being a dog, she's a cat. Countess Cat was paired with up with Waffles Cat due to previous characters Milton Mouse & Rita Mouse (parodies of Mickey Mouse & Minnie Mouse) being stopped by an injunction by Walt Disney.

Before Marjorie had taken over the role, the character was voiced by an uncredited male voice-over artist. Countess also had her own scat lyrics similar to that of Betty Boop's - "Hot-cha! Hot-Cha-De-De-Da-Da! Hot-cha! Hot-Cha-De-De-Da! De-Do-VoVo-Ve-Do!" Hines also voiced several other Boop-ish characters in the Van Beuren Studios & several of Paul Terry's early Terrytoons animated shorts, including a ZaSu Pitts character. Hines can be heard performing a "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" number in the 1931 Terrytoon animated feature By the Sea.

New Boop Boop a Dooper Likes the Stage But- (1933)

Marjorie (Betty) Hines, Doll-voiced and Baby-Eyed, doesn't Crave the heartaches- Versatile Freeport Miss Happy in Kitchen.

Usually it is the young ambitious girl who craves fame on the stage, while the gamily protests. With Marjorie Hines of Freeport the situation is reversed on the eve of 21, slender and shapely to the tilt of 98 pounds, dark hair intrifuinfly curied around a tiny face and a big baby blue eyes, the young miss, who belongs to the Boop-a-Boop group of entertainers says "Oh, I like the show business, But too many heartaches in it. Too much uncertainty." Three years ago the talented Freeport girl who can Boop-aDoop with the best of the doll-voiced Boop-a-Doopers sprang overnight from the family fireside to place behind the footlights by winning a Helen Kane imitation contest at a local cinema cathedral. She had entered, nervous and hesitant, only at the urging of her mother and uncle. Today her family still urge her to take advantage of the opportunities that come her way. And Miss Hines, still heeding them, continues in the theatrical business ,with decided leanings to the movies, radio and phonograph recordings. And between auditions and appearances is happy cooking in the family kitchen at 75 N. Bay view Ave and every Monday night playing bridge with friends in Free-port. Her talent at the type of singing made famous by the chubby Helen won Miss Hines after the contest a chance to create the voice of Betty Boop of the movies. She was the original of Betty, who in turn was the original femme in movie cartoons. After that she did a series called Aesop's Fables, imitating goldfish, a cat's meow or as she said "most anything they wanted me to!" Freeport calls her "Betty" because of the character she played. A boyfriend? In love? Marriage? To the first question she admitted "Yes!" To the others she responded with blushes and silence though, later she confessed that sometimes she thinks marriage and domesticity better than a career.

Feature News for Radio (1933)

Marjorie Hines appeared at Lowe's State last week with Dan Healy's Ha Ha Club Revue. Does the Betty Boop and Jeannie Lang style of stuff to perfection insofar as the cute and sweet style is concerned and sings well otherwise.

The Billboard (1933)

Charley Gayford and his KFI Hollywood Orchestra replaced Ernis Holst's Band at the William Penn in Pittsburgh. His lineup includes Al Garoux, Jimmy Lynch, Ray Laundale and Mack Hallady. Charley's soloist is Marjorie Hines, the screen's original Betty Boop voice.

Harry Warren America's Foremost Composer

Marjorie Hines Betty Boop in Person (1933)

In 1933, Margie Hines made a live-action appearance in Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer, where she performed in her Betty Boop singing style.

The American Magazine (1933)

In October 1933, Margie Hines was featured in The American Magazine, on page 60 of Interesting People (Boop-A-Dooper Marjorie Hines). According to Margie Hines in the 1933 interview, she claimed that, three years earlier when she was seventeen, she won a Helen Kane Boop-a-Doop contest and automatically became the voice of Betty Boop of flicker cartoons.

She loved reading a lot of novels, and always wore pink and blue. She never ate till a day's work was done, sometimes she ate at midnight. Then she relaxed and had a great big dinner, and lived in the countryside of New York.

The Original Betty Boop (1933)

The original Betty Boop, by the way was Marjorie Hines, a Brooklyn girl, who may be called as a witness. https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Margie_Hines

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Helen Kane: "I'm sore but I think this trial is going to be fun."

Marjorie Hines, the first Betty Boop, was succeeded later by Mae Questel. There is now still a third Betty. All three have sung on the radio under the cartoon name, and no one seems to have noticed the difference.

The Nassau Daily Review (1934)

The first Freeport connection with the case lies in the fact that Helen's husband, Max Hoffman, Jr. is the son of Gertrude Hoffman, well known Freeport dancing and dramatic teacher. The second was the appearance of Margy Hines, a Freeport girl, as a witness in the proceedings. Fleischer presented Miss Hines as one of the three girls whom he has used at various times for the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" effects that go with the Betty Boop films.

Original Betty Boop Girl With Orchestra (1934) All of the men "double" that is, play several instruments and in addition he features Marjorie Hines, one of the original Betty (h

Boop girls of the Max Fleisher cartoons. (The Evening News )

Four Betty Boop Girls (1934)

In 1934, Margie Hines joined a group called the Four Betty Boop Girls, a girl group that consisted of Mae Questel, Little Ann Little, and Bonnie Poe.

Dance Friday at Idlewild (1934)

The music will be furnished by Bert Lown and his famous Biltmore Hotel orchetra, of 12 people, including a girl entertainer, Miss Marjorie Hines, vocalist, who resembles that famous screen personage, Betty Boop, and is well known for her work as Betty Boop in the Max Fleischer cartoons.

Margie Hines Testifying (1934)

Marjorie Hines, who was Charlie Gaylord's soloist at the William Penn earlier this season, is testifying in Helen Kane's suit against Paramount-Publix and Max Fleischer. Miss Hines for a long time was the voice of Betty Boop in Fleischer's animated cartoons.

$250,000 Lawsuit Margie Hines was involved in $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit. Hines was summoned to testify. She was asked if she knew the meaning of the disputed "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" sounds; she replied "Well, I call them licks." Miss Hines said she won a (h

preliminary contest before she ever heard Miss Kane. (The Pittsburgh Press )

Miss Marjorie Hines (1934)

Perhaps you've heard her with Gus Arnheim and Huston Ray. If not, and you go to the movies we're sure you've heard her as the voice behind those Betty Boop flicker cartoons. That's the way Marjorie started her career. Since then she has been many things: A baby's cry, the voice of a gold fish a cat's meow! And now a featured orchestra singer. The voice you have often heard in the movies as the birds and bees flitted across the screen after cute Betty Boop, is also a cute radio voice. Jack Fulton of Paul Whiteman's outfit thinks so and he's the boy that brought Marjorie to Charley Gaylord via Gus Arnheim via Huston Ray via NBC. Marjorie told us she likes to read a lot of novels. "goes for" pink and blue, never eats a big meal until she is through singing usually until midnight. Will marry someday and he'll probably be a college boy (Boop-a-Doop). Has friends everywhere in the movies and radio. Worked with Vic Erwin (former local boy) in that network Betty Boop series.

