How much leg could you see?

[flashpig]

I've just seen an episode of Betty Boop, and she's always flashing her legs and knickers.

I don't mean to be a prude, but how did they get away with this? I thought it was meant to be a more innocent age back then.

Would there be a reaction to it now that there wasn't to it then if it were shown on CITV or whatever?

[legoman5]

don't think it was meant for kids flashpig, was probably just shown in late cinema screening.

[WaldoMcFroog]

Actually, there was the odd furore back at the time, and Betty was toned down when social mores changed.

From: http://www.truelegends.com/betty.htm

"Betty Boop was created as a dog character by Grim Natwick and appeared as the girlfriend of a dog named Bimbo. Betty's figure was modeled after Mae West's & her singing style taken from Helen Kane the "Boop-Boop-a-Doop" girl. Betty's voice was that of May Questal. Max & Dave Fleisher first produced the Talkartoons for Paramount. In 1915 Max, Dave and Joe Fleisher invented the rotoscope gave a more life-like quality to the motion of the characters. Betty Boop made her debut as a sexy canine cabaret singer in the Max Fleischer short "Dizzy Dishes" on Aug. 8, 1930. In 1931 Betty's friends Koko the clown & Pudgy, Bimbo's replacement, were introduced. Betty evolved into her own with "Betty Co-Ed" when she shed her dog identitiy & the long ears became earrings. Betty Boop's beginings were quite risque and ahead of her time as gusts of wind raised her skirt long before Monroe. By 1932 Betty was considered to be the first and only female animated screen star who could do it all - Drama, Musicals and Comedy. Betty had a flare all her own, she could be daring and assertive while keeping an air of innocence but in 1933 the Boop short "Boilesque" was banned in Philadelphia for being too risque. By 1934, due to moralist pressure, Betty Boop began showing far less leg. There were more than 100 Betty Boop cartoons produced including 90 in the official Betty Boop series.

[jno]

there was a frame in at least one cartoon where she showed a lot more than leg. As it was only one frame you probably wouldn't have noticed, but I saw a documentary once where the individual frame was picked out and shown. A little joke by the animator no doubt.

Nothing particularly innocent about the 1920s - it wasn't until the early 30s (I think) that more and more heavy movie censorship was brought in to appease Outraged of Ohio, after which Hollywood became much more demure, until 1970 or so.

[kempie]

Further to the answers above, prior to enforcement of the Production Code (Hays Code) in 1934, film censorship in the US was not centralised but rather left to the discretion of local bodies.

http://www.jahsonic.com/Hays.html

[flashpig]

Actually I've just seen a Betty Boop film where she is wearing a very modest dress. I see how it's changed. High neck, sleeves, no leg showing. It's not quite as fun really.