![]() In 1932 Helen Kane filed a $250,000.00 lawsuit against Fleischer Studios and Paramount Studios claiming that the likeness of Betty Boop was lifted directly from her image. For the first time in history, the internet has played a huge role in giving a lot of previously hidden stories the platform to be told to the masses, the story of Esther Jones is one of these stories. For so long what we considered to be historical facts were biased ideas created by those in power to reinforce the power structure. In a lot of ways, we are living in the information age and the ENTIRE story has an opportunity to finally be told. Many people complain that we live in an extremely sensitive society, to me that sounds like a cop-out. Baby Esther's story is symbolic of America's relationship with Black people and their overall contributions to our history and our culture. Her story is a powerful and important one, and contributions to our culture are undeniable. Unfortunately, after the 1930s there is not much news or information about what happened to Esther Jones, she was an extremely successful child star and she just disappeared. ![]() Her success continued as she traveled throughout South America, attracting crowds and much acclaim. She performed at the iconic Moulin Rouge and was billed at the "Miniature Josephine Baker". She performed for the King and Queen of Spain and was specifically requested to perform for the King and Queen of Sweeden. In 1929, Esther toured Europe and became the highest-paid child star of her time. From that point on Helen began imitating Esther's performance, and subsequently, Kane's career started to gain some steam.Īlthough her act was appropriated by Helen Kane, Esther Jones was still a massive star. Tony Shayne also managed Helen Kane at the time and brought her to check out Baby Esthers set. By the time the legal proceedings had been wrapped, Jones was believed to have died, allowing fans to continue to think Helen Kane was the sole face of Betty Boop.In 1928, Baby Esther was preforming at an obscure nightclub called the Everglades Club when her booking agent, Tony Shayne brought Helen Kane to see her performance. Ultimately, the Supreme Court found that there was not enough proof to support Kane’s claims and the case was thrown out. Jones herself was not present for the court case. A since-lost screen test of Jones was presented by the defense team. In fact, scatting as a whole was a Black innovation, as jazz was born from ragtime, spirituals and the blues.īetty Boop was voiced by a number of women for the animated series, including Marjorie Hines, Mae Questel and Ann Little.ĭuring the trial, Jones’s manager, Lou Walton, claimed Kane had been in one of the clubs where Jones sang and subsequently incorporated scatting into her own performances. She believed her essence was being lifted without credit-but it was alleged that the singing act she had been cultivating was built around one of Jones’ 1928 nightclub performances. Upon the release of Betty Boop the cartoon, Helen Kane, a white singer and actress, sued Max Fleischer and Paramount Publix Corporation, the person and company behind it, for $250,000. ![]() ![]() She was known for her “baby” style of singing and “boop” scatting. The archetype for the Betty Boop character was created in 1930 (while the actual cartoon flapper was first showcased in 1932) and the singing style sounded like that of Esther Jones, a child vocalist who performed during the Harlem Renaissance. ![]() Watch our ESSENCE After Dark conversation with the City Girls here. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET) Henson speaks onstage at the BET Awards 2021 at Microsoft Theater on Jin Los Angeles, California. LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Taraji P. ![]()
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