Barnacle Bill

Name: Barnacle Bill
Genre: Comedy
Released: 1957-12-21
Duration: 1 h 27 min
Rating: 6.9
Cast: Alec Guinness, Harry Locke, Frederick Piper

19571957
UnratedUnrated
1h 27m

6.9/10

Comedy

A seasick sea Captain commands an amusement pier despite local opposition.A seasick sea Captain commands an amusement pier despite local opposition.A seasick sea Captain commands an amusement pier despite local opposition.

6.9/10

Top credits

See production, box office & company info

See more at IMDbPro

Awards
- 1 nomination

Alec Guinness and Irene Browne in Barnacle Bill (1957)

Captain Ambrose comes from a long line of distinguished sailors, but is all too susceptible to seasickness. After the war, he buys himself a nautical command on shore, a decrepit amusement pier at the British resort town Sandcastle-on-Sea, whose prim town council has outlawed arcade games as a form of gambling. Running the pier like a Naval vessel, the Captain's determination to make it a modern, going concern meets steady opposition. But with an unexpected new ally, he pursues a remarkable scheme to liberate his "ship" from land authorities. —Rod Crawford <puffinus@u.washington.edu>

pier seasickness arcade cruise ship english channel 1 more

Taglines
- The captain preferred the merry times on land to the mermaids at sea !
Genre
- Comedy
Certificate
- Unrated
Parents guide

Trivia
Sir Alec Guinness only made this movie as a favor for his friend, director Charles Frend. He later referred to this movie as "wretched".

Goofs
When Captain Ambrose arrives in France, a close-up shot shows him taking the cotton wool out of his ears. In the next shot the cotton wool is still in his ears.

Quotes
Figg: Is that how they do it in the Navy, sir?
Capt. William Horatio Ambrose: I take it you are never in the service, Figg?
Figg: I never wanted to be. I've spent all my life on a dredger and if you're going to run this pier like a battleship, I shall be sorry I left it.
Capt. William Horatio Ambrose: Well, I am going to run it like a battleship. All the best piers in the country or run naval-style and, under my command, Sandcastle pier will be no exception. I shan't be satisfied until everything is ship-... er... pier-shape and Blackpool-fashion.

Crazy credits
Against a background of high seas, the opening credit text rolls with the waves, up off the screen and down under water, with motion so realistic it almost makes the audience seasick.

Top review

He approaches the character in a completely serious manner and the results are marvelous.

I've enjoyed most of the Alec Guiness films, especially The Ladykillers. I must say that I wasn't expecting much from this film and it was only because the VCR did not get turned off that I saw it. I believe it to be one of the most amusing films I've ever seen and one of Guiness' best. He approaches the character in a completely serious manner and the results are marvelous. The incongruity of a naval man who gets seasick and dock turned into a "ship" are very funny. At first, the character seems stiff and military, but he is anything but. One of the best scenes is of him dancing with teenagers. Every one of Guiness' Ealing Studios films are gems, but this is the top. This needs to be put out on DVD/VHS.

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