Bunch of Characters Mans Flotilla : Parade: Annual boat event sports a Hollywood theme and brings out the likes of Pope John Paul and Capt. Bligh.

First the glittery gold aliens cruised by in their saucer, followed closely by the still-mutinous crew of the Bounty with cannons booming. Then the celebrity ship sailed by, with Pope John Paul II, Rod Stewart and Clark Gable waving to the sometimes confused shoreline crowds.

The bizarre flotilla Sunday afternoon was the 31st running of the annual Character Boat Parade, a merry jaunt around the Newport Bay and channel. This year’s parade saluted Hollywood films, a wide-open theme that drew about 35 official entries and more than a few impromptu paraders.

“It’s great fun, a real family project,” said Jim Dale, a participant in the parade since 1978. “Everybody decides on a theme and then we go on out and do it up. It’s nice because when you go by, all the people applaud and cheer because they know you’re putting on a show.”

For Sunday’s parade, Dale, 41, and his family put their work into converting a 24-foot tugboat into a replica of the ship of “Mutiny on the Bounty” fame.

“I was Capt. Bligh,” Dale said. “We had cannons and palm trees, a British flag and Tahitian music. And my kids put up a sign that said ‘Bligh is a Fink.’ ”

Besides fun, participants were also seeking awards handed out for the best boats in different parade categories. Hank Quinn and Diane Carroll of Newport Beach won the Judge’s Choice award for their gold homemade Martian suits and their saucer-shaped boat, purchased at a garage sale six months ago.

A boat entered by the Balboa Bay Club won the best decorated category for its homage to Hollywood’s epic films, such as “The Ten Commandments” and “Ben-Hur.” The best costume award went to the celebrity look-alikes from the talent agency Book-a-Look, who sailed aboard the Legend. A boat named after the film “The Little Mermaid” won for best sound.

The event is sponsored by the Commodore Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce, which this year joined the local American Legion post to sponsor a post-parade barbecue.