Fun Fact: This is a great tribute to the likely earliest inspiration for the Betty Boop cartoon, Florence Mills.
Florence Mills (above) is who Baby Esther was imitating in her act.
And Baby Esther's act was used by Max Fleischer to prove that Helen Kane had no claim on Betty Boop's stylings in her lawsuit against them.
Fleischer successfully proved Esther predated Kane and that Helen had been to Esther's act.
The baby voice actually makes sense now, given that Esther was a child at the time (see below)
So, I think Betty is Florence's style, as interpreted by a child.
So, It's nice to see a Black woman performing her.
It all has come full circle.
Both of these Black performers, both the child and the woman, were HUGE stars in their day.
Baby Esther performed all over Europe and was paid $750 weekly.
Florence's funeral procession was legendary in the amount of mourners who showed up, a demonstration of both her level of fame and how well-loved she was (pictured below)...
She was known as not only a singularly talented broadway performer but a prolific philanthropist, advocate for "colored" rights, & helping all the down and out (homeless and disabled), black and white:
Betty Boop would not exist but for a talented Black child performer named Baby Esther and legendary theatre, vaudeville, and Broadway Black woman performer, Florence Mills.
P.S. I had to add this photo of Florence because she is totally giving Betty B. :
andulkaphoto
ellievsbear
jacobvanloon
stormborns
