Swing You Sinners!

Last updated

Swing You Sinners!
Swing You Sinners 1930.jpg
Bimbo, trapped in a haunted graveyard, attempts to escape.
Directed by Dave Fleischer
Produced by Max Fleischer
Starring Billy Murray
Fleischer Studios Chorus
Animation by Willard Bowsky
Ted Sears
George Cannata
Shamus Culhane
Al Eugster
William Henning
Seymour Kneitel
Grim Natwick
Color processBlack and white
Production
company
Distributed by Paramount Publix Corporation
Release date
  • September 24, 1930 (1930-09-24)
Running time
8 minutes
LanguageEnglish

Swing You Sinners! is a 1930 animated cartoon short, produced by Fleischer Studios as part of the Talkartoons series. [1] The cartoon is notable for its surreal, dark and abstract content.

Contents

Plot

Bimbo is seen late at night, trying to steal a chicken. After several attempts, he accidentally grabs a policeman by the hand. As he tries to walk away as if nothing happened the chicken follows him in spite of this, as does the policeman.

Eventually, the chicken and its chicks flee, while Bimbo enters a cemetery. To his horror, he finds out that it is haunted, complete with a host of ghosts and other supernatural beings who tell him that he will be punished for his sin, regardless of him begging for mercy and assurance that he has made efforts to become a better person. Throughout the rest of the film, Bimbo is reprimanded and pursued by them until he enters a large cave, whereupon the monsters sing about Bimbo's demise, and a huge skull devours him, ending the cartoon.

Background

The cartoon was released on September 24, 1930 [2] in the Talkartoons series and animated by Ted Sears and Willard Bowsky. [3] George Cannata, Shamus Culhane, [4] Al Eugster, [5] William Henning, Seymour Kneitel and Grim Natwick also worked on it, but are uncredited in the title card. [6] The cartoon was animated by a completely new staff who had never worked in animation before, because the studio had to replace some animators who quit. [7] Animator Culhane states in his memoirs that though he created and animated what might be construed a Stereotyped caricature of "a Jew with a black beard, huge nose, and a derby", the studio's atmosphere and its mixed ethnic crew made the depiction completely acceptable to all the Jews in the studio. [8] The caricature in question is a reference to Jewish-American comedian Max Davidson. [9]

Reception

Motion Picture News wrote on October 11, 1930, that "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 cartoon hero is this time taken into a grave-yard with the absurd results that you might well imagine. Worth a watch". [10]

Music

The soundtrack was composed by W. Franke Harling, with lyrics by Sam Coslow. The title song was based on "Sing, You Sinners!", some of which is played in the titles of the cartoon.

Cast

Legacy

John Kricfalusi named it one of his favorite cartoons and played during a retrospective of his personal favorite animated shorts. [7] He also compared it to Walt Disney's The Skeleton Dance (which was also set in a cemetery) and felt Swing You Sinners! was superior. [7] [11]

In 2012 Cracked hosted an article describing "5 Old Children's Cartoons Way Darker Than Most Horror Movies" and listed Swing You Sinners! at No. 1. [12]

In 2014, LA-based indie band Caught A Ghost released a music video to their track "Time Go" which consisted entirely of footage from Swing You Sinners!.

Serbian alternative rock band Brigand named their debut album Zaplešimo Grešnici (literally Swing You Sinners in Serbian) after the cartoon. [13]

Video game developers Chad and Jared Moldenhauer based the atmosphere of their game Cuphead on several Fleischer cartoons, including this one. Chad called Fleischer Studios "the magnetic north of his art style". [14] Kill Screen described Fleischer Studios as having "transportive, transformative short films, such as Swing You Sinners!. [14] The in-game achievement for defeating the game's final boss is even named "Swing You Sinner". Additionally, boss Cagney Carnation's idle animation resembles the hand dance done by one of the ghosts in the cartoon.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fleischer Studios</span> American animation studio

Fleischer Studios was an American animation studio founded in 1929 by brothers Max and Dave Fleischer, who ran the pioneering company from its inception until its acquisition by Paramount Pictures, the parent company and the distributor of its films. In its prime, Fleischer Studios was a premier producer of animated cartoons for theaters, with Walt Disney Productions being its chief competitor in the 1930s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Betty Boop</span> Animated cartoon character

Betty Boop is an animated cartoon character designed by Grim Natwick at the request of Dave Fleischer. She originally appeared in the Talkartoon and Betty Boop film series, which were produced by Fleischer Studios and released by Paramount Pictures. She was featured in 90 theatrical cartoons between 1930 and 1939. She has also been featured in comic strips and mass merchandising.

<i>Talkartoons</i> Series of animated cartoons

Talkartoons is a series of 42 animated cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and distributed by Paramount Pictures from 1929 to 1932.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bray Productions</span> American animation studio

Bray Productions was a pioneering American animation studio that produced several popular cartoons during the years of World War I and the early interwar era, becoming a springboard for several key animators of the 20th century, including the Fleischer brothers, Walter Lantz, Paul Terry, Shamus Culhane and Grim Natwick among others.

ComiColor Cartoons is a series of twenty-five animated short subjects produced by Ub Iwerks from 1933 to 1936. The series was the last produced by Iwerks Studio; after losing distributor Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer in 1934, the Iwerks studio's senior company Celebrity Pictures had to distribute the films itself. The series was shot exclusively in Cinecolor.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Grim Natwick</span> American artist, animator and film director (1890–1990)

Myron "Grim" Natwick was an American artist, animator, and film director. Natwick is best known for drawing the Fleischer Studios' most popular character, Betty Boop.

