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Barnacle Bill (1930 film)
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Wikipedia article
'Barnacle Bill' is a 1930 Fleischer Studios animated short film. It was part of the Talkartoons series, and featured 'Betty Boop' (here known as Nancy Lee) and Bimbo (as "Barnacle Bill").
Plot
Barnacle Bill (Bimbo) is a sailor on a ship that has just come into port. As soon as he can get off the ship, he heads for Nancy Lee's (Betty Boop) house. When he gets there he begins knocking on her door. Bimbo and Betty begin singing the lyrics to a tame version of "Barnacle Bill the Sailor." The actions of the film follow along the song's storyline, with Barnacle Bimbo romancing Betty and then leaving her to go back to sea.
Production notes
Like many early Fleischer Studios films, this film was inspired by a popular song, a version of "Barnacle Bill" written in 1928 by Frank Luther & Carson Robison and performed by Hoagy Carmichael. It has nothing to do with William Bernard, the sailor and California Gold Rush character known as "Barnacle Bill". Ironically, Fleischer Studios also produced a 'Popeye' cartoon, 'Beware of Barnacle Bill' in 1935, using the same song as aforementioned, almost 5 years after 'Betty Boop' cartoon, ' Barnacle Bill' was released, with 'Bluto' as 'Barnacle Bill the Sailor' portraited the character after 'Bimbo'.Boyes, Marcia Edwards (1936). 'The Legend of Yerba Buena Island'. Berkeley: The Professional Press.
In this cartoon, Betty Boop still retains some of the canine physical characteristics that she had in her first screen appearance, 'Dizzy Dishes.'
References
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