Bill Without Min

MGM memorably paired Wallace Beery and Marie Dressler in the movie Min and Bill. Dressler would sadly get cancer and die a few years later, while Beery would continue to play a series of similar characters. One such character was another one named Bill, in the 1941 film Barnacle Bill.

Like Min and Bill, Barnacle Bill takes place in one of those California fishing towns. Wallace Beery plays Bill Johansen, an ultimately good-hearted fisherman who is however both irresponsible in that he spends too much of his money on booze, and financially unsuccessful since fishing is a hard job that's not financially rewarding. The equivalent of the Min character here is Marge Cavendish, played by Marjorie Main. She's the daughter of one of the land-lubbers who make their living servicing the fishermen and their boats, Pop Cavendish (Donald Meek). There's some suggestion that Bill might marry Marge, except for all those financial issues. Indeed, Pop would even like to take Bill's boat in exchange for all of the money Bill owes Pop, but there's a catch.

Bill doesn't actually own the boat. In a fairly bright move, he put the boat in the name of his young daughter Virginia. She went to live with relatives when Mom died, since Bill is out to sea to much and wouldn't be able to take care of his daughter. As a result, it's been years since Bill has seen Virginia. But, as you can guess from this plot description Virginia is going to be showing up, now aged about 12 and played by Virginia Weidler. Bill can't really afford to feed her, so he basically pawns Virginia off of Marge, not that Marge can afford it. However, it'll do Marge to have another female around to help lighten the workload. And, as you might guess, Marge and Virginia set about attempting to tame Bill.

Now, since this is an MGM movie, you'll be right if you think that's what happens in the last reel, although there are going to be complications before they get to the happy ending. A lot of thos complications involve the fishing business. Bill would like to get a better boat, but naturally doesn't have the money for it. And part of the reason for that is because of the other big fisherman in the area, John Kelly (Barton MacLane). He's got a refrigerated boat, which means he can go out farther and get more fish. But he also uses that power to treat the other fisherman like dirt and pay them an unfairly low rate for their catches. Bill is the first one to stand up to John, and that encourages some of the other fishermen to start taking Bill's side.

Bill is eventually able to mortgage everything to risk it on that bigger boat he always wanted, getting people like his best friend Pico (Leo Carrillo) to accompany him on another fishing trip. But John Kelly isn't going to go quietly, and he has some of his men try to sabotage Bill's new ship. As I said, though, you know a movie like Barnacle Bill is never going to have anything but a happy ending.

I can see why audiences of 1941, when Barnacle Bill was released, would enjoy a movie like this. The fact that MGM would have kept Wallace Beery's more unsavory side a secret from the viewing public would have helped too. It's not that I dislike Beery's work, but knowing that Beery had the reputation of being the stereotypical mean drunk and difficult to work with does give one a different view of watching his movies. Still, on screen, Beery is able to project the lovable drunk, which audiences during the Depression loved. Barnacle Bill continues in that mold, while not breaking any new ground. It's worth one watch, but not a movie that will ever be considered a masterpiece.