Swim or Sink (1932)

Swim or Sink Review

Swim or Sink is a 1932 animated short film from the Talkartoons series.

A sinking ship leaves three survivors on a life raft: Bimbo, Koko and Betty Boop. The pirates then proceed to attack them. This is one of the most adventurous entries in the series, a film where a lot of fun can be had in the second half in particular. Though the pirates aren’t utilized all that well, they added the necessary threat to a film that already had a sinking ship in the beginning.

Bimbo is forgettable here, but Koko got a couple of amusing lines and Betty got to sing one song in a memorable scene. The animation is very strong and the score is a lot of fun. The highlight here was seeing this trio together in peril and trying to get out of a sticky situation. They are so good as a group that it’s a shame that we did not get to see them together more often.

Swim or Sink could have been funnier and more artistic, but the animation and score are quite good and the characterization is excellent. It’s a fun adventure flick.

My Rating – 4