Mae Questel
Biography
Mae Questel was an American actress and voice performer who, after winning a Bronx talent contest as a teenager with an imitation of Helen Kane, worked in vaudeville as an impressionist and singer. She became best known as the voice of Betty Boop, a part she soon took over exclusively and played in more than 80 animated shorts from 1931 to 1938, and as Olive Oyl in the Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons starting in 1933 and again from 1944 to 1962. Her other animated voices included Little Audrey. On camera she had small parts in It's Only Money (1962), Funny Girl (1968), and New York Stories (1989), and she played Aunt Bethany in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989). She appeared on Broadway in Doctor Social, A Majority of One, Enter Laughing, and Bajour. During the 1930s she made a recording that sold over two million copies.
89years old at death
- Born The Bronx
- Died New York City
- Star sign: VirgoThe sign runs August 23 to September 22
- Also credited as Mae Kwestel
Movie Career
- Films
- 10
- Career span
- 57 years1932 to 1989
Genres
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First role
Mae Questel won a talent contest at 17 by imitating Helen Kane, which led to an agent signing her and a vaudeville career as an impersonator.
Big break
Animator Max Fleischer hired Questel in 1931 for Betty Boop after seeing her Boop-boop-a-doop routine, and she soon took over the voice exclusively.
A first
Questel supplied the voice of Betty Boop in over 80 animated shorts, starting in 1931 and continuing through 1938. No other actress had a longer run doing that voice.
A role that slipped away
Questel auditioned for Olive Oyl when Hanna-Barbera began the All New Popeye cartoons in 1978, but lost the role to Marilyn Schreffler.
Mae Questel movies on Netflix
Best known for
The films on Netflix they are best known for, with the part played in each.
- New York Stories1989 Comedy, Drama, Romanceas Mother (segment "Oedipus Wrecks")
IMDb rating 6.421K votes
Most often with
Dave Fleischer directed four of these films, Willard Bowsky two. Jack Mercer appears in three of them, more than any other actor. Pick a number on the chart or a name in the list to see the films they share.
Films together
Jack Mercer's page
Gus Wicke2 films together, 1936 to 1937
Gus Wicke's page
Lou Fleischer2 films together, 1936 to 1937
Lou Fleischer's page
Dave FleischerDirector, 4 films, 1933 to 1941
All films by Dave Fleischer
Willard BowskyDirector, 2 films, 1936 to 1937
All films by Willard Bowsky
Online
Official profiles and reference pages.