"Swim or Sink (S.O.S.)" or sometimes just referred to as "Swim or Sink", is a Talkartoons cartoon by Max and Dave Fleischer starring Betty Boop. Originally released on March 11, 1932.
We begin with a passenger ship getting caught up in a rain storm until the ship sinks. In the aftermath, we see Betty Boop, Bimbo and Koko the Clown stranded on a makeshift raft in the middle of the ocean. The three of them spot a ship in the distance that takes them aboard, but unfortunately for them, it's a Pirate ship, which starts a whole new set of problems.
Tropes Used In This Short:
- Bring the Anchor Along: Koko being chained to the wall of the brig, walks away while bringing a section of the wall with him, though it breaks off once he goes through the doorway.
- Cardboard Prison: Bimbo and Koko escape very easily from the brig the pirates throw them into. Bimbo tears his chains apart like they were made of paper and opens the door sealing them in like a shutter. For Koko, see Bring the Anchor Along.
- Crack in the Sky: During the storm, a lighting bolt shaped hole appears in the sky that another living lightning bolt sews closed with a thread and needle.
- Dressed to Plunder: Eye-patches, peg legs, bandanas. Check them all off.
- Everything Talks: Both the passenger ship and the pirate ship come alive, along with the ocean water, lightning bolts and a boat anchor that behaves like a dog.
- Fear Song: Betty sings "Oh Mama, What Can We Do?" which revolves around her being scared about her current predicament.Betty: Oh my dear, oh me, oh my // I'm so scared, I'm afraid I'll die.
- Hand Rubbing: The pirate captain does this, to an exaggerated degree.
- Happy Dance: Our trio join hands and circle around in jubilation when they see a ship is coming towards them, though they stop celebrating once they notice that it's a pirate ship.
- Lost at Sea: When our trio are first shown, they're stuck on a raft in the middle of the ocean.
- Leg Focus: See Reflective Eyes.
- Metaphoric Metamorphosis: When the pirate captain states "Leave the damsel to me" he then morphs into a snake for a few seconds, making his intentions clear.
- Murder Water: During the storm, the ocean's tidal waves form into arms and start pummeling the ship until it sinks.
- Panty Shot: While on the raft, Betty's skirt flies up for no reason, revealing her bloomers.
- Reflective Eyes: When the pirate captain first lays his eyes on the trio, we see them reflected in his non-patched eye; when he sees Betty however, his eye-patch goes up (showing his patched eye is fully functioning) and smiles while focusing his gaze on her legs, prompting Betty to pull her skirt down.
- Sinking Ship Scenario: The first two minutes of the short shows a ship sinking due to a storm and it's passengers abandon ship. Though they weren't shown escaping the ship, Betty, Bimbo and Koko were among these passengers.
- Standard Snippet: When the anchor behaves like a dog "Where, Oh Where, Has My Little Dog Gone?" can be heard.
- Super Drowning Skills: As Betty sings in her song:I can't dive, I can't swim //I don't know how to do anything.
- Swallowed Whole: All of the pirates end up falling into the mouth of a giant fish and get eaten, but this doesn't stop them from singing their sea shanties.
- Underwear Flag: Koko puts a wooden pole into the back of his shirt and his underwear hoists itself up to be used as a flag to wave down a distant ship.
- Victoria's Secret Compartment: During her song, Betty retrieves a hand mirror and lipstick dispenser out of the bustline of her Little Black Dress.
- What Happened to the Mouse?: The fate of all the other ship passengers outside of our main trio is left unknown.
- You All Look Familiar: When the pirates exit the porthole to give chase, they all have the same design.