Olive Oyl Got Him (1939)

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Margie Hines | BETTY BOOP Wiki | Fandom

Jack Mercer, 24, and Margie Hines 21, who are the voices for Popeye and his girlfriend Olive Oyl in the animated cartoon, were married March 3rd, their studio announced yesterday. They are shown in Miami, Fla., yesterday.

Princess Glory Uses 3 Voices (1939) Scouting around the current movies, you usually can come up with some startling facts. Such as Princess Glory from Gulliver's Travels has not one but three voices. Her speaking voice was done by Lovey Warren, a Miami night-club singer, who also provided the physical proportions from which the screen figure was drawn. Jessica Dragonette provided Princess Glory's singing voice. And Marjorie Hines, film comedienne who doubles for Olive Oyl in the Popeye cartoons, provided Glory's sobs.

In this case Pinto Colvig, Hollywood's Man of a Thousand Voices, spoke for Gabby. However after all the recordings were made they were speeded up 50 percent faster than he had talked to give the screen character unearthly intensity and pitch. It was (h

quite a job synchronizing the movements of the cartoon figure's lips with the hopped-up dialogue. (Detroit Free Press )

Miami, Florida Mae Questel, who was Fleischer's voice for Betty Boop and Popeye characters Olive Oyl and Swee'Pea during the mid 1930s, refused to move with the Fleischer Studios staff when they left New York City for Miami, Florida. As a result, Hines was hired to replace Questel in both the Betty Boop and Popeye series, beginning in 1938. Hines voiced Betty through her final series entries in 1938 and 1939, and continued to voice Olive until 1943, when the studio, by then taken over by Paramount Pictures and renamed Famous Studios, returned to New York. The Marry-Go-Round (1943) was Hines final short as the voice of Olive Oyl, with Questel returning to the role in 1944.

Wide Horizons (1944)

Other interesting spots in this variety hour included the presence of Margie Hines and Jack Mercer, better known as the comedy team of "Olive Oyl and "Popeye." Marjorie sang "Button Up Your Overcoat" and "How Many Hearts Have You Broken?" in her droll "Betty Boop Girl" style.

Songs Performed as Betty Boop "I Have To Have You" "Barnacle Bill The Sailor" "Minnie the Mermaid" "Waah-Waah-Waah-Waah-Waah!"

"Hello Beautiful" in Bimbo's Express "Hello Beautiful" in My Wife's Gone to the Country "Won't You Come And Play At My House?"

"Where'd You Get Those Eyes?"

"Any Rags?"

"Oh Mama What Can We Do?" "Hello Baby!"

"Then I'll Be Happy" "Pass Me the Sugar" "So Does An Automobile" "Who Cares" "On With the New" "Play, Big Indian Brave" "Button Up Your Overcoat" (1944)

Filmography 1930: Dizzy Dishes Barnacle Bill Mysterious Mose Accordion Joe 1931: By the Sea Popcorn Go West, Big Boy Bimbo's Initiation Minding the Baby In the Shade of the Old Apple Sauce The Herring Murder Case Bimbo's Express Minding the Baby Mask-A-Raid Jack and the Beanstalk Dizzy Red Riding Hood Kitty from Kansas City Little Annie Rooney My Wife's Gone to the Country That Old Gang of Mine 1932: The Perfect Suitor Wait Till the Sun Shines, Nellie Any Rags?

Boop-Oop-a-Doop Swim or Sink The Dancing Fool A Hunting We Will Go Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee I'll Be Glad When You're Dead You Rascal You The Farmerette Wild Goose Chase A Yarn of Wool Bugs and Books Hokum Hotel Pickaninny Blues Venice Vamp A Cat-Fish Romance Piano Tooners Pencil Mania 1933: Strange Case of Hennessy Harry Warren: America's Foremost Composer Tight Rope Tricks Magic Mummy Silvery Moon Candy Town Tumble Down Town In the Park https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Margie_Hines

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Opening Night Love's Labor Won 1936: Barnyard Amateurs 1938: Sally Swing On with the New Thrills and Chills Plumbing is a Pipe The Jeep All's Fair at the Fair 1939: My Friend the Monkey So Does an Automobile Musical Mountaineers The Scared Crows Rhythm on the Reservation Cops Is Always Right Gulliver's Travels Aladdin and His Wonderful Lamp Leave Well Alone Ghosks Is the Bunk It's the Natural Thing to Do Never Sock a Baby 1940: Shakespearean Spinach Females Is Fickle Stealin Aint Honest Me Feelins Is Hurt Onion Pacific Wimmin Is a Myskery Nurse-Mates Fightin' Pals Doing Impossikible Stunts Wimmin Hadn't Oughta Drive Puttin on the Act With Poopdeck Pappy Little Lambkins The Fulla Bluff Man Way Back When Women Had Their Weigh Way Back When a Nag Was Only a Horse Granite Hotel The Fowl Ball Player Wedding Belts 1941: Olive's Sweepstakes Ticket Child Psykolojiky I'll Never Crow Again Nix on Hypnotricks Mr. Bug Goes to Town' 1942: Kickin' the Conga 'Round Olive Oyl and Water Don't Mix Many Tanks Baby Wants a Bottleship Alona on the Sarong Seas 1943: Ration Fer the Duration Happy Birthdaze Cartoons Ain't Human The Marry-Go-Round

Death Hines died under the name Marjorie L. Heidtmann age 76, in Seaford, New York in December 1985. She was survived by her husband Jesse William Heidtmann, who died in June 1997 at the age of 79.

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Trivia Hines recorded the dialogue for a majority of the 1932 cartoons in 1931.

Little Ann Little claimed she was the original voice but hadn't debuted into the role until 1933.

Hines' mother once owned a tea room called "Betty Boop" in Freeport.

Hines also provided the voice of Betty in the Betty Boop Fables radio show, which was shared with Questel and Bonnie Poe. Margie was five feet and-a-half small and weighed 98-odd pounds.

Margie also "Boop-a-Dooped" from station Pittsburgh Station KDKA and received numerous fan letters.

Margie was from Wantagh, Long Island.

Was featured in a 1932 Warner Brothers film titled The Perfect Suitor, as the leading lady.

