The Great Depression and Betty Boop, forever intertwined. I'm willing to wager that she's still recognized the world over - like Mickey Mouse and Coca-Cola - which isn't much of a stretch, if you think about it. After all, who hasn't seen her, either on keychains and pins, or posters and greeting cards or other doo-hickeys? Even if you've never watched a Betty Boop cartoon (and most people born after 1970 haven't), you've at least heard her high-pitched "Boop-boop-a-doop!" catchphrase.
Part of what made Betty so irresistible was her high-pitched, squeaky singing. Several actresses voiced her throughout the years, but only one actually inspired her creation. It happened in 1927. Vaudevillian Helen Kane was in the midst of launching her solo singing career when, one night, she improvised scat lyrics - and yes, they were "boop-boop-a-doop." This launched both her singing and movie career. And Betty Boop.
But Helen was not chosen to voice Betty.
