Mae Questel (; born Mae Kwestel; September 13, 1908 – January 4, 1998) was an American actress. She was best known for providing the voices for the animated characters

Betty Boop Betty Boop is a cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Max Fleischer. She originally appeared in the '' Talkartoon'' and ''Betty Boop'' film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pic ...

(from 1931) and

Olive Oyl Olive Oyl is a cartoon character created by E. C. Segar in 1919 for his comic strip ''Thimble Theatre''. The strip was later renamed ''Popeye'' after the sailor character that became the most popular member of the cast; however, Olive Oyl was a ...

(from 1933). Questel began her career in

vaudeville Vaudeville (; ) is a theatrical genre of variety entertainment which began in France in the middle of the 19th century. A ''vaudeville'' was originally a comedy without psychological or moral intentions, based on a comical situation: a drama ...

, primarily working as an impressionist. She later performed on Broadway and in films and television, including her role as Aunt Bethany in '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' (1989).

Early career and Betty Boop

Born Mae Kwestel on September 13, 1908, in

the Bronx The Bronx ( ) is the northernmost of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the U.S. state of New York (state), New York. It shares a land border with Westchester County, New York, West ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, to Simon and Freida (née Glauberman) Kwestel, she attended Morris High School and studied acting at the

American Theatre Wing The American Theatre Wing (the Wing for short) is a New York City–based non-profit organization "dedicated to supporting excellence and education in theatre", according to its mission statement. Originally known as the Stage Women's War Relief ...

and with the

Theatre Guild The Theatre Guild is a theatrical society founded in New York City in 1918 by Lawrence Langner, Philip Moeller, Helen Westley and Theresa Helburn. Langner's wife, Armina Marshall, then served as a co-director. It evolved out of the work of ...

. Although she wanted to be an entertainer, her parents, who were

Orthodox Jews Orthodox Judaism is a collective term for the traditionalist branches of contemporary Judaism. Theologically, it is chiefly defined by regarding the Torah, both Written and Oral, as literally revealed by God on Mount Sinai and faithfully tr ...

, actively discouraged her from doing so, at one point forcing her to leave the Theatre Guild school. Nevertheless, at the age of 17, Questel won a talent contest held at the RKO Fordham Theatre in the Bronx by imitating actress and singer

Helen Kane Helen Kane (born Helen Clare Schroeder, August 4, 1904 – September 26, 1966) was an American singer and actress. Her signature song was " I Wanna Be Loved by You" (1928), featured in the 1928 stage musical ''Good Boy''. The song was written for ...

. She was signed by an agent and began performing in vaudeville as an impersonator. Billed as "Mae Questel – Personality Singer of Personality Songs", she did impressions of

Fanny Brice Fania Borach (October 29, 1891 – May 29, 1951), known professionally as Fanny Brice or Fannie Brice, was an American comedian, Illustrated Songs, illustrated song model, singer, and actress who made many stage, radio, and film appearances. Sh ...

Marlene Dietrich Marie Magdalene "Marlene" DietrichBorn as Maria Magdalena, not Marie Magdalene, according to Dietrich's biography by her daughter, Maria Riva ; however, Dietrich's biography by Charlotte Chandler cites "Marie Magdalene" as her birth name . (, ; ...

Eddie Cantor Eddie Cantor (born Isidore Itzkowitz; January 31, 1892 – October 10, 1964) was an American comedian, actor, dancer, singer, songwriter, film producer, screenwriter and author. Cantor was one of the prominent entertainers of his era. Some of h ...

Mae West Mary Jane "Mae" West (August 17, 1893 – November 22, 1980) was an American actress, singer, comedian, screenwriter, and playwright whose career spanned more than seven decades. Recognized as a prominent sex symbol of her time, she was known ...

Maurice Chevalier Maurice Auguste Chevalier (; 12 September 1888 – 1 January 1972) was a French singer, actor, and entertainer. He is best known for his signature songs, including " Livin' In The Sunlight", " Valentine", " Louise", " Mimi", and " Thank Heaven f ...

and others, as well as doing animal imitations. She was seen by animator

Max Fleischer Max Fleischer (born Majer Fleischer ; July 19, 1883 – September 11, 1972) was an American animator and studio owner. Born in Kraków, in Austrian Poland, Fleischer immigrated to the United States where he became a pioneer in the development ...