She also did the voice for Olive Oyl from the Popeye series for a short while.

From 1939 to the early 1940s, Hines was briefly married to co-star Jack Mercer, who provided the voice of Popeye the Sailor. The two were later divorced.

When she was married to Jack Mercer, he would tell people that he was married to Olive Oyl. Hines was the first and last person to voice Betty Boop.

Margie Hines also lent her voice to many Fleischer Studios cartoons, including the Stone Age Cartoons as various characters including the feature film Mr Bug Goes To Town. She also had a small part in Gulliver's Travels, as a female Lilliput citizen, and contributed to the main character Princess Glory's crying and sobs.

In 1932, Hines also did vocals for Aesop's Film Fables, produced by Van Beuren Studios. Her Van Beuren credits were erroneously attributed to Bonnie Poe, another actress who had voiced Betty Boop.

Margie Hines' name has been mispelled/changed in various credits: Margie Heinz, Margie Heintz, Marge Hines, Marjorie Hines, Margaret Hines and sometimes Margret Hines. The L. in her middle name is Louise. (h

Hines was paid tribute/referenced alongside her ex-husband Jack Mercer on Reddit, on the 24th of March 2015.

See Also Winners Extra Time (1929) The Mystery Girl! (1931) Baby Talk Ghost for Deluxe Film Houses (1932) Boop-Boop-a-Doop Won Film Chance for Marjorie Hines, Co-Star for Rubin (1932) Radio Show, Starring Local Talent, Given Second Time At Freeport (1932) Marjorie (Betty) Hines, Doll-voiced and Baby-Eyed, doesn’t Crave the heartaches - Versatile Freeport Miss Happy in Kitchen! (1933) Boop Vs Boop May the Best Boop Win (1934) Boops Raise Kane With Court Scribbler (1934) Margie Hines Weds Miami Movie Artist (1939) Miami Interlude (1939) Fleischer Studio "Voices In Park Show (1940) Margie Hines Gallery

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The Original Betty Boop

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The Original Betty Boop

Margie Hines from Long Island was the original voice of Betty Boop in the animated cartoon series. According to Hines, she was urged to enter a "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest" and won. She entered three "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" Helen Kane contests and won a contract and played at the Madison and Kenmore theatres.

After that, Hines went on to tour the vaudeville stage and she also used to "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" on the Jamaica, WNYJ radio network.

While touring the stage, she was discovered by Billy Murray as he had found in her voice exactly what the Fleischers had been seeking for Betty Boop. She was then hired by Louis Diamond to take on the role of Betty Boop and would do the vocals and singing for the character starting in 1930.

Hines' first role as Betty Boop was in the animated short Dizzy Dishes. In this cartoon Betty Boop sings "I Have To Have You" on stage. Hines recorded the vocals on the 26th of May, 1930. The cartoon was released on the 9th of August in 1930.

Hines' second role was in Barnacle Bill. She recorded the lines for the fair maiden Nancy Lee on the 13th of June in 1930.

On the 17th of October of 1930, Hines recorded for Accordion Joe. The cartoon was released on the 12th of December in 1930.

The final cartoon Hines recorded for was Mysterious Mose, which she recorded on the 8th of November, in which she sang the theme song by the same name. The cartoon was released on the 26th of December. While doing the voice for the animated character Betty Boop, Hines would say that she did Betty's voice in her own baby-voice and did not relate the vocals to the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" contests. She also claimed that her "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" routine was based on "hot licks" which is probably better known as scat singing.

In 1931, Mae Questel who had also entered the Helen Kane contests made her debut as Betty Boop in Silly Scandals. The role of Betty was shared by both women, and they would both usually take turns playing the character and in some cartoons would share the role.

Hines recorded her lines for Bimbo's Initiation on the 12th of June in 1931 and the cartoon was released on the 24th of July in 1931. The next cartoon she recorded for was In the Shade of the Old Apple Sauce, on the 17th of July in 1931. The cartoon was released on the 16th of October in 1931.

She was also featured as Betty Boop in Betty Boop in Boop-Boop-a-Doop which she recorded on the 1st of October, 1931. The cartoon wasn't released until January, 1932.

On the 4th of August in 1931, Hines recorded for Mask-A-Raid, and the cartoon was released on the 7th of November in 1931.

On the 1st of September, Hines recorded for Any Rags?, which was released on the 2nd of January in 1932.

On the 13th of November in 1931, Margie recorded for Swim or Sink. She sang the song "Oh, Mama What Can We Do?". The animated short was released on the 11th of March in 1932.

On the 16th of December in 1931, Margie recorded for The Dancing Fool which was released on the 8th of April in 1932. Other cartoons she recorded in 1931 were Jack and the Beanstalk and Dizzy Red Riding Hood.

On the 25th of September in 1931, Max Fleischer attended a Betty Boop radio event at the Madison Square Garden in New York City, which was the Radio Electrical World Fair. At that event Max introduced Margie Hines as the voice behind Betty Boop and projected a photo of her on the screen. After the screen had played, Fleischer then projected a Betty Boop cartoon for the audience.

Hines recorded A Hunting We Will Go in 1932. Wait Till the Sun Shines Nellie, on the 27th of January, 1932, and Betty Boop's Bizzy Bee, recorded on the 27th of April, 1932.

The last original Betty Boop cartoon to feature the voice of Margie Hines was I'll Be Glad When You're Dead, recorded August 11th, 1932. The cartoon wasn't released until the 25th of November in 1932.

Hines' contract with Paramount Pictures ended near the end of 1931, she recorded her final lines for Betty Boop and then was replaced by Mae Questel. After her role had ended, she then went to tour on the vaudeville stage as "Miss Majorie Hines Betty Boop In Person" and not too long after appeared in the live-action film short The Perfect Suitor as leading lady beside Benny Rubin.

The Van Beuren Studios were making cartoons which would feature vocals. They decided to sign Margie Hines to do the voices and the singing in her popular baby-talk style and opera style for their cartoons.

One of the main characters Hines portrayed for the studio was Countess Cat. When Hines portrayed the character, she made her sound almost like Betty Boop. Most of the characters she voiced would sing in the popular baby-talk style, minus the odd few.

In 1933 Hines appeared in the film short Strange Case of Hennessy. And around that time was performing with orchestras. In 1934 she continued to perform to live audiences and also for a short time joined a Betty Boop girl group called Four Betty Boop Girls, which consisted of Mae Questel, Bonnie Poe and Little Ann Little.

Little Ann Little would often steal the title "The Original Betty Boop" and would often lie and claim that she provided the voices for Betty in Margie Hines' earlier roles. It turns out that Little Ann Little, did not debut as Betty Boop until 1933, with her first cartoon as Betty being Betty Boop's Big Boss.

