The Real Inspiration And Evolution Of The Betty Boop Cartoon

You Silly Rascal, You

In a fan favorite episode of Betty Boop from 1932, the famous jazz trumpeter and singer Louis Armstrong made a guest appearance. It was one of his first film appearances. The episode is titled “I’ll Be Glad When You’re Dead You Rascal You,” and in it Armstrong performs a Sam Theard song of the same title. The song is about a man who has discovered that his wife has been cheating on him, and the lyrics are being sung to her lover:

“Now I’ll be glad when you die, you rascal, you, uh-huh

I’ll be glad, oh, I’ll be tickled to death when you leave this earth–it’s true, oh yeah”