Lou Bolton, Jones' manager, asserted Kane had only started using the "boop a doop" phrase after having visited one of Jones' performances. However, Fleischer completely denied the Betty Boop character had been based on Kane.Īt trial, Fleischer's lawyer claimed Kane herself had taken the phrase "boop a doop" and her singing style from Esther Jones. It was not Esther Jones, but a white woman, Helen Kane, who sued Fleischer and his studio for US$250,000 for copying her visual appearance, including hair style, dress, makeup, and voice, as well as the "boop a doop" catchphrase she used while singing. The character first appeared as a white woman with a long poodle like face, and drooping ears, and only later developing into a normal looking woman. Thirdly, the Betty Boop character was originally based on a French poodle not on Jones. Secondly, Esther Jones never claimed she was the original inspiration for the Betty Boop character, and never showed any interest in claiming any rights to it. It's a photo of Ukranian model Model Oyla (Модель Оля), in 2008, dressed as Betty Boop. Hidden Figures: Esther Jones (Baby Esther)įirstly, the woman in the photo at right is not Esther Jones.Baby Esther Jones the Original Betty Boop.Esther Jones: The Original Black Betty Boop!.Various videos and websites make the same claim, sometimes with different photos.
Another case of a talented black woman exploited by the white entertainment industry. The meme claims Esther Jones spent years unsuccessfully trying to win back her legal rights to the image. The meme typically claims the woman in the photo is Esther Jones, a famous black performer whose image was apparently unethically exploited when cartoonist Max Fleischer invented the cartoon character Betty Boop, based on Jones' image and singing style. By the time the legal proceedings had been wrapped, Jones was believed to have died, allowing fans to continue to think Helen Kane was the sole face of Betty Boop.For a five minute video version of this post, go here.Ī widely spread meme shows a picture of the 1930s cartoon character Betty Boop, and a photo of a woman looking very similar. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found that there was not enough proof to support Kane’s claims and the case was thrown out. Jones herself was not present for the court case. A since-lost screen test of Jones was presented by the defense team. In fact, scatting as a whole was a Black innovation, as jazz was born from ragtime, spirituals and the blues.īetty Boop was voiced by a number of women for the animated series, including Marjorie Hines, Mae Questel and Ann Little.ĭuring the trial, Jones’s manager, Lou Walton, claimed Kane had been in one of the clubs where Jones sang and subsequently incorporated scatting into her own performances. She believed her essence was being lifted without credit-but it was alleged that the singing act she had been cultivating was built around one of Jones’ 1928 nightclub performances. Upon the release of Betty Boop the cartoon, Helen Kane, a white singer and actress, sued Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation, the person and company behind it, for $250,000. She was known for her “baby” style of singing and “boop” scatting. The archetype for the Betty Boop character was created in 1930 (while the actual cartoon flapper was first showcased in 1932) and the singing style sounded like that of Esther Jones, a child vocalist who performed during the Harlem Renaissance. Watch our ESSENCE After Dark conversation with the City Girls here. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET) Henson speaks onstage at the BET Awards 2021 at Microsoft Theater on Jin Los Angeles, California. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Taraji P.
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