Betty Boop's Debut Cartoon

Betty Boop entered the world of the animated screen on August 9, 1930 in the Talkartoon "Dizzy Dishes". She was created by Grim Natwick, the Fleischer studios animator, and was intended to merely upstage Bimbo as a supporting character and his girlfriend. Betty’s image in the debut cartoon was quite different from her looks in the subsequent releases; the floppy ears, a black nose and lots of teeth made her resemble a French poodle.

The cartoon begins with a chorus of flapper cats singing "Ha-Ta-Ta" while Bimbo, a waiter, is dancing through the tables to a hungry gorilla who then orders roast duck. Bimbo goes to the kitchen, puts on the chef’s outfit and starts preparing the dish. In the meantime, he is interrupted by angry customers demanding food through the window. Finally, the duck is ready; Bimbo is about to bring it to the gorilla when he sees Betty Boop performing on stage and immediately falls in love with her. She sings in the voice that sounds like Mae Questel’s:

Bimbo forgets about the gorilla, gets up on stage and dances with the duck, accompanied by the singing cats. The gorilla is not able to tolerate the hunger any longer; he eats the table and then goes after the waiter. However, Bimbo makes a wooden train and escapes through the wall.