The Real Inspiration And Evolution Of The Betty Boop Cartoon

This is Where Betty Boop’s Story Begins

The real inspiration was a 1920’s African American jazz singer named Esther Jones, better known as Baby Esther. Jones was a regular performer at the famous Cotton Club in Harlem. She received her nickname because she sung in a “baby” style voice. Theatrical manager Lou Walton coached Jones, teaching her to incorporate scat phrases such as “boo-boo-boo” and “doo-doo-doo”, into her performances. She was also known for her performance to the song “I wanna Be Loved By You”, even before Helen Kane was doing it. So while Fleischer may have in fact been inspired by Kane, Kane was copying the performance of Jones. But Kane didn’t see it that way…