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Babs

  • TV Movie
  • 2017
  • 1h 30m
IMDb RATING
6.3/10
630
YOUR RATING
Babs (2017)
BiographyDrama

A drama about the life and career of actress Barbara Windsor.A drama about the life and career of actress Barbara Windsor.A drama about the life and career of actress Barbara Windsor.

  • Director
    • Dominic Leclerc
  • Writers
    • Tony Jordan
    • Barbara Windsor
  • Stars
    • Samantha Spiro
    • Charlie Archer
    • Nick Moran
  • See production, box office & company info
  • IMDb RATING
    6.3/10
    630
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Dominic Leclerc
    • Writers
      • Tony Jordan
      • Barbara Windsor
    • Stars
      • Samantha Spiro
      • Charlie Archer
      • Nick Moran
    • 15User reviews
    • 4Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
  • Photos16

    Leanne Best in Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Leanne Best in Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Leanne Best in Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Babs (2017)
    Nick Moran, Barbara Windsor, Leanne Best, and Honor Kneafsey in Babs (2017)
    Jaime Winstone in Babs (2017)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Samantha Spiro
    Samantha Spiro
    • Babs
    Charlie Archer
    • Scott Mitchell
    Nick Moran
    Nick Moran
    • John Deeks
    Honor Kneafsey
    Honor Kneafsey
    • Teen Barbara
    Leanne Best
    Leanne Best
    • Rose Deeks
    Florence Keen
    Florence Keen
    • Child Barbara
    Nathan Harmer
    • Brian Mickey
    Marty Cruikshank
    • Aida Foster
    Peter Hamilton Dyer
    • Producer
    Matthew Bates
    Matthew Bates
    • Rosie's Lawyer
    Robert East
    Robert East
    • Divorce Judge
    Lewis Kirk
    • Johnny Brandon
    Cally Lawrence
    • Wardrobe Mistress
    Jaime Winstone
    Jaime Winstone
    • Barbara
    Sue Elliott-Nichols
    Sue Elliott-Nichols
    • Shoe Shop Manageress
    Hannah Hutch
    Hannah Hutch
    • Woman in Shoe Shop
    Tom Machell
    Tom Machell
    • Man in Shoe Shop
    Jonathan Rhodes
    Jonathan Rhodes
    • Peter Noble
    • Director
      • Dominic Leclerc
    • Writers
      • Tony Jordan
      • Barbara Windsor
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Samantha Spiro first played Barbara Windsor in 1998 at the Royal National Theatre in Terry Johnson's "Cleo, Camping, Emmanuelle and Dick". When Johnson adapted the play for television, as Cor, Blimey! (2000), Spiro reprised the role.
    • Alternate versions
      When shown on UK commercial TV (e.g. Drama, ITV etc) the line (first time on set with Kenneth Williams): "Don't you talk to me like that [with Fenella Fielding's minge-hair stuck around your chops,] 'cos I won't bloody stand for it!", the part in parentheses is cut. Williams' subsequent amusement at her vulgarity makes much less sense.
    • Connections
      Features Sparrows Can't Sing (1963)

    User reviews15

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    5/10
    Self-conscious, Self-indulgent, Self-serving. Public masturbation.
    A heinously self-indulgent love letter to herself from Barbara Windsor, penned by her long-time friend and collaborator, Tony Jordan, with heavy input from herself including far too many cameo appearances speckled throughout.

    If the subject matter wasn't so self-serving, and if it hadn't already been done better previously (also with Ms Windsor in a cameo as herself), this might have been a little less vomit-worthy, since technically it is a pretty well-made film with excellent cinematography, production design, and editing. There are also some very good performances.

    However, the structure of this piece is annoyingly self-conscious, with a middle-aged Babs (and occasionally the elderly one played by herself) interacting with younger incarnations of herself and other characters from her past, all backstage at a seedy theatre, as she narrates, converses, and analyses her way through a history of daddy-issues and gangster boyfriends, with occasional shrill renditions of "Sunny Side of the Street" to alleviate the tedium.

    Essentially this is written and structured like a stage play, and it would probably have worked much better in that medium. On film, however, it comes off as tacky, forced, and muddled.

    As well as having far too many actresses playing Ms Windsor, including herself - often all at the same time - there are also archive film clips of her, giving us in the end a rather unpleasant case of too-much-Babs-itus!

    The final embarrassing self indulgence occurs at the very end when the real Barbara Windsor steps into a spotlight and sings "Sunny Side of the Street" to an audience of her friends and family, including Tony Jordan.

    All in all, then, a cinematic circle-jerk. Sometimes it's a good selling point for a movie to recommend that you bring plenty of Kleenex. Not in this case!
    helpful•4
    9
    • kitellis-98121
    • Jul 11, 2018

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • May 7, 2017 (United Kingdom)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Language
      • English
    • Filming locations
      • Catford Broadway Theatre(location)
    • Production companies
      • British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC)
      • Red Planet Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Technical specs

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    • Runtime
      1 hour 30 minutes
    • Color
      • Color
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.78 : 1

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