In the earlier cartoons Margie Hines started the role from 1930 up until 1932. Mae Questel from 1931-1934. Harriet Lee did one cartoon in 1931 as Betty Boop in the Dangerous Nan McGrew role. Little Ann Little from 1933-1933 and Bonnie Poe from 1933-1934. Poe who had originally provided the role for Betty in one of the several Betty Boop radio shows, and live-action film Hollywood on Parade No. A-8, briefly took over for Mae Questel because Questel was preparing for a baby at the time.

After touring Hines continued to make appearances on radio shows, and would also continue to perform to live audiences and also ditched her Betty Boop singing style.

In 1938 Margie Hines who was the original voice of Betty Boop returned to the role as Betty Boop, when Mae Questel retired and Hines voiced the character up until Betty's retirement in 1939. Hines also had a background role in the Fleishers Gulliver's Travels among numerous other Fleischer animated cartoons including the Stone Age series, and she also provided the sobs for the Fleischer's leading lady Princess Glory. Lovey Warren did the speaking voice for Glory and the singing voice was provided by Jessica Dragonette. During this time Hines had married Jack Mercer, the voice of Popeye and she became the official voice of Olive Oyl up until she divorced Jack Mercer, and was later ultimately replaced by Mae Questel, and not too long after retired from show business.

After divorcing Jack Mercer, Hines married Jesse William Heidtmann in 1956 and became Marjorie L. Heidtmann. She died age 76 in 1985. Her husband Jesse died age 79 in 1997.

Hines vanished and never returned to the limelight, she was never seen or heard of again or reached out to, this also includes when people were researching the Fleischers during the 1970s and 1980s. Hines was possibly unfindable due to her second name change or either she likely didn't want to be found. Today Margie Hines contributions to the Betty Boop cartoons are often overshadowed by Mae Questel, who in history is deemed the most famous Betty Boop. However, Hines was the original and also portrayed Betty in her original series up until the character's retirement, making Hines also known in history as the other Betty Boop and Olive Oyl.

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Mae Questel

Some of the information is Boop-Oop-a-Dooping full of

SPOILERS. Boop-Oop-a-Doop!

Mae Questel Mae Questel was a voice actress best known for voicing Olive Oyl and Betty Boop. At the age of 17, she won a competition in order to select a Mae Questel young lady who could most successfully imitate Helen Kane's baby talk act, singing "He's So Unusual" in a "Helen Kane Impersonation Contest". Cartoon filmmaker Max Fleischer saw Questel's impersonation of Helen Kane in 1931 and asked her to use it for his cartoon creation, Betty Boop. The character, which began life as a cartoon dog with Kane-like affectations, had already been voiced by various actresses, most notably Margie Hines, Little Ann Little, Bonnie Poe, and Kate Wright. Each of these actresses utilized Kane's flirty, babydoll voice and catchphrase "Boop-Oop-a-Doop," but it was Questel

who made Betty Boop a media phenomenon. A better singer and improviser than her predecessors, she also modeled for Fleischer's animators, who based many of the character's emerging physical quirks on Questel's own mannerisms. Indeed, Questel told Leslie Cabarga, author of The Fleischer Story; "I actually lived the part of Betty Boop, walked, talked, everything! It took me a long time to sort of lower my voice and get away from the character." She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career, most notably the role of Aunt Bethany in 1989's National Lampoon's (Mae Questel Wiki)

Christmas Vacation. Over the years, she played a number of small parts, Mae Kwestel

including appearing with Rudy Vallee as Betty Boop in the 1931 short Mae Questelle

Musical Justice, and as a nurse in The Musical Doctor in 1932. From Mae Questel

1931 until 1938, Questel provided the voice of Betty and had the longest Mae Questal

run for any actress doing so. During the 1930s, she released a recording May Questelle Name of "On the Good Ship Lollipop", which sold more than two million Little Miss Mimic

Mae "Betty Boop" Questal

copies. Mae also used to portray Betty in person and after a Betty Boop Helen Kane's Greatest Rival

cartoon had been shown to a live audience, she would jump through a "Voice of Experience, Stage, Screen, paper heart dressed as Betty, and also appeared on radio as Betty. Most Recordings, TV and Radio prominent was her appearance on The Shell Show, January 16, 1937.

Commercials."

Instead of saying "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" Mae would often say BoopBoop-"e"-Doop (to make it her own) and sometimes Boop-Boop-"Be"Mae Questel as Betty Boop: Audio: Doop. The "e" can be heard clearly in some of her Boop routines.

MENU 0:00 Betty's actual scat lyrics are supposed to be Boop-Oop-"a"-Doop. In the 1962 college comedy episode Gentlemen Caller, Mae plays a character Mae Questel as Billy Boop: Audio: called Jenny and states her fave song is "Button Up Your Overcoat."

MENU 0:00 During the 1980s, Mae Questel became ill and retired, but still had a contract with King Features for Olive Oyl from the Popeye the Sailor Mae Questel as Mariah Cat: Audio: series. In 1980, Questel was replaced by Victoria D'orazi because it was MENU 0:00 felt by New Line Cinema that Questel's voice was inappropriate for the new songs that were included. Questel was also replaced by Desirée Mae Questel as Olive Oyl: Goyette in 1985 as the voice of Betty Boop. The reason for this was that Audio: MENU 0:00 Bill Melendez commented that he had planned to animate the character better than the Fleischer artists ever had. He stated that he had no plans to hire any of the original animators who had worked on the original shorts, nor would he consider using Mae Questel, Betty's The Many Voices of Mae Questel longtime voice. According to Desirée Goyette, Questel was contacted first but she was elderly at the time and her voice had dropped; "quite a lot actually." Mae Questel reprised her role as Betty in the 1988 film Who Framed Roger Rabbit, yet in 1989 she would be replaced again by Melissa Fahn. George Evelyn, the director of Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery, told a writer of a production company that he wanted to re-create the Fleischer look and did so in part with the help of Richard Fleischer, who supplied materials from the family archives. Everlyn had wanted to use Mae Questel for Betty's voice, but she was busy filming Woody Allen's segment of New York Stories.

Evelyn launched a series of auditions, and in true "Hollywood" fashion the secretary (Melissa Fahn) at the recording studio that was producing copies of the audition tapes had the voice Evelyn sought.

