Swing You Sinners!

In one of the Fleischer Brothers more famous Talkartoons was its September 1930 "Swing You Sinners!" Designed by a couple of newly-hired animators, Ted Sears and Willard Bowsky, the cartoon introduced a surreal quality to cartoons never seen on the screen before. Its final product was a testament to the Fleischers' more liberal outlook when they green-lit this wildly abstract cartoon. The short film looks at death and the moral consequences its lovable pup, Bimbo, has to pay for attempting illegal acts. The dog tries to steal a chicken, only be to chased by a cop into a cemetery. There, the ghosts of the dead rise up to dole out punishment to Bimbo. Motion Picture News wrote, "The clever cartoon pen of Max Fleischer again demonstrates itself in this Talkartoon. An off-stage chorus sings the lyrics to the rhythm of the action and the result is usually diverting."

The Fleischer Studio was undergoing a staff changeover at the time, where the more conservative animators were leaving for its competitors while younger, more daring animators were taking their place. The studio, which later introduced Popeye the Sailor Man to the public, became one of the leading cartoon creators for theaters. The publication 'Cracked' in 2012 listed "Swing You Sinners" as the top "Five Old Children's Cartoons Way Darker Than Most Horror Movies."

THE STORY & GENRE -- Bimbo tries to rob a hen-house, then gets his comeuppance from ghosts & demons. Fleischer Studios.

THE VERDICT -- Wow, this is weird! I LOVE IT.

FREE ONLINE -- Two versions available. The original Paramount and the UM&M re-release. Online, the UM&M is clearer and there doesn't seem to be any content difference other than the title cards.

If you are a fan of fleischer studios cartoons this one is a must watch. It's very dark and surreal, it has quite a good score to it and it is very catchy.

Cracked Online recently posted an article listing five cartoons that are DARKER than most horror movies. "Swing You Sinners!" was #1 on the list! They also said "...there's no way it was created without massive doses of acid being pumped into everyone involved". And, after seeing it, I would have to agree.

This is an early talking cartoon from the Fleischer Studios--the same folks who made Popeye. This film stars Bimbo, Betty Boop's friend the dog. Bimbo tries to steal a chicken and is chased by a cop into the cemetery. There, a completely surreal nightmare occurs--as if drawn by Salvador Dali...on drugs! It's really hard to describe but is very imaginative, splashy, weird and morbid--with lots of corpses, ghosts, knives and razors trying to kill Bimbo and the like! And, by the end of the cartoon, you really have no idea whether or not poor Bimbo even survived!! Overall this IS a fun film with very catchy music but it's not something to show the kids...it's more a morbidly curious film to show older audiences to get their reactions!

This cartoon seems to get better and better, every time I watch it. Bimbo the dog is seen by a policeman trying to steal a chicken, and hides in a graveyard. Once inside, the ghosts rise from their graves and teach him a lesson, singing him the title song.

The animation in this early Fleischer Talkartoon is distinctly primitive looking when compared to their later shorts. There are some very simple drawings here, but the timing, music and mood add so greatly to this toon, that you simply can't forget it. The theme in this one is very similar to the later, "Minnie the Moocher", which also uses a popular jazz song, but this cartoon goes a little bit darker. As Bimbo is menaced from the graveyard, inside an old barn, and out again, the drawings become more grotesque, more rubbery, and macabre. The final outcome, with the spooks chasing him into what looks like Hell, is quite creepy for a cartoon.

One of the great ones. This one seems to be difficult to view these days. It was included as part of the "Betty Boop Confidential" which toured theatres in 1995, but I have never seen a video release of it. It's worth tracking down. One of the best shorts of the 1930s, and of the Fleischer studio.