Mae Questel

She later performed on Broadway and in films and television, including her role as Aunt Bethany (her final role) in National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989).

• Name — Mae Questel • Birth Name — Mae Kwestel • Born — 13 September 1908 • Birthplace — The Bronx, New York, U.S. • Died — 4 January 1998 • Place of death — Manhattan, New York, U.S. • Education — Columbia University • Occupation — * Actress • artist • impersonator • singer • vaudevillian • Years Active — 1930–1989 • Known for — Voice of Betty Boop, Olive Oyl and Little Audrey • Notable Works — Betty Boop Popeye the Sailor Noveltoons • Children — 2

Born Mae Kwestel on September 13, 1908, 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. It was her drama teacher, Joseph G. Geiger, that changed her name to Questel. 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 impressions of Fanny Brice, Marlene Dietrich, Eddie Cantor, Mae West, Maurice Chevalier, and others, as well as doing animal imitations. Questel also attended Columbia University, where she studied drama.

She was seen by animator 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 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 1938, Questel provided the voice of Betty Boop in more than 80 animated shorts, 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. She starred in more than a hundred short films during he time. Starting in 1938, Margie Hines, who was the original voice of Betty Boop, replaced Mae Questel when production made the transition from New York to the Miami Studio in Florida. 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 for Disney; she had provided brief additional voices for some of Disney's earlier films.

Beginning in 1933, Questel provided the voice for Olive Oyl in the Max Fleischer Popeye cartoons. She made her debut with "I Eats Me Spinach" and essentially became the permanent voice until her hiatus to start a family in 1938. She reportedly based Olive's nasal vocal quality and expression, "Oh, dear!", on character actress ZaSu Pitts. Questel returned as the voice of Olive Oyl in 1944 after the studio reorganized as Famous Studios, Paramount Pictures and had returned to New York, a role in which she would remain until 1962. She also filled in for Jack Mercer as the voice of Popeye for a small number of cartoons, made when Mercer was temporarily drawn into war service, alongside Floyd Buckley and Harry Foster Welch. When Hanna-Barbera began making the All New Popeye cartoons for television in 1978, Questel auditioned for the role of Olive Oyl, but lost out to Marilyn Schreffler.

In addition to her signature voices of Olive Oyl and Betty Boop, Questel also provided the voice of Little Audrey. In 1935, Mae Questel played the voice of the Woman in the Shoe in the Max Fleischer cartoon, The Kids in the Shoe. In 1958, she voiced Wendy the Good Little Witch in the theatrical Casper cartoon short Which is Witch. In the 1950s, she was the voice for the title character of the pioneering interactive Saturday-morning cartoon series Winky Dink and You. She provided the voice of Casper, the Friendly Ghost in Golden Records' Casper the Friendly Ghost and Little Audrey Says in 1962. In The Flintstones series, she voiced characters from the spin-offs The Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm Show, The Flintstone Comedy Hour, and the Flintstone Frolics. She voiced Wiggy Rockstone after the original voice actress, Gay Autterson, left the role in 1982.

Questel played a number of small parts, including appearing with Rudy Vallée as Betty Boop in the 1931 short Musical Justice and as a nurse in The Musical Doctor in 1932. In 1962, she played a Jewish mother in an episode of crime drama Naked City. She was also seen as a middle-aged bride in Jerry Lewis' It's Only Money. In 1968, she was one of Fanny Brice's mother's card-playing friends at the start of the film Funny Girl. In 1973, Questel had a role in the short-lived ABC television sitcom The Corner Bar, but she achieved perhaps her greatest visibility in television commercials, notably playing "Aunt Bluebell" in ads for Scott Towels from 1971 to 1979, and appeared in spots for Playtex, Folger's Coffee, and others. She also appeared on panel shows and in daytime soap operas. In 1989, she appeared as the "Jewish Mama from Hell" in New York Stories in Woody Allen's segment titled "Oedipus Wrecks"; she had earlier sung the song "Chameleon Days" on the soundtrack for Allen's film Zelig in 1983. Her last onscreen appearance was as the elderly Aunt Bethany in 1989's Christmas slapstick comedy film National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

Questel married Leo Balkin on December 22, 1930, and they were divorced prior to 1950. They had two sons, Robert Balkin and Richard Balkin. She married Jack E. Shelby on November 19, 1970; they remained married until his death in 1996.

