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Barney Rubble
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Bernard "Barney" Rubble is a cartoon character who appears in the television animated series The Flintstones. He is the diminutive, blond-haired caveman husband of Betty Rubble and adoptive father of Bamm-Bamm Rubble. His best friends are his next door neighbors, Fred and Wilma Flintstone. Barney's personality was based on that of Ed Norton on the 1950s television series The Honeymooners, played by Art Carney. Like Ralph Kramden on The Honeymooners, Fred was constantly on the lookout for get-rich-quick schemes, while Barney, like Norton, found life satisfactory as it was but participated in said schemes because Fred was his friend. Usually after Fred had hatched one of his plans, Barney would usually show his agreement by laughing and saying "er huh huh... OK, Fred!" or "huh huh huh... whatever you say, Fred!"
In early episodes, Barney had a "joisey" accent, but when Barney's accent was getting too annoying, it was changed to a deeper, more chuckle-like voice. In On the Rocks and Stone-Age Smackdown, his Jersey accent returns.
Barney's interests included bowling, playing pool, poker, tinkering around in Fred's garage and playing golf (though there were episodes where Barney did not know how to play golf). He, like Fred, was also a member of the Loyal Order of Water Buffaloes lodge and its predecessor in earlier episodes, the Loyal Order of Dinosaurs. He is also a talented pianist and drummer. In the first episode of the original series he was an inventor of a human-powered helicopter. Though clearly depicted as being in better shape than Fred, he isn't shown to be quite as enthusiastic a sportsman as Fred is. This distinction can be attributed to Fred's fondness for food, though Barney is shown to be almost as capable of excessive appetite on a number of occasions.
Biography
While the mid-1980s spinoff series The Flintstone Kids depicts Barney as a child, the series seems to be mostly apocryphal due to its presenting Barney as a childhood friend of Wilma and Betty (versus the original series' assertion that they first met as young adults). Still, the series' assertions that Barney has at least one younger brother, Dusty, was a childhood friend of Fred, and was the son of artist Flo Rubble and car dealer Robert "Honest Bob" Rubble might be taken as valid. It is suggested in the original series that Barney grew up at 142 Boulder Avenue in Granitetown. The original series also suggested in one episode that Barney was the nephew of Fred's boss, Mr. Slate, though subsequent episodes and spinoffs don't seem to support this claim. As young adults, Barney and Fred worked as bellhops at a resort, where they first met Wilma and Betty, who were working as cigarette girls. Eventually, Barney married Betty (as Fred did Wilma).Several episodes and spinoffs suggest that Barney, along with Fred, spent some time in the army early in their marriages, though said references may be to Barney and Fred's military service in the first season episode "The Astr'nuts."
While the subject of Barney's occupation (or even if he had one) was never given during the original series, the majority of subsequent spinoffs suggest at some point after the original series, Barney went to work at the Slate Rock and Gravel Company quarry alongside Fred as a fellow dino-crane operator. An early episode of the original series does have a brief scene of Barney working at the Granite Building. When speaking to an upper-crust snob in another episode, Betty declares Barney is in "top-secret" work; but that might have been a cover for a low-level job or unemployment, or perhaps an in-joke meaning that Barney's job was unknown even to the show's writers. It could also be possible that both Fred and Barney work at the quarry, but may work in different sections of it, under different bosses. In one episode, Barney's boss tells him to "put down his broom," which implies some sort of janitorial work is involved.
During the fourth season of the original series, Betty and Barney found an abandoned infant on their doorstep, by the name of "Bamm-Bamm." A court battle ensued between the couple and a wealthy man who also had wanted to adopt Bamm-Bamm. Barney and Betty were successful in their efforts to adopt Bamm-Bamm because the wealthy man gave up (after winning the case) upon learning his wife became pregnant, after which he became a staple character on the series. For a number of episodes after Bamm-Bamm's debut, there is no sign of him on the show. In the fifth season, the family buys a pet hopparoo (a combination of a kangaroo and dinosaur) named Hoppy.
When Bamm-Bamm grew into a teenager, Barney joined the Bedrock police force with Fred for a period of time as part-time officers. Both characters were paired with the Shmoo from Li'l Abner. He later became grandfather to Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's children, Chip and Roxy.
Although he and Fred are best friends, even he (Barney) lost his patience with him sometimes. The best example comes in "I Yabba-Dabba Do!": after losing his patience with Fred for ruining Pebbles and Bamm-Bamm's wedding, he decided to leave Bedrock. He changed his mind after Fred apologized. Fred is often annoyed by Barney and his cheerful attitude, but he does truly care for him.
In several of the original episodes of the series, Barney can be seen with his eyes depicted as two ovals or (occasionally) circles shown only as dark circular outlines. Other episodes show his eyes as being completely filled in with black, very similar to Wilma's eyes. However, there are three occasions where he was seen with whites in his eyes, in the episodes "The Engagement Ring," "Ventriloquist Barney" and "A Haunted House Is Not a Home". In "The Engagement Ring," the whites in Barney's eyes appear when Fred suggests that he spar with a fearsome boxer in order to earn enough money to buy Betty a belated engagement ring. In "Ventriloquist Barney," the whites in Barney's eyes appear when he describes the terrifying facial features of wrestler Bronto Crushrock. In "A Haunted House Is Not a Home," the whites in Barney's eyes appear when Fred hits him on the head after Barney frightens him by gargling in the bathroom too loudly.