Name May Kwestel During the 70s and 80s, Questel used her Betty Boop voice in interviews and conventions and would occasionally perform a song made popular by Helen Kane in the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" style. "Button Up Your Overcoat," is a song that was never performed by Betty Boop in the cartoon series, but was a popular song in the 1920s, and has been covered by a galaxy of performers, Ruth Etting was one of the latter. Mae's rendition of "Ain'tcha", from the 1932 cartoon The Betty Boop Limited in which has been heard by over 14,223,329 people is Mae's most popular "Boop-Oop-a-Doop" song to date, even surpassing Helen Kane's original version of the song. A song in which was lip-synced and went viral by a YouTuber by the name of (h (h

Jbunzie , who in turn lip-synced the audio directly from an old Betty Boop Wikia YouTube channel titled Betty Boop Sings, before JBunzie lip-synced to the channel, the channel itself has already had thousands of views, but JBunzie lip-syncing to the song, made the channel blow up even more and also made her a famous YouTuber in the process and also brought attention to Mae Questel's vocal ability.

Contents 1 Quotes 2 Role(s) 3 Boop-Boop-a-Doop Champ (1930) 4 Mae Questel, the New Helen Kane (1930) 5 A Battery of Songs (1930) 6 Helen Kane Is Not Happy With Mae Questel's Title (1930) 7 Radio Programs (1931) 8 Cast and Broadcast: Boop-Boop-a-Doop (1933) 9 Four Betty Boop Girls (1934) 10 Betty Boop (1935) 11 Mae Questel, the Cartoon Betty Boop (1937) 12 Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) 13 Other Work 14 Songs Performed by Mae Questel as Betty Boop 15 Other 16 Recordings as The Betty Boop Girl 17 Filmography 18 Death 19 Gallery 20 Trivia 21 See Also

Quotes Mae Questel: "Betty Boop'll live forever, I hope." (Motion Picture Herald, 1932) Mae Questel: "Max re-vamped the character, using a caricature of my own face to create Betty Boop." (The Register, 1975) Mae Questel: "You know, Betty Boop was always thought of as sexy but Max (her creator) would always say - She's my little girl." (The Register, 1975) Mae Questel: "The man who introduced us seemed to dwell longer on my likeness to Miss Kane than he did on the others, and the audience resented what it felt was partiality to me. The contest was to be decided on the cheers of the audience, and when I went on I thought that the announcer had killed my chances to win. I guess I was the most surprised person in the theater when I was selected." (The Buffalo Evening News, 1931) Mae Questel: "It was such fun I loved everything I did. And I loved Max, he was wonderful to me. He called me my little Betty Boop. Boopy-Doopy-Doopy-Doop-Boop-Boopy-Doop, Bop!" Mae Questel: "Grim Natwick was one of the head animators with Max Fleischer, and he was doing a little dog and he decided let's make a little girl out of her and he spoke to Max about it and before you know it, they made a face and they had me walking and doing little things and that's how she became Betty Boop."

Mae Questel: "She was different, cute and almost for real, you know? Like a little girl, or a grown up girl with a sexy look about her."

Mae Questel: "I always acted like her, and 'I still can do her voice if I want to, you know way up,' haha! 'Boop! BoopOopy-Doop!' Hahaha!"

Mae Questel: "I think it's wonderful. Everybody loves Betty Boop. In fact a producer from the coast is trying to put together some brand new Boop cartoons. She's still doing commercials in Japan. I think it's wonderful." (Boston Globe, 1980) Mae Questel: "I mostly did Olive Oyl and that was a lot of fun. But everywhere I went people wanted to know about Betty Boop. They have Betty Boop T-shirts and fanclubs now. People are rediscovering her and I think it's marvelous." (Boston Globe, 1980) Mae Questel: "If I showed you what I looked like years ago - I was cute as hell!" (NYT, 1989) Mae Questel: "Right after they showed a Betty Boop cartoon, I'd break through a sheet of paper and I'd be in the black dress with the garter and a big red heart." (NYT, 1989) Mae Questel: "Mae West never minded that I imitated her. She told me 'yer pretty good.' In fact I used to tour with her in Florida and don't ask me about the backstage goings-ons because I won't tell you." (NYT, 1989) Mae Questel: "In World War II when Jack Mercer the actor was in the service, someone dressed as Popeye was hired to fill in for Popeye and was brought into the RCA studio, but he got mic fright so I stepped in and did the voice for Popeye." (NYT, 1989) Mae Questel: "I was in a porn movie (Hot Resort, 1985) and I didn't know it until afterwards." (NYT, 1989)

Role(s) Character(s)

https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Mae_Questel

1931-1938

Betty Boop

Silly Scandals

1931

Mariah Cat

That Old Gang of Mine

1932

Mrs. Boop

Minnie the Moocher

1932

Billy Boop

Let Me Call You Sweetheart

1932

Lady

Stopping the Show

1932

Fanny Brice

Stopping the Show

1932

Lady

Crazy Town

1932

Mummy

Betty Boop's Museum

1932

Lady

Betty Boop's Museum

1933-1962

Olive Oyl

I Eats My Spinach

1933

Baby Boop

Is My Palm Read

1933

Queen

Snow White

1937

Junior

The Foxy Hunter

1988

Betty Boop

Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1/6

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Boop-Boop-a-Doop Champ (1930)

Mae Questel, famous because she isn't Helen Kane, yet she could be, wears the blue satin frock again and later trousers and sleeveless middy of rajah silk. Almost unbelievable but it's a fact, with Miss Questel's applause there was hissing. One solution was the noise was hisses from discontented contestants - Miss Questel being the winner.

Mae Questel, the New Helen Kane (1930)

They gag and warble Coots' hits, also some others, later bringing on Mae Questel, the lass who won the tri-boro Helen Kane contest. Mae got a big ovation, many thinking she was the original Boop-Boop-a-Dooper. She took the house by storm, even after the mixed identity situation was cleared up by Coots.

This kid is the real stuff, has looks, great delivery and a truckload of personality. Miss Kane, watch your treading. That's what happens for being good-natured and offering prizes for imitations.

A Battery of Songs (1930)

Mae Questel, the little lady who won a Helen Kane impersonation contest in New York a few months ago, is now touring the RK-O vaudeville circuit with no little success. It was Miss Questel you heard singing "Do Something" to Waite Hoyt, the Yankee pitcher, in a short which recently was shown at the Warner.

Helen Kane Is Not Happy With Mae Questel's Title (1930)

In 1930, a year before Mae Questel signed a contract to voice animated cartoon character Betty Boop, singer Helen Kane who dubbed herself the "Original Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl made a complaint about Mae Questel using the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl title in her act. Indicating that she was not happy with Questel, as some media outlets were claiming that Questel was better than the original. Kane noted that she was not in favor of her name in a tie-up with Mae Questel, as Questel had been given much exploitation and also covered a show for Kane when she was taken ill. Kane's request was heeded, and Questel's title was changed to a RKO find.