Alfred Julius Eugster was an American animator, writer, and film director. He worked for a number of American animation studios, including Fleischer Studios, the Iwerks Studio, Walt Disney Productions, and Famous Studios.

James H. "Shamus" Culhane was an American animator, film director, and film producer. He is best known for his work in the Golden age of American animation.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bimbo (Fleischer Studios)</span> 1930s cartoon dog, companion of Betty Boop

Bimbo is a fat, black and white cartoon pup created by Fleischer Studios. He is most well known for his role in the Betty Boop cartoon series, where he featured as Betty's main love interest. A precursor design of Bimbo, originally named Fitz, first appeared in the Out of the Inkwell series.

Barnacle Bill is a 1930 Fleischer Studios animated short film. It is part of the Talkartoons series, and featured Betty Boop and Bimbo.

<i>Bimbos Initiation</i> 1931 film

Bimbo's Initiation is a 1931 Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short film starring Bimbo and featuring an early version of Betty Boop with a dog's ears and nose. It was the final Betty Boop cartoon to be animated by the character's co-creator, Grim Natwick, prior to his departure for Ub Iwerks' studio.

Willard Gustav Bowsky was an American animator best known for his work at Fleischer Studios in New York City and Miami, Florida, where he worked on cartoons featuring Betty Boop, Popeye the Sailor, and Superman, in addition to two feature-length animated films. Fellow Fleischer animator Shamus Culhane described Bowsky as "what one might call a pre-McCarthy, gung ho, all-American Babbitt." He was described as being outspoken with anti-Semitic remarks, but skilled at animating complicated perspective shots and directing many of the jazz-influenced cartoons produced by the studio.

Dizzy Dishes is an animated cartoon created by Fleischer Studios in 1930, as part of the Talkartoon series. It is noted for being the first cartoon in which Betty Boop appears. Under current United States copyright law, the short will enter into the public domain in 2026.

Mysterious Mose is a 1930 Fleischer Studios animated short released through Paramount Pictures as part of the Talkartoons series. This film contains an early version of Betty Boop and the studio's star, Bimbo. "Mysterious Mose" is also the name of a popular song from 1930.

Joaquin Rudolfo Zamora was a Mexican-American animator and a prolific animation director. His credits include The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, The Jetsons, The Smurfs, The Biskitts, Peanuts, and many others.

The Bum Bandit is an animated short film created by the Fleischer Studios in 1931 as part of the Talkartoons series. Betty Boop is voiced by Harriet Lee.

Jack and the Beanstalk is a 1931 Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short film starring Bimbo and Betty Boop.

Dizzy Red Riding Hood is a 1931 Pre-Code Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short film starring Betty Boop.

The Dancing Fool is a 1932 Fleischer Studios Talkartoon animated short film starring Betty Boop, Bimbo, and Koko the Clown.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lillian Friedman Astor</span>

Lillian Friedman Astor was an American animator who was one of the first female animators in the country. She worked for Fleischer Brothers' studio, inking and eventually animating various Betty Boop cartoons, as well as one Popeye, some Color Classics, and several Hunky and Spunky cartoons, although she received screen credit on only six of the forty-two cartoons she animated in her lifetime.

References

  1. ↑ Lenburg, Jeff (1999). The Encyclopedia of Animated Cartoons. Checkmark Books. p. 142. ISBN   0-8160-3831-7.
  2. ↑ Bradley, E.M. (2005). The First Hollywood Sound Shorts, 1926-1931. McFarland, Incorporated, Publishers. p. 186. ISBN   9781476606842 . Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  3. ↑ "About Fleischer Studios - Fleischer Studios". fleischerstudios.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  4. ↑ Lenburg, J. (2006). Who's who in Animated Cartoons: An International Guide to Film & Television's Award-winning and Legendary Animators. Applause Theatre & Cinema Books. p. 56. ISBN   9781557836717 . Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  5. ↑ Ghez, D. (2012). Walt's People –: Talking Disney with the Artists who Knew Him. Vol. 12. Xlibris US. p. 1923. ISBN   9781477147900 . Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  6. ↑ "Swing You Sinners! (1930) - Talkartoons Theatrical Cartoon Series". bcdb.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.[ dead link ]
  7. 1 2 3 ""When Cartoons Were Cartoony": John Kricfalusi Presents | Animation World Network". awn.com. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  8. ↑ Culhane, Shamus (1998), Talking Animals and Other People, Da Capo Press, p. 42, ISBN   9780306808302
  9. ↑ "Max Fleischer". Lambiek.net. Retrieved December 12, 2020.
  10. ↑ Sampson, Henry T. (1998). That's Enough, Folks: Black Images in Animated Cartoons, 1900-1960. Scarecrow Press. p. 213. ISBN   978-0810832503.
  11. ↑ "John K Stuff: Rubber Hose c - Fleischer VS Disney". johnkstuff.blogspot.be. April 27, 2006. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  12. ↑ "5 Old Children's Cartoons Way Darker Than Most Horror Movies". cracked.com. August 16, 2012. Retrieved January 8, 2017.
  13. ↑ "Review of the album, Balkanrock archive" . Retrieved October 10, 2013.
  14. 1 2 Purdom, Clayton (July 14, 2014). "Where Did Cuphead Come From?". Kill Screen. Archived from the original on August 8, 2014. Retrieved August 2, 2014.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.