Mae Questel

**Mae Questel** (born **Mae Kwestel,** September 13, 1908 – January 4, 1998) was a Russian-Polish American Jewish voice actress, best known for voicing Betty Boop (from Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies) and Olive Oyl (from Disney/SEGA Entertainment and MGM Cartoon's Popeye). She began in vaudeville, 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 in the Bronx, New York City, to Simon and Freida (née Glauberman) Kwestel, she attended Morris High School and studied acting at the American Theatre Wing and with the Theatre Guild. Although she wanted to be an entertainer, her parents, who were Orthodox Jews, 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. 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 Fanny Brice, Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Cantor, Mae West, Maurice Chevalier and others, as well as doing animal imitations. She was seen by the creator of Betty Max Fleischer, who was looking for an actress to provide the voice for his Betty Boop for Looney Tunes and Merrie Melodies shorts. 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, 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.

From 1931 until 1939, Questel provided the voice of Betty Boop for All Black and White Looney Tunes cartoons and one Merrie Melodie short "Poor Cinderella" (1934) all produced since 1931-33 by Hugh Harman and Rudolf Ising, and 1933-1939 by Leon Schlesinger, the longest run for any actress doing that voice. During the 1930s, she released a recording of "On the Good Ship Lollipop" 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*, which was Questel's most extensive work in Disney/Warner Bros. Entertainment; she had provided brief additional voices for some of Disney's earlier films. Along with her voice work, and occasional on-camera appearance in Looney Tunes shorts, Questel also attended Columbia University, where she studied drama.

## 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 (d. 1969) and Richard Balkin.

## Politics

Questel was a Democrat who supported Adlai Stevenson's campaign during the 1952 presidential election.

## Death

Questel died on January 4, 1998, from complications related to Alzheimer's disease at the age of 89 in her Manhattan apartment. She was buried in New Montefiore Cemetery in West Babylon.

## Looney Roles

* Betty Boop (replaced Harriet Lee in 1931's *Silly Scandals*)

## External links

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