Radio Programs (1931)

8:30 - KDKA - Mae Questel, impersonator.

Cast and Broadcast: Boop-Boop-a-Doop (1933)

The public has grown accustomed to see radio stars appear in the movies, but few movie stars seem to have broken into radio.

However, Betty Boop, of the animated comic strip has Booped herself a fat contract with NBC, and you see her below with her creator, cartoonist Max Fleischer. There has been some discussion as to whether he is touching her up or putting out her eye.

Four Betty Boop Girls (1934)

In 1934, Mae Questel joined a group called the Four Betty Boop Girls, a girl group that consisted of Margie Hines, Little Ann Little, and Bonnie Poe.

Betty Boop (1935)

Mae Questel the Betty Boop "voice" in the popular comedy cartoon series. She is appearing this week in person at the Fox.

Mae Questel, the Cartoon Betty Boop (1937)

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Mae Questel | BETTY BOOP Wiki | Fandom

Mae Questel, the cartoon Betty Boop, definitely delighted the patrons with her squealish warbling of "What's Wrong With You," (h (h

"I'm Dangerous Betty Boop" and "Invitation to a Dance," in which she impersonates Marlene Dietrich , ZaSu Pitts , Mae (h

West, Greta Garbo , Maurice Chevalier. For her bow-off, the gaggy bit "I've Got To Go."

Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)

Mae Questel was not actually considered for the role of Betty Boop in the Who Framed Roger Rabbit.

Reason for this was that Mae's vocals had dropped. She had already been tested prior to this film for The Romance of Betty Boop and Betty Boop's Hollywood Mystery. The producers and directors on both of those 80s shows admitted that they were looking for a new Betty Boop.

For the 1980 colorized film Hurray for Betty Boop they made it clear that they were looking for a new Betty Boop by saying that the old Betty Boop cartoons and songs were considered to be too "outdated" for 1980, and the role went to singer Victoria D'orazi.

Desirée Goyette who became the new voice of Betty Boop for a short period of time following her role in TROBB, explained that she was originally only going to be music director.

Goyette is quoted as saying for The Romance of Betty Boop: "They certainly contacted the original voice of Betty first, Mae Questel but she was very elderly by that time and her voice had dropped a bit quite a bit actually."

"It didn't seem like she was going to be able to handle doing it for this new show."

Questel was also later considered for the role in BBHM but claimed she was busy at the time, and the producers wanted someone like Cyndi Lauper, which eventually fell through due to Cyndi Lauper not being committed and the role went to Melissa Fahn, who would then become the official voice of Betty Boop, up until Fahn's retirement and her being replaced by Cindy Robinson during the 2000s. Robinson is still the official voice of Betty Boop to this day.

Morgan Deare's wife Mary Healey was hired to voice Betty Boop in Who Framed Roger Rabbit and she recorded all of the dialogue for Betty Boop for the film and in some VHS credits is still credited for her role. Her husband Morgan played the roles of the Editor and Gorilla.

The people working on WFRR later decided to bring Mae Questel into the studios to record her lines as Betty Boop. Who at the time was busy with Woody Allen and Julie Kavner working on New York Stories but was able to slot in quick VO work with Disney. Prior to New York Stories, Mae had played the role of Helen Kane in the 1983 film Zelig.

STARLOG magazine covered WFRR in their magazine and gave Mae Questel great credit.

Mary Healey caught wind of this and called up STARLOG magazine.

Unaware of her vocals not being used Mary told STARLOG that "she" had provided the voice for Betty Boop in the film and not Mae Questel.

However it later came out that Disney had replaced Mary's voice with Mae's.

Betty Boop's role was recorded twice for this film with Mae Questel's being used in the finalized film.

Other Work Mae Questel also provided the voice of Cute Kitty and Louise the Mouse in Famous Studios Herman & Katnip, Little Audrey and background voices in Casper the Friendly Ghost and Little Lulu in their respective animated shorts; the Woman in the Shoe and Little Bo Peep in Color Classics. In the 1950s, she was the voice for the title character of the pioneering interactive Saturday morning cartoon series Winky Dink and You. Questel was also featured as Buzz the Bee scout in Mr. Bug Goes to Town. She continued to provide the voice for Olive Oyl in television specials and elsewhere until her death.

Songs Performed by Mae Questel as Betty Boop "You're Driving Me Crazy" "That's My Weakness Now" "I'm An Indian" "Hello Beautiful" "Keep a Little Song Handy" "I've Got a Cold In My Nose" "Hi-De-Hi" "Foolish Facts" "Mean To Me" "Crazy Town" "Change Come Get Your Penny" "Ain'tcha" "Home! Sweet Home!"

"I Want To See My Step-Mama" "When I'm The President" "Is That the Human Thing to Do?" "I'm Here In My Penthouse" "Ha! Ha! Ha! " "Crazy Jingle" "All By Myself" "There's Something About A Soldier" "Little Pal" "Keep In Style" "Noise Noise Noise" "Not Now" "Be Human" "Everybody Oughta Have A Pet" "No! No! A Thousand Times No!!"

"Language All My Own" "Over at Grampy's House" "It's Good For Ya" "New Deal for Pets" "Go Out & Make Friends with the World" "Yippie-Yi-Yo" "You're Not Built That Way" "Ya Gotta Have Pep" Ching Ling Choy" "Down In Our Alley" "Vote For Grampy" "House Cleaning Blues" "Be Up To Date"

Other Mae Questel on her Decca Recordings (1970s): Mae Questel: "You know, I'm a collector's item now. Some of the old records I made for the Decca people are now buying as collectors items."

Recordings as The Betty Boop Girl Shirley Temple Song Covers including Medley of Songs from Shirley Temple: Part 1 & Part 2: "On the Good Ship Lollipop" "At The Codfish Ball" "The Right Somebody To Love" "Oh, My Goodness" "Early Bird" "Polly Wolly Doodle" "When I Grow Up" "You Gotta Eat Your Spinach Baby" "Animal Crackers In My Soup" "In Our Little Wooden Shoes" "On Account-A I Love You" "Curly Top" "Baby Take a Bow" Other: "Don't Take My Boop-Oop-A-Doop Away" "Betty Boop" "The Girl In The Little Green Hat" "Mimi" "I Want You For Christmas" "Button Up Your Overcoat" "The Wedding Of Jack and Jill" "Practicing The Piano" "Choc'late Soldier Man" "The Broken Record" "You'd Be Surprised" "Oh! Gee, Oh! Gosh, Oh! Golly I'm In Love" "The Music Goes Round And Around" "Huckleberry Finn" "I'm a Little Teapot" & "Polly Put the Kettle On" "Bolla Walla Winkle" A Battery of Songs: "Do Something" Zelig: "Chameleon Days" as Helen Kane

Filmography 1930: A Battery of Songs 1931: Silly Scandals Musical Justice (as Betty Boop in live-action) 1932: Minnie the Moocher Crazy Town Chess-Nuts Admission Free Stopping the Show https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Mae_Questel

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Betty Boop, M.D. Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle Betty Boop's Ups and Downs Betty Boop for President Betty Boop's Museum The Betty Boop Limited Wayward 1933: Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions Is My Palm Read?

