![]() Kane had risen to fame in the late 1920s as "The Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl", a star of stage, recordings and films for Paramount. In May 1932, Kane filed a $250,000 Infringement Lawsuit against Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation for the deliberate caricature that produced unfair competition. Helen Kane was an actress and singer who became popular in the 1920s. What's the Meaning of This Poo-Poo-Pah-Doop? After filing many appeals against the Fleischers and Paramount, Kane was barred from filing any more. Paramount Pictures made reference that Clara Bow was the model for Betty Boop, especially in Hollywood on Parade No. Kane was also "unable to provide evidence" that she was Betty Boop's model or the creator of "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" genre. It was later uncovered that Kane's 'gimmick' was not as original as she had claimed, and that other actresses had used the baby-doll style decades and years prior to Kane's debut in 1928. In court apart from claiming that Betty Boop was a "deliberate caricature" and used a similar singing style, Kane also wanted to lay claim to " Boop-Boop-a-Doop," "Boop-Boop-Pa-Do," "Boop-a-Doop," or simply "Boop" alone. ![]() Partially as in the Fleischer Studios were already considering a "female counterpart" for Bimbo, an idea by Max Fleischer's wife Essie Fleischer. ![]() According to Grim Natwick, she is "partially" the inspiration for the character. She did not voice Betty Boop, and initially found Betty Boop to be repugnant. Throughout history, there is a trend, now often brought to light as social and equity justice movements increase, of minorities, especially Black minorities, not being credited for their work in multiple fields.Helen Kane was the first known "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl in the business. In "The History of Animation," author Charles Solomon, argues "Fleisher won the case by proving that a black entertainer named Baby Esther had previously used the phrase before either Kane or Questel." Betty Boop herself plays a part in also increasing the interest in Jazz music at the time. As for Jones herself, there is no evidence suggesting she testified at the trial since her manager at the time could not pinpoint her location.Īlthough she may not have personally been active in the case, Jones' influence within the jazz community can be found through the development of scatting. admitted that Kane served as a visual model reference for the animated character known as Betty Boop, but verbal inspiration stemmed from Esther Jones. did not publicly acknowledge Jones' influence on Betty Boop outside of the trial. Shortly after, Fleischer and Fleischer Studios Inc. also brought out the first recordings of Jones' vocal performance, now evidence that had been deemed as lost, which lost the case for Kane During which Fleischer and Fleischer Studios Inc. The trial consisted of other witnesses, including those who produced the recorded voices of Betty Boop, testifying inspiration did not stem from Kane but rather from other figures. Walton had coached Jones on how to scat, allowing her to develop her own vocal signature. Lou Walton, Jones' manager, testified in the case claiming that Kane had seen Jones' performance and developed her rendition of "Boop-oop-a-doo." Kane filed a New York Supreme Court lawsuit in May of 1932 against Max Fleischer, the Fleischer Studios, Inc., and the Paramount Publix Corporation.Īs the lawsuit's popularity grew and Helen Kane's fame drew attention, Esther Jones was cast aside alongside her influential work. Kane was an American singer and actress in the 1920s, famously known for her song "I Wanna Be Loved By You," which features a similar rendition of Jones' " Boop-oop-a-doo." This signature "Boop-oop-a-doo" expression landed Betty Boop in a court trial in the 1930s- the plaintiff being Helen Kane. Jones used scat, a singing technique used in jazz composed of dynamic and nonsensical syllables instead of words, which can, at times, sound similar by comparison to create the " Boop-oop-a-doo " performance. ![]() Yet, her child-sounding voice and popular " Boop-oop-a-doo " performance at Harlem's Cotton Club landed her a recognizable role in the musical community. Jones' musical compositions fell under the growing Jazz community. Esther Lee "Baby Esther" Jones, a Black Chicago woman and well-known singer of the 1920s, is the initial inspiration for the cartoon character, Betty Boop, who first appeared in the 1930s.
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