![]() Although she wanted to be an entertainer, her parents, who were Orthodox Jews, actively discouraged her from doing so. She began in vaudeville, and played occasional small roles in films and television later in her career.īorn as Mae Kwestel in New York City to Simon and Freida Kwestel, she studied acting at the American Theatre Wing and with the Theatre Guild. (Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.com)īetty Boop with Henry poster (Photo courtesy of Heritage Auctions, HA.Mae Questel (Septem– January 4, 1998) was an American actress and vocal artist, best known for providing the voices for the animated characters Betty Boop and Olive Oyl. 20, 1978.Ī black-and-white production cel from Betty Boop’s cameo in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? sold for $836.50 in 2016 at Heritage Auctions. correctly identified Mae Questel.Ģ, “Hi, Dear, Aunt Bluebell's Here!” by Joyce Wadler, Feb. ![]() Pleasant, Tenn., who works at Breckenridge House Antiques there, Ted Carlton of Utah, Kevin Nicastre, Suzanne Oliver, a vendor at Angel’s Antiques in Opelika, and Sherron Lawson of Roswell, Ga. In 2004, a 1935 one sheet poster of Betty Boop with Henry (the cartoon character), measuring 27 x 41 inches and in unrestored near mint condition, auctioned for $9,775 at Heritage Auctions.īernadine Fowler of Mt. In 2010, four 8 x 10 photos of Mae mimicking Betty Boop and other characters sold for $155.35 at Heritage Auctions. Mae had a lucrative career in show business and was loved by her fans. This talent helped her win a contest to find the girl who most sounded like and looked like actress Helen Kane, the “Boop-Boop-a-Doop Girl,” who sang, “I Want To Be Loved by You.” This opened the door to performing contracts for Mae and eventually to her being signed to voice Betty Boop. At home, she learned to impersonate voices from her mother, and she could eventually mimic many famous people, including men: Jimmy Durante, Maurice Chevalier and Eddie Cantor. Born on September 13, 1908, Mae was the daughter of Simon and Freida Kwestel. Not bad for a woman whose parents did not want her to go into show business. It's like being the lead in the show….” 2 Last year, we were at a bar mitzvah in Rochester, and 100 people came in a snowstorm to see me. ![]() People come up to me on the streets, in restaurants. The kind of recognition I get from this commercial is like if I made 10 movies a year. ![]() In a 1978 interview with the Washington Post she said, “To be a spokeswoman in a commercial, this is one of those things an actor looks forward to, you can sit back and do other things with a commercial…. Others may also remember Mae Questel as “Aunt Bluebell” in commercials for Scott Towels. 2 Mae appeared in movies, including in National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation as “Aunt Bethany.”Ĭlark (Chevy Chase): Since this is Aunt Bethany's 80th Christmas, I think she should lead us in the saying of grace.Īunt Bethany: What, dear?Īunt Bethany: Grace? She passed away 30 years ago.Īunt Bethany: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands, one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. In all, she spoke for more than 60 cartoon characters 1 in 1,900 cartoons. Mae also voiced dozens of lesser-known characters. Mae Questel was not the original voice for Betty Boop (that was Margie Hines), but she was Betty for the longest period of time, from 1931 to 1938 and then again in 1988 when Betty made a brief cameo appearance in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Mae was an extraordinary voice talent-she made Casper the Friendly Ghost come to life as well as Felix the Cat, Little Lulu, Little Audrey, Olive Oyl, Sweet Pea and even Popeye (in one cartoon). ![]()
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