, who was looking for an actress to provide the voice for his Betty Boop character. Questel's "Boop-boop-a-doop" routine, done in a style similar to the version Helen Kane created, while at the same time evoking something of the naughty allure of film star

Clara Bow Clara Gordon Bow (; July 29, 1905 – September 27, 1965) was an American actress who rose to stardom during the silent film era of the 1920s and successfully made the transition to "talkies" in 1929. Her appearance as a plucky shopgirl in the ...

, was exactly what Fleischer wanted, and he hired Questel in 1931. She began as one of a number of actresses providing the character's voice, but soon took over the role exclusively.Erickson, Ha
Allmovie: Overview
/ref> From 1931 until 1938, Questel provided the voice of Betty Boop in more than 80

animated Animation is a filmmaking technique whereby image, still images are manipulated to create Motion picture, moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on cel, transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and e ...

shorts, the longest run for any actress doing that voice. During the 1930s, she released a recording of "

On the Good Ship Lollipop "On the Good Ship Lollipop" is a song composed by Richard A. Whiting with lyrics by Sidney Clare. It was the signature song of child actress Shirley Temple. Temple first sang it in the 1934 film '' Bright Eyes''. In the song, the "Good Ship L ...

" which sold more than two million copies. In 1988, she reprised her role as Betty Boop in a cameo appearance in ''

Who Framed Roger Rabbit ''Who Framed Roger Rabbit'' is a 1988 American fantasy comedy film directed by Robert Zemeckis from a screenplay written by Jeffrey Price and Peter S. Seaman. It is loosely based on the 1981 novel ''Who Censored Roger Rabbit?'' by Gary K. Wol ...

'', which was Questel's most extensive work for

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment industry, entertainment conglomerate (company), conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios (Burbank), Walt Di ...

; she had provided brief additional voices for some of Disney's earlier films. Along with her voice work, and occasional on-camera appearance in Paramount shorts, Questel also attended

Columbia University Columbia University in the City of New York, commonly referred to as Columbia University, is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Churc ...

, where she studied drama.

Voice of Olive Oyl

Beginning in 1933, Questel provided the voice for Olive Oyl in the Max Fleischer

Popeye Popeye the Sailor Man is a fictional cartoon character created by E. C. Segar, Elzie Crisler Segar.ZaSu Pitts ZaSu Pitts (; January 3, 1894 – June 7, 1963) was an American actress who, in a career spanning nearly five decades, starred in many silent film drama film, dramas, such as Erich von Stroheim's 1924 epic ''Greed (1924 film), Greed'', along wi ...

. When

Hanna-Barbera Hanna-Barbera Cartoons, Inc. ( ; formerly known as H-B Enterprises, Hanna-Barbera Productions, Inc. and H-B Production Co.), simply and commonly known as Hanna-Barbera, was an American animation studio and production company, which was acti ...

began making the '' All New Popeye'' cartoons for television in 1978, Questel auditioned for the role of Olive Oyl but lost out to

Marilyn Schreffler Marilyn Sue Schreffler (June 14, 1945 – January 7, 1988) was an American voice actress who provided voice-overs for several animated television series, mostly for Hanna-Barbera Productions. Biography Marilyn Schreffler was born in Wichita, ...

Voice of Betty Boop

Starting in 1938, Margie Hines, who was the original voice of Betty Boop, replaced Mae Questel when production made the transition from New York to the Miami Studio, Florida. Questel returned as the voice of Olive Oyl in 1944 after the studio reorganized as

Famous Studios Famous Studios (renamed Paramount Cartoon Studios in 1956) was the first animation division of the film studio Paramount Pictures from 1942 to 1967. Famous was established as a successor company to Fleischer Studios, after Paramount seized contr ...

Paramount Pictures Paramount Pictures Corporation, commonly known as Paramount Pictures or simply Paramount, is an American film production company, production and Distribution (marketing), distribution company and the flagship namesake subsidiary of Paramount ...

and had returned to New York, a role in which she would remain until 1962. She also filled in for Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye for a small number of cartoons, made when Mercer was temporarily drawn into war service, alongside Floyd Buckley and Harry Foster Welch.

