Jackson Heights Life

While browsing through the Internet Movie Database website, www.imdb.com, I came across a small bio for an actress from the vaudeville era named Helen Kane.  She was most well-known for her signature song "I Want to be Loved by You"  and the song's accompanying phrase, "boop-boop-bedoop".  It seems that Ms. Kane's image was the model used to create the famous cartoon character Betty Boop.  Ms. Kane unsuccessfully sued the creators of the cartoon for wrongful appropriation, as she was not credited as being the model, although most people seemed to recognize it.

The above website lists Ms. Kane's address at the time of her death in the 60s as 77-12 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights.  That's the Berkeley building.

Here's a link to more information on Ms. Kane from Wikipedia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helen_Kane

On a similar note, approximately 20 years ago, I remember accompanying my older sister to an estate sale within her newly purchased co-op.  I particularly remember the deceased's apartment and the collection of vaudeville memorabilia she had attained in her youth.  Her family claimed that she was a true flapper in every sense of the word, and her wardrobe collection as well as vintage photographs of herself demonstrated that.  She was a beautiful and elegant woman.  My sister was able to afford a pair of beautiful velvet gloves, the kind that are long and reach the elbows.  They were adorned with satin buttons and tassels.  To this day, I can't believe that this woman managed to keep these gloves in new condition since the 1920s, and my sister managed to lose them on the first occasion she wore them to a party.  Talk about a lack of appreciation.  Even as a teen, as I was back then, I was in awe of this person, and wish now that I knew more about her.

I'll definitely check out those movies, so thanks for the tip. I thought I'd mention the movie Cactus Flower, which I stumbled upon late one night on TV, and was actually a very entertaining movie. While JH itself was not featured, Ingrid Bergman, as a dental hygenist (who was oddly, but effectively, paired with Walter Matthau and Goldie Hawn--!!!), lived in JH, and kept mentioning it. I figured if Jackson Heights is good enough for Ingrid Bergman, it's good enough for me!

Cactus Flower

While walking our dog tonight, my husband and I happened to bump into someone that lives at Belvedere Gardens and had a long chat with her.  Anyway, she's a long-time resident in Jackson Heights and knows a lot about the neighborhood.  She mentioned that a scene from Alfred Hitchcock's movie Rear Window had been filmed at the Belvedere.  One of the window scenes from the movie apparently was filmed using an apartment that has windows facing the garden.  I thought that was pretty interesting!  I love Hitchcock movies.

Actually unfortunately I think this is a myth.  I was told the same thing a few years ago and did some research on it but never found a mention of it anywhere.  Also I don't recall any scene from that movie that looks like the Belvedere Garden.

However, that said, I would love to be proved wrong!!

In that case, maybe there is more of a chance of it being true.  I always thought because I didn't remember seeing the actual Belvedere buildings in any of the scenes in the movie, coupled with not finding anything online about it having any parts filmed in JH, that it must be a myth.

Let us know what you find out!  I would be happy if it turned out to be true. 

The above website lists Ms. Kane's address at the time of her death in the 60s as 77-12 35th Avenue in Jackson Heights.  That's the Berkeley building.

Chuckster - I'm just now reading this thread.  I remember shopping inthe A&P on Northern and 81st Street with my mother and she discretely pointing out to me "the lady who was Betty Boop."  When Helen Kane died she ws buried from St. Joan of Arc Church and the Long Island Star Journal had a photo of Rosalind Russell attending the services.