Clara Rothbart, known professionally as Bonnie Poe (March 6, 1915—October 16, 1993) was an American actress, best known for providing the voice for the Fleischer Studios animated character Betty Boop, beginning in 1933. She was also the first person to voice the character Olive Oyl in the Studios's series of Popeye cartoons. Poe also portrayed Betty Boop on camera in a live-action short entitled Hollywood on Parade No. A-8 opposite Bela Lugosi as Dracula, and also made a cameo appearance in Rambling 'Round Radio Row.
Characters voiced by Bonnie Poe[]
- Olive Oyl
- Betty Boop
- Mae
- Various children (Strong to the Finich)
- Bluto's girlfriend
Filmography[]
1933
1934
- I Yam What I Yam
- Blow Me Down
- Seasin's Greetinks!
- Wild Elephinks
- Let's You and Him Fight!
- Strong to the Finich
1935
1936
- Never Kick a Woman (Mae)
1937
- The Twisker Pitcher (Bluto's girlfriend)
1938
Trivia[]
- Bonnie Poe provides the voice for both Betty and Olive in the first Popeye episode, entitled "Popeye the Sailor".
- She was hired by the Fleischers as a Helen Kane sound and look-alike to play Betty Boop in the 1933 live action film short Hollywood on Parade 8A.
- When voicing Olive Oyl, Poe used a deep and dopey sounding voice, which was not too well received by the public. It is often noted that the public preferred Mae Questel's rendition of the voice.
- Bonnie Poe also provided the voice for Mae, the Mae West caricature who appeared in the episode Never Kick a Woman, opposite Mae Questel voicing Olive Oyl. The cartoon was recorded in a live mix like a radio show. There are times when there is a slight overlap of the two female characters, evidencing that Questel did not do both voices, as she could not have switched characters that quickly.
- Poe lent her voice to Olive Oyl one last time in a 1938 short entitled "I Yam Lovesick", using a ZaSu Pitts impression for the very first time, although she is uncredited and credit usually goes to Mae Questel.
Death[]
Poe died from complications connected to pneumonia in 1993, being 78 years old.
External links[]
- Bonnie Poe at the Internet Movie Database
- Bonnie Poe at ThreeStooges.net