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, New York.

Questel appeared on Broadway four times: • Doctor Social (1948) with Dean Jagger • Leonard Spigelgass' A Majority of One (1959) with Cedric Hardwicke and Barnard Hughes – she reprised her role (as "Essie Rubin") in the film adaptation • Enter Laughing (1963) based on the novel by Carl Reiner, with Alan Arkin, Alan Mowbray, Sylvia Sidney and Michael J. Pollard and • Bajour (1964), the Walter Marks musical, starring Herschel Bernardi, Nancy Dussault and Chita Rivera

• Year — Title — Additional roles — Notes • 1931 — Silly Scandals • Bimbo's Express • Minding the Baby • Kitty from Kansas • Musical Justice • 1932 — Minnie the Moocher • Crazy-Town • Just One More Chance • Chess-Nuts • Oh! How I Hate to Get Up in the Morning • Admission Free • The Betty Boop Limited • Rudy Vallee Melodies • Betty Boop, M.D. • Just a Gigolo • Betty Boop's Bamboo Isle • Betty Boop's Ups and Downs • Romantic Melodies • Betty Boop for President • Time on My Hands • Let Me Call You Sweetheart — Aloysius • Betty Boop's Museum — Big Lady / Mummy • 1933 — Betty Boop's Crazy Inventions • Is My Palm Read • Betty Boop's Penthouse • Popeye the Sailor • I Heard • Snow-White — Evil Queen • Popular Melodies — Children • Betty Boop's Birthday Party — Aloysius • 1934 — Betty Boop's Rise to Fame — Uncredited, archived sound • Betty Boop's Trial • Ha! Ha! Ha! • There's Something About a Soldier • Betty Boop's Prize Show • Keep in Style • When My Ship Comes In • Poor Cinderella — Ugly Step-Sisters / Mice • Betty Boop's Little Pal — Pudgy • 1935 — Baby Be Good • Taking the Blame • Stop That Noise • Swat the Fly • No! No! A Thousand Times No!! • Betty Boop and Grampy • Judge for a Day • Betty Boop with Henry, the Funniest Living American • A Language All My Own • Making Stars — Babies • 1936 — Betty Boop and Little Jimmy — Little Jimmy • Little Nobody — Pudgy / Snooty Puppy • We Did It — Pudgy / Kitten • Grampy's Indoor Outing — Junior • Not Now — Pudgy • Happy You and Merry Me • Training Pigeons • More Pep • Betty Boop and the Little King • You're Not Built That Way • Be Human • Making Friends • A Song a Day • 1937 — Pudgy Takes a Bow-Wow — Pudgy • Pudgy Picks a Fight • The Foxy Hunter — Pudgy / Junior • The New Deal Show — Cats / Puppy • House Cleaning Blues • The Hot Air Salesman • The Impractical Joker • Ding Dong Doggie • The Candid Candidate • Service with a Smile • Zula Hula • Whoops! I'm a Cowboy • 1938 — Riding the Rails — Pudgy • Pudgy the Watchman • Buzzy Boop at the Concert • Be Up to Date • Honest Love and True • On with the New • 1939 — So Does an Automobile • 1988 — Who Framed Roger Rabbit