Betty Boop's Penthouse Snow White I Heard I Eats My Spinach 1934: Ha! Ha! Ha! Betty Boop's Rise to Fame Betty Boop's Trial There's Something About a Soldier Betty Boop's Little Pal Betty Boop's Prize Show Keep in Style When My Ship Comes In Shoein' Hosses Shiver Me Timbers!

A Dream Walking The Two-Alarm Fire The Dance Contest We Aim to Please 1935: Baby Be Good Taking the Blame Stop That Noise Swat the Fly No! No! A Thousand Times No!!

A Little Soap and Water A Language All My Own Betty Boop and Grampy Judge for a Day Making Stars Henry, the Funniest Living American Little Nobody The Kids in the Shoe Beware of Barnacle Bill Be Kind to "Aminals" Pleased to Meet Cha! The "Hyp-Nut-Tist" Choose Your "Weppins" For Better or Worser You Gotta Be a Football Hero King of the Mardi Gras Adventures of Popeye 1936: Betty Boop and the Little King Not Now Betty Boop and Little Jimmy We Did It A Song a Day! More Pep You're Not Built That Way Happy You and Merry Me Training Pigeons Grampy's Indoor Outing Be Human Making Friends Somewhere in Dreamland Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky A Clean Shaven Man Brotherly Love I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski Bridge Ahoy!

I Wanna Be a Life Guard Let's Get Movin Never Kick a Woman With Little Swee'Pea Hold the Wire The Spinach Roadster Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor I'm in the Army Now 1937: House Cleaning Blues Whoops! I'm a Cowboy The Hot Air Salesman Pudgy Takes a Bow-Wow Pudgy Picks a Fight!

The Impractical Joker Ding Dong Doggie The Candid Candidate Service with a Smile The New Deal Show The Foxy Hunter Zula Hula Educated Fish The Paneless Window Washer Organ Grinder's Swing Hospitaliky The Twisker Pitcher Morning, Noon and Nightclub Lost and Foundry I Never Changes My Altitude I Likes Babies and Infinks The Football Toucher Downer Protek the Weakerist Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves Fowl Play 1938: Riding the Rails Be Up to Date Let's Celebrake Learn Polikeness The House Builder-Upper Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh A Date to Skate 1944: The Anvil Chorus Girl Spinach Packin' Popeye Puppet Love Pitchin' Woo at the Zoo She-Sick Sailors 1945: Tops in the Big Top Shape Ahoy For Better or Nurse Mess Production 1946: House Tricks?

Service with a Guile Klondike Casanova Peep in the Deep Rocket to Mars Rodeo Romeo The Fistic Mystic The Island Fling 1947: Abusement Park I'll Be Skiing Ya Popeye and the Pirates The Royal Four-Flusher Wotta Night Safari So Good All's Fair at the Fair 1948: Olive Oyl for President Wigwam Whoopee Pre-Hysterical Man Popeye Meets Hercules A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing Spinach vs Hamburgers Snow Place Like Home Robin Hood-Winked Symphony in Spinach 1949: Popeye's Premiere Lumberjack and Jill Hot Air Aces A Balmy Swami Tar with a Star Silly Hillbilly Barking Dogs Don't Fite 1950: Gym Jam Beach Peach Jitterbug Jive Popeye Makes a Movie Baby Wants Spinach Quick on the Vigor The Farmer and the Belle 1952 Lunch with a Punch Swimmer Take All 1953: Ancient Fistory Popeye's Mirthday Toreadorable Baby Wants a Battle Firemen's Brawl Shaving Muggs 1954: Floor Flusher Popeye's 20th Anniversary Taxi-Turvy Bride and Gloom https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Mae_Questel

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Fright to the Finish Private Eye Popeye 1955: Cookin' with Gags Nurse to Meet Ya Beaus Will Be Beaus Car-azy Drivers Mister and Mistletoe Cops Is Tops A Job for a Gob 1956: Hill-billing and Cooing Popeye for President Out to Punch Assault and Flattery Parlez Vous Woo I Don't Scare A Haul in One 1957: Nearlyweds The Crystal Brawl Spooky Swabs 1960: Hits and Missiles Barbecue for Two Muskels Schmuskels Hoppy Jalopy Dead-Eye Popeye Mueller's Mad Monster Caveman Capers Bullfighter Bully Ace of Space College of Hard Knocks Abdominal Snowman Ski-Jump Chump Irate Pirate Foola-Foola Bird Uranium on the Cranium Two-Faced Paleface Childhood Daze Sheepish Sheep-Herder Track Meet Cheat Crystal Ball Brawl Interrupted Lullaby Sea No Evil From Way Out Seeing Double Swee'pea Soup Hag Way Robbery The Lost City of Bubble-Lon There's No Space Like Home Potent Lotion Astro-Nut Where There's a Will Take It Easel I Bin Sculped Fleas a Crowd Popeye's Junior Headache Egypt Us The Big Sneeze The Last Resort Jeopardy Sheriff Baby Phase Goon with the Wind Insultin' the Sultan Dog-Gone Dog-Catcher Voice from the Deep or See Here, Sea Hag Matinee Idol Popeye Beaver or Not Battery Up Deserted Desert Skinned Divers Popeye's Service Station Coffee House Popeye's Pep-Up Emporium Bird Watcher Popeye Time Marches Backwards Popeye's Pet Store Ballet de Spinach Sea Hagracy Spinach Shortage Popeye and the Dragon Popeye the Fireman Popeye's Pizza Palace Down the Hatch Lighthouse Keeping Popeye and the Phantom Popeye's Picnic Out of This World Madam Salami Timber Toppers Skyscraper Capers Private Eye Popeye Little Olive Riding Hood Popeye's Hypnotic Glance Popeye's Trojan Horse Frozen Feuds Popeye's Corn-Certo Westward Ho-Ho Popeye's Cool Pool Jeep Jeep Popeye's Museum Piece Golf Brawl Wimpy's Lunch Wagon Weather Watchers Popeye and the Giant Hill Billy Dilly Popeye and the Magic Hat Pest of the Pecos The Blubbering Whaler Popeye and the Spinach Stalk Shoot the Chutes Tiger Burger Bottom Gun Olive Drab and the Seven Sweapeas Blinkin Beacon Azteck Wreck The Green Dancin' Shoes Spare Dat Tree The Glad Gladiator The Golden Touch Hamburger Fishing Popeye the Popular Mechanic Popeye's Folly Popeye's Used Car Spinachonara Popeye and the Polite Dragon Popeye the Ugly Ducklin.

