BABS

UK, 2017, 90 minutes, Colour.
Samantha Spiro, Jaime Winstone, Nick Moran, Zoe Wanamaker, Honor Kneafsey, Leanne Best, Luke Allen- Gale.
Directed by Dominic Leclerc.

Babs of the title is English comedian and actress, Barbara Windsor.

The film uses the device of Barbara Windsor, age 50, working on a pier with nightly performances, and with a younger partner. She wanders in and out of the area, into the theatre, seeing the past in her mind’s eye but also having discussions with the presence of her father.

This gives the audience the opportunity of having Barbara Windsor’s perspective on her life and career, as well as seeing it in flashbacks. Honor Kneafsey is particularly good as the precocious young Barbara, at home, auditioning, singing The Sunny Side of the Street and doing a cartwheel. By 15 she is performing.

Samantha Spiro is very good as the older Babs. However, many audiences, including this reviewer, have difficulties with Jaime Winstone in the key sequences for Barbara Windsor’s life. Barbara Windsor was petite. Jaime Winstone is not petite. And her voice sounds rather raucous.

Barbara Windsor made many mistakes in her life, growing up in the East End, her father being violent towards her mother, her testifying in a court case against him, his walking out, being supported by her mother. However, she got entangled with a local gangster, Ronnie Knight and becoming pregnant, getting an abortion (and three later abortions). She also had a brief association with the Krays.

Theatre director Joan Littlewood, with a key performance here by Zoe Wanamaker as Joan Littlewood, was interested in Barbara, auditioned her, trained her, directed her in a film, Sparrows Can’t Sing for which she was nominated for a BAFTA, directed her on stage and took her to Broadway, where she got a Tony nomination, for Oh What a Lovely War.

Her agent persuaded her to take part in the Carry On series – and there is a humorous sequence in this film where she encounters Kenneth Williams, antagonistic, standing up to him, their becoming friends.

Despite everything, Barbara Windsor, named a Dame by the Queen in 2016, has remained in the public eye, especially with appearances in Eastenders over 30 years.

1. The status of Barbara Windsor in UK entertainment? Stage, television, cinema, Eastenders? Her long career?

2. Audience knowledge of her, her background, life, struggles, career?

3. The structure of the film: the pier, Barbara and Scott, Barbara at 50, one night appearances? The opportunity to look back over her life? Her memories coming alive, the presence of her father in dialogue with him, with her mother, with the characters? The flashbacks and the chronological narrative of her life? The effect of the 50-year-old watching her past? The audience sharing it?

4. The actresses portraying Barbara Windsor, at 50, Jaime Winstone as a young woman – how like Barbara Windsor, how different, appearance, body, voice? The young girl portraying her?

5. Barbara, her background, born in the 1930s, growing up in the 40s, the father going to war, as a bus conductor? At home, his anger, violence? Walking out? The court sequences, the judge interrogating Barbara, her telling the truth, her father walking past her? Out of her life? Her mother, initially wary, supporting her, auditions, performances? The Sunny Side of the Street and her performance, cartwheel? Always using this song in memory of her father? Success?

6. Barbara growing up, the coronation year, audition, on the stage? Her singing, comic presence? In clubs? The agent and his suggestions?

7. The encounter with Joan Littlewood, thinking her the cleaner, the audition, Joan Littlewood liking her, the nickname? The energetic training, assuming of the characters, Barbara not liking this, confronting Joan, walking out, the agent, her return? With Lionel Bart and her singing? Her going to Broadway and the Tony nomination?

8. Film scripts, the encounter with Jayne Mansfield? The film with Joan Littlewood? The BAFTA nomination?

9. Her personal life, the encounter with Ronnie Knight, going out with him, pregnancy, the truth about his wife, the divorce, his being arrested, her visiting him in jail? Getting out, at home, cooking for him? The further arrests? His proposal, her not wanting to be married? Pregnancy, the abortions? Her finding him with the other girl, leaving him?

10. The Krays coming to visit her, the one night stand, their club, used for Joan Littlewood’s production?

11. America, the flirtation with the composer? Coming home?

12. Her father, her life, marrying again, her going to visit, the hostility of his new wife? Her trying to keep contact, the wife blocking the contacts, her visit and her father rejecting her?

13. Getting older, the mistakes in her life, looking back – and a cheerful look back at her life? With Scott, the toy boy, the bond, the fish and chips, facing a future together?

14. Her autobiography, the scenes with her in the film, with Kenneth Williams? Her verve, the long career in Eastenders?