But, as the media historian Heather Hendershot argues, Betty’s evolution was also a sign of the changing times. This dramatic makeover was a byproduct of the Production Code, a conservative set of standards applied to all movies released in the U.S. By the time the decade ended, Betty had transformed into a full-blown housewife who baked and scolded her son for staying up past his bedtime. She lost some of her signature curves, as well as her city apartment.

Her short, strapless dress got a little longer. The result is very taking and the cartoon, shown all over the world, presented a strong temptation to an infringer.īetty was literally designed to be a bombshell, but around 1935, something strange happened. The character which was depicted combined in appearance the childish with the sophisticated-a round baby face, with big eyes and a nose like a button, framed in a somewhat careful coiffure, with a body of which perhaps the most noticeable characteristic is the most self-confident little bust imaginable. In his ruling on a copyright infringement case concerning Miss Boop, Judge John M. People actually lusted after this cartoon flapper, including federal judges. Betty Boop was, to borrow her creator’s phrase, “a suggestion you could spell in three letters: s-e-x.” Created for cinema in 1930 and billed as the “ box office baby” of Paramount’s animated shorts, she offered a stark contrast to Disney’s family-friendly Minnie Mouse and Clarabelle Cow.

Original betty boop logo