Sing or Swim (1948) Online

This Famous Studios Screen Song cartoon has the song "By the Beautiful Sea" showcased. Before that, we're on the beach at Coney Island with various animals having fun. It's all done in pantomime so no speaking voices until the moon starts talking and says, "Follow me" as that moon then jumps over the lyrics of the tune I mentioned at the beginning of this review. That moon, by the way, is the voice of Jackson Beck who's best known as the voice of Bluto in the Famous Studios' Popeye cartoons. So on that note, I say Sing or Swim is worth a look for animation buffs.

The world famous Coney Island in New York City, which got it's start in the 1840's is here included in Famous Studios, "Screen Song" series. The featured song is, By the Beautiful Sea, written in 1914, and is of the "follow the bouncing ball" variety. The song follows the slight story of animal characters(among them an elephant and mouse playing catch with a medicine ball)having fun at the beach. Music from Jack Benny's theme song, Love in Bloom, is heard briefly in the Tunnel of Love segment. The voice of the moon is by Jackson Beck, who you no doubt have heard as Bluto in the Popeye cartoons. The colors in this seven minute film are OK, but the picture quality is not sharp, i.e. washed out. Others in the Screen Song series include: Little Brown Jug; The Lone Star State; Toys will be Toys. The production company, Famous Studios, is known for their popular characters such as Casper, Little Audrey and the previously mentioned Popeye.