Helen Kane Wiki
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Helen Kane Wiki
Mae Questel was Helen Kane's Double in 1931

Dainty, blue eyed Mae Questel, radio mimic, songbird and double for Helen Kane who impersonates well known celebrities of the stage and screen. An aptitude for gesticulation made Mae Questel one of the outstanding mimics of the air. Less that two years ago the dainty blue eyed New York diseuse won a Helen Kane contest and with it a brief vaudeville tour and ultimately a radio contract. Her resemblance to the Boop-Boop-a-Doop girl is remarkable. Her success on the stage led to the microphone, where her repertoire of impersonations of stellar screen and studio folk resulted in a regular weekly series of appearances. Mimicking is her art, and she loves it. As a child she pleased and taunted her playmates with her ability to "Ape." While her mother didn't want Mae to go on the stage at first, the young lady's training fits her admirably for theatrical work. She supplemented her public school work with private instruction in elocution and dancing. She never took a singing lesson, but she always was warbling popular tunes. She does that now. Impersonating Marlene Dietrich is her big moment. She stands before the microphone and goes through a variety of gestures and facial expressions throwing her arms about, a favorite habit. "Sometimes I find myself making a face at the microphone. I don't know why, because somehow I feel that the little black box is my friend," she says. She still gets a tremendous kick out of her fan mail. Recently she received requests to impersonate Amos and Andy and Phil Cook.

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