Other voices

In addition to her signature voices of Olive Oyl and Betty Boop, Questel also provided the voice of Little Audrey. In 1958, she voiced

Wendy the Good Little Witch Wendy the Good Little Witch is a fictional comic book Character (arts), character from Harvey Comics. Like Casper the Friendly Ghost and Hot Stuff the Little Devil, Wendy is an opposite-type character, a girl witch who does good deeds. Publicatio ...

in the theatrical Casper cartoon short ''Which is Witch''. In the 1950s, she was the voice for the title character of the pioneering interactive Saturday-morning cartoon series '' Winky Dink and You''. She provided the voice of Casper, the Friendly Ghost in Golden Records' ''Casper the Friendly Ghost and Little Audrey Says'' in 1962. In ''

The Flintstones ''The Flintstones'' is an American animated sitcom produced by Hanna-Barbera, Hanna-Barbera Productions, which takes place in a romanticized Stone Age setting and follows the titular family, the Flintstones, and their next-door neighbors, the R ...

'' series, she voiced characters from the spin-offs ''

The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show ''The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show'' is an American animated television series produced by Hanna-Barbera Productions that originally aired for one season on CBS Saturday morning from September 11, 1971, to January 1, 1972. With an ensemble voice ...

'', '' The Flintstone Comedy Hour'' and the '' Flintstone Frolics''. She voiced Wiggy Rockstone after the original voice actress, Gay Autterson, left the role in 1982. She continued to provide the voices of Betty Boop and Olive Oyl in commercials, television specials and elsewhere for the rest of her life. In 1988, she reprised her role as Betty Boop in the film ''

''. In 1935, Mae Questel played the voice of the Woman in the Shoe in the Max Fleischer cartoon, '' The Kids in the Shoe''.

On-camera roles

Questel played a number of small parts, including appearing with

Rudy Vallee Rudy or Rudi is a masculine given name, sometimes short for Rudolf, Rudolph, Rawad, Rudra, Ruairidh, or variations thereof, a nickname and a surname which may refer to: People Given name or nickname *Rudolf Rudy Andeweg (born 1952), Dutch poli ...

as Betty Boop in the 1931 short '' Musical Justice (1931)'' and as a nurse in ''The Musical Doctor'' in 1932. In 1962, she played a Jewish mother in an episode of crime drama '' Naked City.'' In 1961, she was seen as a middle-aged bride in

Jerry Lewis Jerry Lewis (born Joseph Levitch; March 16, 1926 – August 20, 2017) was an American comedian, actor, singer, filmmaker and humanitarian, with a career spanning seven decades in film, stage, television and radio. Famously nicknamed as "Th ...

' '' It's Only Money'', one of

's mother's card-playing friends at the start of the film '' Funny Girl'' in 1968, and as the "Jewish Mama from Hell" in ''

New York Stories ''New York Stories'' is a 1989 American anthology film consisting of three segments with the central theme being New York City. The first is ''Life Lessons'', directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Richard Price and starring Nick Nolte. The ...

'' in 1989 in

Woody Allen Heywood Allen (born Allan Stewart Konigsberg; November 30, 1935) is an American filmmaker, actor, and comedian whose career spans more than six decades. Allen has received many List of awards and nominations received by Woody Allen, accolade ...

's segment titled "Oedipus Wrecks"; she had earlier sung the song "Chameleon Days" on the soundtrack for Allen's film ''

Zelig ''Zelig'' is a 1983 American satirical mockumentary comedy film written, directed by and starring Woody Allen as Leonard Zelig, a nondescript enigma, who, apparently out of his desire to fit in and be liked, unwittingly takes on the characteris ...

'' in 1983. Her last non-voice appearance was as the elderly Aunt Bethany in 1989's '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation''. In 1973, Questel had a role in the short-lived ABC television

sitcom A sitcom (short for situation comedy or situational comedy) is a genre of comedy produced for radio and television, that centers on a recurring cast of character (arts), characters as they navigate humorous situations within a consistent settin ...

'' The Corner Bar'', but she achieved perhaps her greatest visibility in television commercials, notably playing "Aunt Bluebell" in ads for Scott Towels from 1971 to 1979, and appeared in spots for

Playtex Playtex is an American brand name for undergarments, baby products, gloves, feminine hygiene products, and sunscreen. The brand began in 1947 when International Latex Corporation (ILC) created a division named Playtex to produce and sell latex p ...

, Folger's Coffee and others. She also appeared on panel shows and in daytime soap operas.

