Mae Questel

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

Related Topics:
September 13 - 1908 - January 4 - 1998 - American - Actress

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Born Mae Kwestel in New York City, Questel won a talent contest at the age of 17, and began performing on vaudeville. She was seen by 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, 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.

Related Topics:
New York City - Vaudeville - Max Fleischer - Betty Boop - Helen Kane - Animated

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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 actress ZaSu Pitts, ultimately playing the role for more than twenty years.

Related Topics:
Olive Oyl - Popeye - ZaSu Pitts

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She made her first on-screen appearance in the 1960s, and was widely seen as one of Fanny Brice's mother's card-playing friends in Funny Girl (1968), and also appeared in Zelig (1983), New York Stories (1989) (making her the only actress to ever play Woody Allen's mother on-screen), and her final film appearance in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). She also provided the voice for her old character Betty Boop who made a cameo appearance in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988). She appeared in TV commercials for various household products, becoming famous as "Aunt Bluebell" who pitched ScotTowels.

Related Topics:
1960s - Fanny Brice - Funny Girl - Zelig - New York Stories - Woody Allen - National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation - Who Framed Roger Rabbit

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Questel died from Alzheimer's Disease at the age of 89 in New York City in 1998.

Related Topics:
Alzheimer's Disease - New York City

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