• Year — Title — Additional roles — Notes • 1933 — I Eats My Spinach — Uncredited • 1934 — The Man on the Flying Trapeze — Nana Oyl — Uncredited • Can You Take It • Shoein' Hosses • Shiver Me Timbers! • Axe Me Another • A Dream Walking • The Two-Alarm Fire • The Dance Contest • We Aim to Please • 1935 — Beware of Barnacle Bill — Uncredited • Be Kind to 'Aminals' • Pleased to Meet Cha! • The 'Hyp-Nut-Tist' • Choose Your 'Weppins • King of the Mardi Gras • You Gotta Be a Football Hero • Adventures of Popeye • The Spinach Overture • For Better or Worser • 1936 — Vim, Vigor and Vitaliky — Uncredited • Brotherly Love • I-Ski Love-Ski You-Ski • Bridge Ahoy! • I Wanna Be a Life Guard • Let's Get Movin • Never Kick a Woman • Popeye the Sailor Meets Sindbad the Sailor • Hold the Wire • The Spinach Roadster • I'm in the Army Now • A Clean Shaven Man • Little Swee'pea — Swee' Pea • 1937 — The Paneless Window Washer — Uncredited • My Artistical Temperature • Hospitaliky • The Twisker Pitcher • Morning, Noon and Night Club • I Never Changes My Altitude • Popeye the Sailor Meets Ali Baba's Forty Thieves • Fowl Play • Organ Grinder's Swing • Lost and Foundry — Swee' Pea • The Football Toucher Downer • I Like Babies and Infinks • Protek the Weakerist — Floppy • 1938 — Let's Celebrake — Grandma — Uncredited • Learn Polikeness • The House Builder-Upper • Mutiny Ain't Nice • A Date to Skate • Big Chief Ugh-Amugh-Ugh • 1944 — The Anvil Chorus Girl — Uncredited • Spinach Packin' Popeye • Puppet Love • Pitchin' Woo at the Zoo • She-Sick Sailors • 1945 — Tops in the Big Top — Uncredited • Shape Ahoy • For Better or Nurse • Mess Production • 1946 — House Tricks? — Uncredited • Service with a Guile • Klondike Casanova • Peep in the Deep • Rocket to Mars • Rodeo Romeo • The Fistic Mystic • The Island Fling • 1947 — Abusement Park — Uncredited • I'll Be Skiing Ya • The Royal Four-Flusher • Popeye and the Pirates • Wotta Knight • Safari So Good • All's Fair at the Fair • 1948 — Popeye Meets Hercules — Swooning Ladies — Uncredited • Olive Oyl for President • Wigwam Whoopee • Pre-Hysterical Man • A Wolf in Sheik's Clothing • Spinach vs Hamburgers • Snow Place Like Home • Robin Hood-Winked • Symphony in Spinach • 1949 — Popeye's Premiere — Uncredited • Lumberjack and Jill • Hot Air Aces • A Balmy Swami • Silly Hillbilly • Barking Dogs Don't Fite • Taw with a Star • 1950 — Gym Jam — Uncredited • Jitterbug Jive • Popeye Makes a Movie • The Farmer and the Belle • Quick on the Vigor • Beach Peach • Baby Wants Spinach — Swee' Pea • 1951 — Thrill of Fair — Uncredited • Vacation with Play • Double-Cross-Country Race • Let's Stalk Spinach • Alpine for You • 1952 — Lunch with a Punch — Uncredited • Big Bad Sindbad • Swimmer Take All • 1953 — Child Sockology — Swee' Pea — Uncredited • Popeye's Mirthday • Toreadorable • Baby Wants a Battle • Firemen's Brawl • Shaving Mugs • Ancient Fistory • 1954 — Floor Flusher — Uncredited • Popeye's 20th Anniversary • Bride and Gloom • Greek Mirthology • Fright to the Finish • Private Eye Popeye • Taxi-Turvy • 1955 — Cookin' with Gags — Uncredited • Beaus Will Be Beaus • Gift of Gag • Car-azy Drivers • Penny Antics • A Job for a Gob • Mister and Mistletoe • Cops Is Tops — Leading Female Officer • Nurse to Meet Ya — Swee' Pea • 1956 — Hill-billing and Cooing — Uncredited • Out to Punch • Assault and Flattery • A Haul in One • I Don't Scare • Parlez Vous Woo • Popeye for President • 1957 — Nearlyweds — Uncredited • Spooky Swabs • The Crystal Brawl • 1960-1962 — Popeye the Sailor — Swee' Pea / Various Voices

• Year — Title — Additional Roles — Notes • 1947 — Santa's Surprise — Uncredited • 1948 — Butterscotch and Soda • 1949 — The Lost Dream • Song of the Birds • 1950 — Tart's and Flowers • Goofy Goofy Gander • 1951 — Hold the Lion Please • Audrey the Rainmaker • 1952 — Law and Audrey • The Case of the Cockeyed Canary — Mary Canary / Ugly Bird • 1953 — Surf Bored • 1954 — The Seapreme Court — Little Fishes • 1955 — Dizzy Dishes — Audrey's Mother • Little Audrey Riding Hood — Audrey's Mother / Phone Operator • 1957 — Fishing Tackler • 1958 — Dawg Gawn