Broadway

Questel appeared on Broadway four times: * ''Doctor Social'' (1948) with

Dean Jagger Dean Jagger (November 7, 1903 – February 5, 1991) was an American film, stage, and television actor who won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Henry King's '' Twelve O'Clock High'' (1949). Early life Dean Jeffri ...

* Leonard Spigelgass' '' A Majority of One'' (1959) with

Cedric Hardwicke Sir Cedric Webster Hardwicke (19 February 1893 – 6 August 1964) was an English stage and film actor whose career spanned over 50 years. His theatre work included notable performances in productions of the plays of Shakespeare and Shaw, and hi ...

and Barnard Hughes – she reprised her role (as "Essie Rubin") in the

film adaptation A film adaptation transfers the details or story of an existing source text, such as a novel, into a feature film. This transfer can involve adapting most details of the source text closely, including characters or plot points, or the original sou ...

* '' Enter Laughing'' (1963) based on the novel by

Carl Reiner Carl Reiner (March 20, 1922 – June 29, 2020) was an American actor, author, comedian, director and screenwriter whose career spanned seven decades. He was the List of awards and nominations received by Carl Reiner, recipient of many awards and ...

, with

Alan Arkin Alan Wolf Arkin (March 26, 1934 – June 29, 2023) was an American actor, filmmaker and musician. In a career spanning seven decades, he received numerous accolades, including an Academy Award, a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award, and a Tony A ...

Alan Mowbray Alan Mowbray MM (born Alfred Ernest Allen; 18 August 1896 – 25 March 1969) was an English stage and film actor who found success in Hollywood. Early life Mowbray was born in London, England. He served with distinction in the British Army ...

Sylvia Sidney Sylvia Sidney (born Sophia Kosow; August 8, 1910 – July 1, 1999) was an American stage, screen, and film actress whose career spanned 70 years. She rose to prominence in dozens of leading roles in the 1930s. She was nominated for the Academy ...

and Michael J. Pollard and * '' Bajour'' (1964), the Walter Marks musical, starring Herschel Bernardi, Nancy Dussault and

Chita Rivera Dolores Conchita Figueroa del Rivero (January 23, 1933 – January 30, 2024), known professionally as Chita Rivera, was an American actress, singer, and dancer. Rivera received numerous accolades including two Tony Awards, two Drama Desk Awa ...

Personal life

Questel married Leo Balkin on December 22, 1930, and they were divorced prior to 1950. She married Jack E. Shelby on November 19, 1970; they remained married until his death. She had two sons, Robert Balkin and Richard Balkin.

Politics

Questel was a Democrat who supported

Adlai Stevenson Adlai Stevenson may refer to: * Adlai Stevenson I Adlai Ewing Stevenson (October 23, 1835 – June 14, 1914) was an American politician and diplomat who served as the 23rd vice president of the United States from 1893 to 1897 under President Gr ...

's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.

Death

Questel died on January 4, 1998, from complications related to

Alzheimer's disease Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease and the cause of 60–70% of cases of dementia. The most common early symptom is difficulty in remembering recent events. As the disease advances, symptoms can include problems wit ...

at the age of 89 in her

Manhattan Manhattan ( ) is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the Boroughs of New York City, five boroughs of New York City. Coextensive with New York County, Manhattan is the County statistics of the United States#Smallest, larg ...

apartment. She was buried in New Montefiore Cemetery in

West Babylon, New York West Babylon is a census-designated place (CDP) in the Town of Babylon in Suffolk County, New York, United States. The population was 43,213 at the 2010 census. Geography West Babylon is located at (40.713399, -73.357106). West Babylon is b ...

Selected filmography

* '' Silly Scandals'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Bimbo's Initiation'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Bimbo's Express'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Minding the Baby'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Kitty from Kansas City'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Musical Justice'' (1931, Short) as Betty Boop (uncredited) * '' Wayward'' (1932) as Showgirl (uncredited) * '' Minnie the Moocher'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' One Hour with You'' (1932) as Office Worker (uncredited) * '' Crazy Town'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop / Beauty Shop Customer 1 / Beauty Shop Customer 2 (voice, uncredited) * '' Stopping the Show'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop / Aloysius (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop, M.D.'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Ups and Downs'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop for President'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Museum'' (1932, Short) as Betty Boop / Big Lady / Mummy (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Ker-Choo'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Is My Palm Read'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''

Snow White "Snow White" is a German fairy tale, first written down in the early 19th century. The Brothers Grimm published it in 1812 in the first edition of their collection ''Grimms' Fairy Tales'', numbered as Tale 53. The original title was ''Sneewittch ...

