Aqua Babes

It's an RKO-Pathe Sportscope short. Swedish instructor Lissa Bengston is flinging little kids into the pool as part of her swimming program. She is not holding back. She has a strict program teaching them one step at a time. At one point, she even ties a little girl's hands together so that she would learn the correct technique.

This is really old school and the kids are toddlers. This could be a feeder program into their Olympics for all I know. This woman has obviously developed this system for a long time. I don't know if they are still doing it this way. I would change the title. It should be Aqua Babies.

There was nothing wrong with the way she taught these young children. I'm sure today the civil liberties would jump in there with reckless abandon. Hey people never taught kids anything that's why you're afraid they'll get hurt doing anything ! Bleeding liberals think all the children are going to grow up to be Einstein, there's no toughness in kids nowadays. The only toughness they learned is from a video game!

THIS IS AN interesting addition to the RKO-Sport-scope series. Rather than having snippets that feature such widely scattered subjects as: Pro Wrestlers, Tennis, Bacci and Polo, the production team spends this reel's worth of film short on large group of truly young kids doing some amazing things in the old swimmin' hole (Pool actually).

IN THE NARRATION we are told by the off screen voice of one Harry Wismer that the system being demonstrated so handily was brought across the 'Pond' by the instructing lady from Europe.

JUDGING BY THE performances done by these mainly pre-schoolers, it is truly a superior method. In no way at no time during the film do any of the little, aquatic performers appear to be anything but very enthusiastic.

IT'S BEEN LONG said that swimming is a skill that is best learn young; the younger being the better. Whoever said that was really on to something; as seen on the screen.

OBVIOUSLY THIS IS a truth that would appear to be irrefutable.

Lissa Bengston came from Sweden to toss little kids into the pool. It's an effective way to get them into the water, and once it's clear that it doesn't hurt, the horseplay is a lot of fun. She teaches them movements for the crawl while pinning their legs so they can concentrate on their hands, and ties their hands together so they can work on their kicking.

It all makes sense, and while I'm certain that some of the children cry a lot at this handling, the fact that it seems to work makes her offhanded attitude towards her pupils more secure. When I was a child, my mother never showed concern, although doubtless she felt it.

Aqua Babes (1955)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

I watch every short that shows up on Turner Classic Movies but when a Sportscope one comes on I always shutter because the quality is mostly always bland. This short takes a look at the swimming school by Lissa Bengston who is teaching three and four-year-olds. We see the various techniques she uses to teach the kids the proper way to swim. I'm surprised TCM showed this in the evening because the camp value makes it something they should have played during their Underground programming since that block is usually left for the bizarre and strange. I'm sure Bengston was a master at what she did but if I ever saw her handling my child the way she does those in this film then there would be a major problem. The short starts off with her flipping and then tossing kids into the pool and later in the film we're greeted to images of her using rope to tie the hands of children so that they can't use them when they swim. Yes, Bengston is right there the entire time but the risk factor just makes one watch this short is somewhat of a state of shock. It's also clear that the kids are freezing during one scene as each one of them are shaking so it's clear that RKO were doing what it took to get their shots. AQUA BABES is a very bizarre film that is so strange and different that it should keep one entertained.