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1949 — A Haunting We Will Go — Ghost Teacher • 1950 — Casper's Spree Under the Sea — Goldie the Goldfish • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Once Upon a Rhyme — Little Red Riding Hood / Little Miss Muffet / Three Blind Mice • 1951 — Casper the Friendly Ghost - To Boo or Not to Boo — Lou / Ladies at Door • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Boo Scout — Billy • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Boo Hoo Baby — Babies • 1952 — Casper the Friendly Ghost - The Deep Boo Sea — Billy / Billy's Brother's Friend • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Ghost of the Town — Baby / Kids • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Spunky Skunky — Skunky • Casper the Friendly Ghost - Cage Fright — Alfred • True Boo — Billy / Billy's Mother • Pig-a-Boo — Junior Pig / Mama Pig • 1953 — Spook No Evil — Jako / Monkeys • By the Old Mill Scream — Short-Tail • Little Boo-Peep — Little Bo Peep • Boo and Saddles — Billy • 1954 — Casper Genie • Puss 'n' Boos — Kittens • Boos and Arrows — Little Feather / Baby • 1955 — Hide and Shriek — Spooky / Kitten • Spooking with a Brogue — Billy • Bull Fright — Pancho • 1956 — Line of Screammage — Billy / Neighborhood Kid / Tony's Friend • 1957 — Peek-a-Boo — Kitten / Scared Boy • Hooky Spooky — Little Ghosts' Teacher • Ice Scream — Billy / Older Boy • Ghost of Honor — Phone Operator • 1958 — Spook and Span — Little Girl • Ghost Writers — Three Blind Mice / Goldie • Which is Witch? — Wendy the Good Little Witch • 1959 — Not Ghoulty — Baby • Casper's Birthday Party

