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Barnacle Bill
Barnacle Bill (released in the US as All at Sea) is a 1957 Ealing Studios comedy film, starring Alec Guinness. He plays an unsuccessful Royal Navy officer and six of his maritime ancestors. This was the final Ealing comedy (although some sources list Davy as the last Ealing comedy), and the last film Guinness made for Ealing Studios. His first Ealing success was in Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949), in which he also played multiple roles. The film was written by the screenwriter of Passport to Pimlico.
Plot
William Horatio Ambrose (Guinness) wants desperately to live up to the proud family tradition; the Ambroses have always been mariners (even if not distinguished ones), hence their family motto, "Omnes per Mare" ("All at Sea"). In humorous vignettes, Guinness portrays six of his ancestors, starting with a confused caveman perpetually going in circles in his coracle and ending with his own father's ignominious demise at the Battle of Jutland. Ambrose has a debilitating problem however: he suffers from violent seasickness. As a result, his contribution to the Second World War consists of testing cures for the malady.
More details
author | T. E. B. Clarke |
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contentLocation | England |
director | Charles Frend |
editor | Jack Harris |
genre | comedy |
keywords | amusement pier bath bathing hut battle of jutland beach hut claim compulsory purchase coracle detach dredger flag of convenience going in circles hard work marine salvage peeping tom rat royal navy salvager seasickness test victorian era voyeurism world war |
musicBy | Henry Mancini |
producer | Michael Balcon |
productionCompany | Ealing Studios |