Best films
(1994)Played by the actors
Filmography of Barney Rubble (6 films)
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, 50minutesOrigin USA
Genres Comedy, Adventure, Animation
Themes Sports films, Children's films
Actors Jeff Bergman, Kevin Michael Richardson, Tress MacNeille, Grey DeLisle, John O'Hurley, John Cena
Rating55%
When Fred Flintstone loses his family's vacation money, he comes up with a plan to get it back. He convinces friend Barney Rubble to become a professional wrestler, wrestling the likes of John Cenastone (John Cena), Rey Mysteriopal (Rey Mysterio), and The Undertaker, among others. Fred then becomes the booker of his own wrestling promotion to earn the money back. Numerous other WWE wrestlers and personalities (including owner/chairman/CEO Vince McMahon) also provide their voices for characters in the movie.
, 1h11Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Animation
Themes Films about music and musicians, Musical films
Actors Adam Carolla, Jess Harnell, Jack Plotnick, Tara Strong, Cree Summer, James Arnold Taylor
Rating61%
In Bedrock, a drunken and pregnant Toot is informed that someone has come to see her. The visitor turns out to be her old housemate Foxxy Love, who tries to tell her that their lives are in danger. This then flashes back to six months prior. Foxxy discovers that she can swear without being censored. When she discovers the show's control room, she realizes that the TV show Drawn Together has been cancelled. The housemates check their TV listings and find out that their time slot had been taken over by a TV show called "The Suck My Taint Show". Foxxy calls the network to find out why they were cancelled. The Network Head, upon hearing from Foxxy, learns that the housemates are still alive and summons I.S.R.A.E.L. (Intelligent Smart Robot Animation Eraser Lady), a robot designed specifically to erase cartoon characters. The Jew Producer warns the housemates before I.S.R.A.E.L. shows up, but he manages to escape just in time inside Foxxy's van.
, 1h31Directed by Brian Levant
Origin USA
Genres Science fiction, Comedy, Romantic comedy, Romance
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La préhistoire, Alternate history films, Children's films
Actors Mark Addy, Stephen Baldwin, Kristen Johnston, Jane Krakowski, Joan Collins, Thomas Gibson
Rating37%
Young bachelors and best friends Fred Flintstone (Mark Addy) and Barney Rubble (Stephen Baldwin) have recently qualified as crane operators at Slate & Company. Soon to be employed, now they want dates, and little green alien The Great Gazoo (Alan Cumming), exiled to Earth by his species, offers to help, although only they can see him. Meanwhile, Wilma Slaghoople (Kristen Johnston) wants a normal life and activities, like bowling, despite her controlling mother Pearl (Joan Collins) who wants her to marry smooth casino-owner Chip Rockefeller (Thomas Gibson). Wilma angrily runs away to Bronto King in Bedrock. Waitress Betty O'Shale (Jane Krakowski) mistakes her as "caveless", and offers to share her apartment, and gets her a job.
The Flintstones (1994)
, 1h31Directed by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna, Brian Levant
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy
Themes Films about animals, Dinosaur films, La préhistoire, Alternate history films, Buddy films, Children's films
Actors John Goodman, Rick Moranis, Elizabeth Perkins, Rosie O'Donnell, Kyle MacLachlan, Halle Berry
Rating50%
Slate and Co. Senior Executive Cliff Vandercave (Kyle MacLachlan) and secretary Miss Sharon Stone (Halle Berry) look at the company workers in the gravel pits while discussing their plan to swindle the company of its vast fortune and flee, but decided that they need someone to take responsibility for it. Fred Flintstone (John Goodman) loans his best friend and neighbor Barney Rubble (Rick Moranis) money so that he and his wife Betty (Rosie O'Donnell) can adopt a child named Bamm-Bamm, who can only pronounce his own name. Although the child is initially difficult to control due to being raised by Mastadons, as well as being superstrong, he eventually warms up to his new family. Barney vows to repay his friend, but Fred is visited by his mother-in-law, Pearl Slaghoople (Elizabeth Taylor), who objects to his decision. However, Fred's wife Wilma (Elizabeth Perkins) remains supportive of his decision.
The Man Called Flintstone (1966)
, 1h28Directed by Joseph Barbera, William Hanna
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Adventure, Musical, Animation, Romance
Themes Spy films, La préhistoire, Musical films, Children's films
Actors Alan Reed, Mel Blanc, Jean Vander Pyl, Gerry Johnson, Paul Frees, June Foray
Rating64%
In the opening scene, secret agent Rock Slag, who is physically identical to Fred Flintstone, is being chased through Bedrock. His pursuers, Bobo and Ali, think that they have finally killed him when they push him off a building. Meanwhile, the Flintstones and Rubbles prepare for a camping vacation which includes trying to drop Dino and Hoppy off at the veterinarian. On the way back, Fred crashes Barney's car, and they make a stop at the hospital where Rock Slag is also recovering. After Bobo and Ali find Rock and put him out of commission, Chief Boulder of the Secret Service enlists Fred to take his place in Paris for a special meeting. His assignment is to meet Tanya, the Green Goose's #1 lieutenant, who has agreed to turn over the evil Green Goose in return for a chance to meet the irresistible Rock Slag.
Directed by Alex Lovy
Origin USA
Genres Comedy, Fantasy, Musical, Animation
Themes Films based on Alice in Wonderland, Children's films
Actors Mel Blanc, Henry Corden, Sammy Davis Jr., Bill Dana, Zsa Zsa Gabor, Hedda Hopper
Rating61%