Swing You Sinners! (1930)

Swing You Sinners! Review

Swing You Sinners! is a 1930 animated short film from the Talkartoons series.

Bimbo tries to steal a chicken. He runs away from a policeman and enters a haunted cemetery. Various ghosts and monsters tell him that he will be punished for his sin. This movie is very reminiscent to Disney’s 1929 Silly Symphonies classic ‘The Skeleton Dance’, but it is in actuality a better take on the haunted cemetery premise. Certainly the story is slight and Bimbo could have been better characterized, but this was still among his best movies and he was quite memorable as the scared protagonist.

The highlight is the animation, which was extremely artistic, unique and versatile in its ghost and monster designs. The way they change shape was so authentic and memorably cartoony while the movie’s energy constantly goes through the roof. The music is exceptional too with the titular number being incredibly fun, charming and oh so beautifully of its time. There is such an originality in the movie’s execution, admirable directing and a phenomenal syncing of score and visuals that it fully worked. It’s one of the best Talkartoons for sure.

Swing You Sinners! is one of the best Talkartoons shorts. It’s an artistic, kinetic and very memorable movie, featuring Bimbo and Fleischers Studios at their best.

My Rating – 4.5