Mae Questel (September 13, 1908 - January 4, 1998) was an American actress and voice artist.

Born Mae Kwestel in New York City, Questel won a talent contest at the age of 17, and began performing in vaudeville. She was seen by animator Max Fleischer, 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 that of the song's originator, Helen Kane, while at the same time evoking something of the naughty allure of film star Clara Bow, was exactly what Fleischer had been looking for. From 1930 until 1939 Questel provided the voice of Betty Boop in more than 150 animated shorts. During the 1930s she released a recording of "On The Good Ship Lollypop" which sold more than 2 million copies.

From the mid 1930s Questel also provided the voice for Olive Oyl in the Popeye animated shorts. She based Olive's nasal vocal style on that of the legendary actress ZaSu Pitts, and ultimately played the role for more than twenty years. She voiced as well the Little Lulu and Little Audrey animated shorts.

More on [ Mae Questel ]

NPR Topics: Arts & Culture

Hollywood a Translator of American, Foreign Life
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 14:52:00 -0400
Hollywood is perhaps the most prolific institution for shaping perceptions of American culture abroad. But the film industry also translates foreign cultures for American viewers. Movie critic Shawn Edwards talks listeners through the interpretation of cultures on the big screen.
An Outlaw's Odyssey, Remembered 'Gonzo' Style
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:25:00 -0400
Writer Hunter S. Thompson sped through life in a drug-addled frenzy, and the documentary Gonzo manages to keep pace. The film captures the spirit of a man who blurred fact and fiction in pursuit of truth.
Who Wrote Shakespeare's Plays? Debate Goes On
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 00:01:00 -0400
Centuries later, doubts persist that William Shakespeare penned the works that bear his name. Skeptics include not only scholars but also famous folks, ranging from Orson Welles to Mark Twain.

NYT > Arts

Music Review: A Hungry 50 Cent, Working Hard for the Money
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 06:34:39 -0000
G-Unit’s show at the Nokia Theater on Tuesday night figured to be full of tumult, but instead 50 Cent and the remaining members of G-Unit were on their best behavior.
On Campus, Liberal Professors Retire
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 05:59:00 -0000
Baby boomers, hired in large numbers during a huge expansion in higher education, are being replaced as part of a vast generational change.
Ex-Leader at Spoleto Calls Ouster Political
Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:58:17 -0000
Francis Menotti broke a long silence on Wednesday and accused Italian politicians of callously throwing him out of the festival founded by his father, the composer Gian Carlo Menotti.

Arts & Culture

The Theatre
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
OPENINGS AND PREVIEWS Please call the phone number listed with the theatre for timetables and ticket information. ANIMALS OUT OF PAPER Second Stage’s Uptown Series concludes with this play by Rajiv Joseph, an origami-themed love story. Giovanna Sardelli directs. Previews begin July 14. (McGinn/Cazale, Broadway at 76th St . . .
The Garden of Last Days
Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
Dubus’s follow-up to “House of Sand and Fog” is inspired by the rumored visit of 9/11 hijackers to a strip club shortly before their attacks. In the fictional Puma Club, in Sarasota, Florida, a twenty-six-year-old named Bassam al-Jizani watches Spring, a stripper, undress, and finds . . .
Symphony of Millions
Alex Ross Mon, 30 Jun 2008 04:00:00 -0000
In March, Chen Qigang, a Chinese composer who is supervising the music program for the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics, received a National Spirit Achievers Award at a press event in Beijing. He was one of ten artists and businesspeople to receive the prize, which came courtesy of . . .

Christian Science Monitor | Arts & Entertainment

Review: 'Hancock'
Fri, 04 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0400
Another reluctant superhero takes to the screen with Will Smith in full comedy mode, but plot swerves undermine second half.
Prison baseball team gives inmates a focus beyond their cells
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500
The San Quentin Giants, one of the only prison teams in the nation to compete against outside clubs, play on a diamond surrounded by guard towers.
If the first lady is a pop star, French media melt like Boursin
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 01:00:00 -0500
A new CD from Carla Bruni may produce another boost for Nicolas Sarkozy's presidency. Meanwhile, the French media struggle with objectivity.

Village Voice Arts

Art: W. Eugene Smith: Art, Not News: The Life magazine lensman finds a new context at Silverstein
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
The Life magazine lensman finds a new context at Silverstein (By R.C. Baker)
Art: The Met's Century of Photography: A striking, revealing lineup of giants from photography's first hundred years
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
A striking, revealing lineup of giants from photography's first hundred years (By Leslie Camhi)
Dance: Compagnie Maguy Marin: Moving Days: How many steps does it take to make a world?
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
How many steps does it take to make a world? (By Deborah Jowitt)
Theater: Macbeth 2008: Opposite Poles: TR Warszawa's Shakespeare made vivid—and almost invisible
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
TR Warszawa's Shakespeare made vivid—and almost invisible (By Michael Feingold)
Theater: Misha Shulman's Brunch at the Luthers: Duck, motherfucker
Wed, 02 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0400
Duck, motherfucker (By GARRETT EISLER)

Subscribe to Arts RSS feed