Betty Boop after the 1930s

Since the original Betty Boop cartoons were made in black and white, the introduction of color television in the 1960s forced them out of market. To revive the interest of the audiences, National Television Associates had the series remade, but the new versions of the cartoons, which were in color now, seemed just sloppy copies of the originals. For the 1976 election campaign, NTA compiled a few color cartoons in the set “Betty Boop for President”. However, no massive volume was released, and the set appeared again in 1981 titled “Hurray for Betty Boop”.

Due to the arrival of Home Video, Betty Boop was brought back to popularity. On the wave of public interest to classical Americal movies, a number of the original black and white cartoons were showcased in the 1990s. The series gained tremendous success, and an eight volume VHS set, “Betty Boop, the Definite Collection,” was soon released. However, no official DVD release has been made yet.

Occasionally, Betty performed on the theatrical screen. In 1988, she appeared with a brief role in the Oscar-winning “Who Framed Roger Rabbit”. In 1993, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer worked on a new Betty Boop movie, yet the project was abandoned in the end. In 1994, the Betty Boop cartoon Snow White (1933), was selected for preservation by the US Library of Congress in the National Film Registry.

The animated screen was not the only career path for the Betty Boop character. In the 1980s, she was rediscovered by marketers, and “Betty Boop” merchandise has been popular ever since. Gifts, collectibles, decor, and clothing featuring the legendary girl find their fans in many countries.