Ms Betty Boop

Unlike the other animated female characters of the time, Betty was given womanly features. She wore short dresses, high heels and a garter belt. The contoured bodice of her dress was low showing a distinct amount of cleavage. The male characters in her films were well aware of her sex appeal. They were often caught sneaking a peak into her dressing room or looking down her cleavage.

Betty's sex appeal came to the forefront in Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle. She did the hula topless, wearing only a lei and a grass skirt.

As of 1933 Betty Boop's overt sexuality was wrapped in a demur package. The Production Code of 1933 imposed restrictions on the Motion Picture Industry. All sexual innuendos were banned. The sexy little Betty Boop who represented the Flappers of the 1920's evolved into a husbandless career girl. Her full skirts touched her knees, and there wasn't even a hint of cleavage showing. The cartoons were no longer geared toward adults, but courted the younger set.

Betty's popularity waned and society moved into the Big Band Era. In an effort to revive her career, she was paired with popular animated stars such as Little Jimmy and The Little King. Even a guest spot on the wildly popular Popeye the Sailorman didn't do the trick. The last Betty Boop cartoon was released in 1939.

There was a brief revival in Betty Boop's popularity when her films were sold for syndication in 1955 but with the arrival of color television in the 1960's, it didn't last. There was another brief revival in 1974 with the release of The Betty Boop Scandals followed by the release of Betty Boop for President. But it wasn't until the 1980's that Betty Boop regained her fame. A cameo appearance in the Oscar Award winning film Who Framed Roger Rabbit kicked it into gear followed by heavy merchandising. It worked. Betty Boop is one of the few 1930's film stars whose name is readily recognized today.

Betty Boop Calendar Girl Halloween Figurine