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1931 — And the Green Grass Grew All Around — Vocalist — Uncredited • 1934 — Sock-a-Bye, Baby — Baby • Strong to the Finich — Children • Little Dutch Mill — Various Voices • 1935 — The Lost Chick — Squirrel Children • The Kids in the Shoe — Woman in the Shoe / Kids • Dancing on the Moon — Various Voices • Somewhere in Dreamland — Mother / Boy / Girl • 1936 — The Cobweb Hotel — Flies • Greedy Humpty Dumpty — Little Bo Peep • Hawaiian Birds — Hawaiian Birds • New Shoes — Girl's Shoes • Christmas Comes But Once a Year — Orphan • 1937 — Bunny Mooning — Bunny • Peeping Penguins — Mother Peguin • Chicken a la King — Chickens • Little Lamby — Lamb / Animals • Educated Fish • 1938 — The Tears of an Onion — Various Vegetables — Uncredited • The Playful Polar Bears — Baby Polar Bear • Hold It — Cats • 1940 — The Fulla Bluff Man — Cavewoman — Uncredited • 1941 — Mr. Bug Goes to Town — Buzz • 1944 — Gabriel Churchkitten — Peter the Mouse • Lulu's Birthday Party — Kids • 1945 — Scrappily Married — Queen Card Scream — Uncredited • Snap Happy — Female Audience Members • 1946 — Bargain Counter Attack — Section Manager's Baby Cries • Bored of Education — Students • 1947 — Musica-Lulu — Little Violin / Kid • A Bout with a Trout — Teacher • The Baby Sitter — Mrs. Jones / Alvin Jones • 1948 — Flip Flap — Flip Flap • Land of the Lost — Isabel — Uncredited • The Lone Star State — Little Bo Peep • Readin', Writin', and Rythmetic — Owl Teacher / Quincy Quack / Goldie Goldfish • The Mite Makes Right — Tom Thumb's Mother • 1949 — The Emerald Isle — Wild Irish Rose — Uncredited • Spring Song — Mrs. Robin • Our Funny Finny Friends — Carmen Miranda Fish • Marriage Wows — Bertha Mouse / Raccoon • Snow Foolin — Hen / Mama Bird • Toys Will Be Toys — Doll Princess • Leprechauns Gold — Molly • Campus Capers — Various Mice • 1950 — Land of the Lost Jewels — Isabel — Uncredited • Teacher's Pet — Junior's Mother / Worm • Quack-a-Doodle-Doo — Baby Huey's Mother • 1951 — One Quack Mind — Baby Huey's Mother / Hen on Phone — Uncredited • Tweet Music — Little Eagle / Ostrich • Mice Paradice — Herman's Cousin #4 • Land of Lost Watches — Isabel / Rosita Wristwatch • Miners Forty-Niners — Gold Digger / Clementine • Party Smarty — Oscar / Baby Huey's Mother • Scout Fellow — Baby Huey's Mother • 1952 — Clown on the Farm — Baby Huey's Mother — Uncredited • Fun at the Fair — Cow • 1953 — Hysterical History — Prisillla / Pocohontas / Phone Operator — Uncredited • Starting from Hatch — Baby Huey's Mother • Huey's Ducky Daddy • Aero-Nutics — Josephine / Baby Chicks • Of Mice and Magic — Louise the Mouse • No Place Like Rome — Woman / Babies • 1953-1957 — Winky-Dink and You — Winky Dink — Television Series • 1954 — Crazy Town — Baby / Mother — Uncredited • The Oily Bird — Bluebirds • Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow — Katnip's Girlfriend • Of Mice and Menace — Herman's Nephew #1 • 1955 — Git Along Li'l Duckie — Baby Huey's Mother — Uncredited • Bicep Built for Two — Cute Kitty • News Hound — Lady • Poop Goes the Weasel — Wishbone • Mouse Trapeze — Herman's Nephew #3 • Monsieur Herman — Herman's Cousin • Kitty Cornered — Cuddles • Keep Your Grin Up — Screaming Tattoo Lady • 1956 — Ground Hog Play — Hillary / Boy #2 — Uncredited • Sleuth But Sure — Female Rabbit • Dutch Treat — Hans • Swab the Duck — Duckling • Penguin for Your Thoughts — Baby Penguin's Cries • Will Do Mousework — Maid • Pedro and Lorenzo — Young Pedro • Sir Irving and Jeames — Worthington • Hide and Peak — Herman's Cousin #3 • Mouseum — Herman's Cousin #1 • 1957 — Pest Pupil — Baby Huey's Mother — Uncredited • Jumping with Toy • Sky Scrappers — Herman's Cousin #2 • L'Amour the Merrier — Princess Louise / Hector's Mother / Monsieur Renior's Sister • From Mad to Worse — Various Mice • One Funny Knight — Princess Guinevere • Cock-a-Doodle Dino — Danny's Mom • Cats in the Act — Murgatroyd • 1958 — Dante Dreamer — Dante's Mother — Uncredited • Heir Restorer — Nurse • You Said a Mouseful — Chubby • Stork Raving Mad — Baby / Mother • Okey Dokey Donkey — Marilyn • 1959 — Owly to Bed — Hootie the Baby Owl — Uncredited • Fit to Be Toyed — J.G.'s Wife / Little Boy • Felineous Assualt — Kitnip • Fun on Furlough — Louie • Talking Horse Sense — Ethel • T.V. Fuddlehead — Guy's Wife / Toothpaste Lady • 1959 - 1962 — Matty's Funnies with Beany and Cecil — Casper / Little Audrey / Additional Voices • 1960 — Be Mice to Cats — Skit the Mouse — Uncredited • Planet Mouseola • Counter Attack • Trouble Date — Cuddles • Monkey Doodles — George's Wife / Mrs. Noseybody • Bells Are Ringing — Olga • Disguise the Limit — Miss Updike • Shootin' Stars — Little Boy • 1964 — Valentine's Day — Olive the Parrot — TV Series: Episode: "The Baritone Canary" • 1983 — Zelig — Helen Kane

• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1961-1962 — The Gertrude Berg Show — Jenny — 2 episodes • 1962 — 77 Sunset Strip — Cuddles McGee — Episode: "Penthouse on Skid Row" • Naked City — Mrs. Anette Faber — Episode: "To Walk Like a Lion' • 1973 — The Corner Bar — Aunt Blanche — Episode: "Aunt Blanche" • 1975 — Somerset — Miriam Briskin — 252 episodes • 1983 — All My Children — Miss Hardy — Episode: #1.3581