'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop / Evil Queen (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Penthouse'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Popeye the Sailor'' (1933, Short) (voice, uncredited) * '' I Heard'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''I Eats my Spinach'' (1933, Short) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * '' The Old Man of the Mountain'' (1933, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''Sock-a-bye, Baby'' (1934, Short) as Baby (voice, uncredited) * '' Ha! Ha! Ha!'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Rise to Fame'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Trial'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' There's Something About a Soldier'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Little Pal'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop, Pudgy (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop's Prize Show'' (1934, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Baby Be Good'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Stop That Noise'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''Pleased to Meet Cha!'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Swat the Fly'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''The 'Hip-Nut-Tist (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' The Kids in the Shoe'' (1935, Short) as The Woman in the Shoe (voice, uncredited) * ''

No! No! A Thousand Times No!! ''No! No! A Thousand Times No!!'' is a 1935 Fleischer Studio animated short film, starring Betty Boop. This is the third of a series of Betty Boop melodrama spoofs, which also included ''She Wronged Him Right'' (1934), '' Betty Boop's Prize Sh ...

'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''Choose Your 'Weppins (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' A Little Soap and Water'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' A Language All My Own'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop and Grampy'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Making Stars'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop / Babies (voice, uncredited) * ''Adventures with Popeye'' (1935, Short) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * ''The Spinach Overture'' (1935, Short) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * '' Betty Boop with Henry, the Funniest Living American'' (1935, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky'' (1936, Short) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * '' Somewhere in Dreamland'' (1936, Short) as Mother / Boy / Girl (voice, uncredited) * ''

The Great Ziegfeld ''The Great Ziegfeld'' is a 1936 American musical film, musical drama film directed by Robert Z. Leonard and produced by Hunt Stromberg. It stars William Powell as the theatrical impresario Florenz Ziegfeld Jr., Florenz "Flo" Ziegfeld Jr., Lui ...

'' (1936) as Rosie (uncredited) * '' Be Human'' (1936, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Christmas Comes But Once a Year'' (1936, Short) as Orphans (voice, uncredited) * '' Making Friends'' (1936, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * ''Bridge Ahoy!'' (1936, Short) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * '' House Cleaning Blues'' (1937, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Whoops! I'm a Cowboy'' (1937, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' The Hot Air Salesman'' (1937, Short) as Betty Boop (voice, uncredited) * '' Bells Are Ringing'' (1960) as Olga (voice, uncredited) * '' A Majority of One'' (1961) as Essie Rubin * '' It's Only Money'' (1962) as Cecilia Albright * '' Funny Girl'' (1968) as Mrs. Strakosh * ''

Move Move or The Move may refer to: Brands and enterprises * Move (company), an American online real estate company * Move (electronics store), a defunct Australian electronics retailer * Daihatsu Move, a Japanese car * PlayStation Move, a motion ...

'' (1970) as Mrs. Katz * ''

'' (1983) as Helen Kane (voice, uncredited) * ''Commercial promoting the Popeye video game'' (1983) as Olive Oyl (voice, uncredited) * '' Hot Resort'' (1985) as Mrs. Labowitz * ''

'' (1988) as Betty Boop (voice) * ''

'' (1989) as Mother (segment "Oedipus Wrecks") * '' National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation'' (1989) as Bethany (final film role)

References

Notes

External links

* * * *
Mae Questel
at the

Internet Archive The Internet Archive is an American 501(c)(3) organization, non-profit organization founded in 1996 by Brewster Kahle that runs a digital library website, archive.org. It provides free access to collections of digitized media including web ...

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Questel, Mae 1908 births 1998 deaths American film actresses American musical theatre actresses American stage actresses American radio actresses Deaths from dementia in New York (state) Deaths from Alzheimer's disease in New York (state) Jewish American actresses Animal impersonators Actresses from the Bronx People from West Babylon, New York American vaudeville performers 20th-century American actresses 20th-century American women singers 20th-century American singers Burials at New Montefiore Cemetery New York (state) Democrats California Democrats Paramount Pictures contract players 20th-century American Jews Jewish American film people