Popeye's Tea Party The Troll Wot Got Gruff Popeye the Lifeguard Popeye in the Woods After the Ball Went Over Popeye and Buddy Brutus Popeye's Car Wash Camel Aires Plumbers Pipe Dream Popeye and the Herring Snatcher Invisible Popeye The Square Egg Old Salt Tale Jeep Tale The Super Duper Market Golden-Type Fleece Popeye the White Collar Man Sweapea Thru the Looking Glass The Black Knight Jingle Jangle Jungle The Day Silky Went Blozo Rip Van Popeye Mississippi Sissy Double Cross Country Feet Race Fashion Fotography I Yam Wot I Yamnesia Paper Pasting Pandemonium Coach Popeye Popeyed Columbus Popeye Revere Popeye in Haweye Forever Ambergris Popeye De Leon Popeyed Fisherman Popeye in the Grand Steeple Chase Uncivil War Popeye the Piano Mover Popeye's Testimonial Dinner Around the World in Eighty Ways Popeye's Fixit Shop Bell Hop Popeye The Ghost Host Strikes, Spares, an' Spinach Jeep Is Jeep The Spinach Scholar Psychiatricks Rags to Riches to Rags Hair Cut-Ups Poppa Popeye Quick Change Olie The Valley of the Goons Me Quest for Poopdeck Pappy Moby Hick Mirror Magic It Only Hurts When They Laugh https://bettyboop.fandom.com/wiki/Mae_Questel

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Wimpy the Moocher Voo-Doo to You Too Popeye Goes Sale-ing Popeye's Travels Incident at Missile City Dog Catcher Popeye What's News Spinach Greetings The Baby Contest 1961: Oil's Well That Ends Well Motor Knocks Amusement Park Duel to the Finish Gem Jam The Bathing Beasts The Rain Breaker Messin' Up the Mississippi Love Birds Sea Serpent Boardering on Trouble Aladdin's Lamp Butler Up The Leprechaun County Fair Hamburgers Aweigh Popeye's Double Trouble Kiddie Kapers The Mark of Zero Myskery Melody Scairdy Cat Operation Ice-Tickle The Cure William Won't Tell Pop Goes the Whistle Autographically Yours A Poil for Olive Oyl My Fair Olive Giddy Gold Strange Things Are Happening The Medicine Man A Mite of Trouble Who's Kidding Zoo Robot Popeye Sneaking Peeking Seer-ring Is Believer-ring The Wiffle Bird's Revenge Going Going Gone Popeye Thumb The Billionaire Model Muddle Which Is Witch Disguise the Limit Spoil Sport 1961: Oil's Well That Ends Well Motor Knocks Amusement Park Duel to the Finish Gem Jam The Bathing Beasts The Rain Breaker Messin' Up the Mississippi Love Birds Sea Serpent Boardering on Trouble Aladdin's Lamp Butler Up The Leprechaun County Fair Hamburgers Aweigh Popeye's Double Trouble Kiddie Kapers The Mark of Zero Myskery Melody Scairdy Cat Operation Ice-Tickle The Cure William Won't Tell Pop Goes the Whistle Autographically Yours A Poil for Olive Oyl My Fair Olive Giddy Gold Strange Things Are Happening The Medicine Man A Mite of Trouble Who's Kidding Zoo Robot Popeye Sneaking Peeking Seer-ring Is Believer-ring The Wiffle Bird's Revenge Going Going Gone Popeye Thumb The Billionaire Model Muddle Which Is Witch Disguise the Limit Spoil Sport Have Time Will Travel Intellectual Interlude Partial Post Weight for Me 1962: Canine Caprice Roger Tooth Be or Not Tooth Be 1983: Zelig 1985: Hot Resort 1988: Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1989: New York Stories: Woody Allen Segment Oedipus Wrecks Lampoon's Christmas Vacation 2016: Spinach & Stockings: The Adventures of Betty Boop & Popeye (Archived)

Death Mae Questel died in 1998 from complications related to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89 in New York City. She was buried in West Babylon, New York's New Montefiore Cemetery. She had two sons, Robert Balkin, who pre-deceased her, and Richard, who survived her.

Gallery

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Trivia Questel had a withered arm; in her on-camera film appearances, she was usually photographed with elbows bent and both hands at her waist or holding an object in the crook of her elbow to make it less obvious that one arm was shorter and smaller than the other.

Mae Questel was once thought to have been the only voice of Betty Boop, when Betty was revived in the 1980s. She was also once credited for every cartoon released, that had been ported to VHS and DVD. She would be credited as doing over 100 cartoons as Betty.

Questel had embarked upon a career in teaching when some of her friends, knowing her to be a natural mimic, entered her in a Helen Kane impersonation contest at the RKO Fordham Theater, where Miss Helen Kane was appearing.

Questel's dead-on mimicry earned her a contract with the RKO vaudeville circuit which finally kicked off her professional career of voice acting.

Mae Questel is perhaps best known as "Aunt Bluebell" in the 1970s Scott Towels paper towel commercials, and as Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Mae Questel is often mistaken for Bonnie Poe in Hollywood on Parade No. A-8.

In Who Framed Roger Rabbit, her voice was pitched higher as her natural voice had dropped.

See Also The Attractive Prize Winning Boop Boop a Doop Girl (1929) Diminutive Bronx Elocution Teacher (1929) Contest Gave Chance to Star (1931) Betty Boop Visits Store Here and Entertains Crowd (1932) Betty Boop and Her Gang Have Bright Radio Future (1933) Five Betty Boops Silent In Court (1934) Boopers To Boop (1934) Boop Vs Boop May the Best Boop Win (1934) Featured Screen and In Person (1934) Are Helen Kane and Mae Questel One and the Same? (1935) Betty Boop of the Cartoons Tells Tales on Mae Questel (1935) TV's Voice of Experience (1957) Mae Questel, Actress, Voice Of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl (1998) Voice of Betty Boop Dies (1998) Mae Questel Wiki Mae Questel Gallery

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