Mae Questel(1908-1998)
- Actress
- Soundtrack
Her Orthodox Jewish family were totally averse to her having an
entertainment career. Her parents and grandparents forced her to leave
the Theatre Guild school (New York) while still a teenager and had
their wills drawn up accordingly so as to discourage this career
choice.
Studied drama at Columbia University, and belonged to the American
Theatre Wing.
When Mae was 17 and living in the South Bronx, she won a local contest
to find the girl who most resembled Helen Kane, a popular singer known
as the "Boop-Oop-A-Doop Queen". She was promptly signed by an agent and
began performing in the Vaudeville circuit. Billing herself as "Mae
Questel - Personality Singer of Personality Songs," she performed
dead-on vocal imitations of
Maurice Chevalier,
Eddie Cantor,
Fanny Brice,
Marlene Dietrich,
Mae West and of course
Helen Kane, among many others. Her
mimic talent also provided duck, dog, chicken, owl, monkey, lion and
baby sounds for radio shows.
Betty Boop creator Max Fleischer heard Mae doing her "boop-oop-a-doop"
routine and hired her to do the character's voice in 1931. She served
as the voice on more than 150 Betty Boop animated shorts until the
character was retired in 1939. Her recording of "On The Good Ship
Lollipop" sold more than 2 million during the Depression.
Best known as the voice of "Betty Boop", she was also the voice of not
so less famous "Olive Oyl" in the Popeye's cartoons, but also the
toddler Swee'pea, and others. She did Popeye's voice once, in the
cartoon Shape Ahoy (1945), because
Jack Mercer was serving in the military
during World War II. Her versatility is probably better appreciated in
the cartoon
Never Kick a Woman (1936) in
which she provides the quivery, nervous-Nellie voice of Olive Oyl,
based on comedic actress Zasu Pitts, and the
deep, assured, alluring voice of the blonde saleswoman, based on
Mae West.
In 1968, the City of Indianapolis honored her with a "Mae Questel Day".
In 1979, she won the Troupers Award for outstanding contribution to
entertainment.
entertainment career. Her parents and grandparents forced her to leave
the Theatre Guild school (New York) while still a teenager and had
their wills drawn up accordingly so as to discourage this career
choice.
Studied drama at Columbia University, and belonged to the American
Theatre Wing.
When Mae was 17 and living in the South Bronx, she won a local contest
to find the girl who most resembled Helen Kane, a popular singer known
as the "Boop-Oop-A-Doop Queen". She was promptly signed by an agent and
began performing in the Vaudeville circuit. Billing herself as "Mae
Questel - Personality Singer of Personality Songs," she performed
dead-on vocal imitations of
Maurice Chevalier,
Eddie Cantor,
Fanny Brice,
Marlene Dietrich,
Mae West and of course
Helen Kane, among many others. Her
mimic talent also provided duck, dog, chicken, owl, monkey, lion and
baby sounds for radio shows.
Betty Boop creator Max Fleischer heard Mae doing her "boop-oop-a-doop"
routine and hired her to do the character's voice in 1931. She served
as the voice on more than 150 Betty Boop animated shorts until the
character was retired in 1939. Her recording of "On The Good Ship
Lollipop" sold more than 2 million during the Depression.
Best known as the voice of "Betty Boop", she was also the voice of not
so less famous "Olive Oyl" in the Popeye's cartoons, but also the
toddler Swee'pea, and others. She did Popeye's voice once, in the
cartoon Shape Ahoy (1945), because
Jack Mercer was serving in the military
during World War II. Her versatility is probably better appreciated in
the cartoon
Never Kick a Woman (1936) in
which she provides the quivery, nervous-Nellie voice of Olive Oyl,
based on comedic actress Zasu Pitts, and the
deep, assured, alluring voice of the blonde saleswoman, based on
Mae West.
In 1968, the City of Indianapolis honored her with a "Mae Questel Day".
In 1979, she won the Troupers Award for outstanding contribution to
entertainment.