Barnacle Bill | 1930 | Animated Short

Title: Barnacle Bill | 1930 | Animated Short Director: Dave Fleischer Studio: Fleischer Studios / Paramount Publix Corporation Starring: Margie Hines (Betty Boop / Nancy Lee), Billy Murray (Bimbo / Barnacle Bill) Based on: Popular song “Barnacle Bill the Sailor” Release Date: August 30 1930 Runtime: 8 minutes Format: Black and white animated short with synchronized sound Country: United States Language: English Genres: Animation Comedy Music --- Chapters: 00:00:00 Sailor Barnacle Bill aboard ship 00:01:00 Ship docks and Bill jumps ship 00:02:00 Bill heads to Nancy Lee’s house 00:03:00 Singing “Barnacle Bill the Sailor” duet 00:04:00 Romantic antics and gossiping neighbors 00:05:00 Captain returns and chase begins 00:06:00 Cliffside pursuit and tumble into sea --- Summary: Barnacle Bill is a 1930 animated Talkartoons short from Fleischer Studios in which the sailor Bimbo adopts the persona of Barnacle Bill and seeks out his love interest Nancy Lee, an early version of Betty Boop. The action follows the lyrics of the familiar sea chantey as Bill romps through song and antics, romancing Nancy and drawing the ire of the ship’s captain. The cartoon blends musical performance with slapstick comedy and expressive animation typical of early sound cartoons. --- Background: Directed by Dave Fleischer and animated by a team including Rudy Zamora and Seymour Kneitel, Barnacle Bill was released as part of Fleischer’s Talkartoons series distributed by Paramount in 1930. The short features one of the earliest appearances of Betty Boop in her prototype form and uses a popular folk song as the basis for its narrative and musical structure, reflecting the era’s integration of music and animation. --- Trivia: Barnacle Bill features Betty Boop in an early canine-featured incarnation as Nancy Lee before her later humanized design. The cartoon follows the storyline of the song “Barnacle Bill the Sailor,” with Bimbo singing in character as the titular sailor. A feline gossip scene and mermaid sequence provide visual gags beyond the central romance. This short prefigures later Fleischer cartoons that incorporate musical storytelling and character interplay. --- Public Domain / Rights: Original Release: August 30 1930 Original Studio / Distributor: Fleischer Studios / Paramount Publix Corporation Copyright Status: Public Domain Renewal: Not applicable --- Hashtags: #BarnacleBill1930 #FleischerStudios #BettyBoop #Bimbo #ClassicAnimation #PublicDomain