The Real Inspiration And Evolution Of The Betty Boop Cartoon

Lou Walton’s Testimony

During the trial, Lou Walton testified that he had coached Baby Esther and taught her to use “boop” scat phrases when she was very young. Baby Esther’s manager also testified that he and Kane had seen Baby Esther’s act together in April, 1928. He then stated that just a few weeks later, Kane had began to “boop” as well, and adopted it as her trademark. They also showed video clips of Clara Bow, who many also claimed was the inspiration for the Betty Boop character. The judge agreed that Bow shared the Betty Boop style of dress and hair. Things were not looking good for Kane, but the trial was far from over.