I am sick to death of reading about Barbera Windsor,as if she was with Eastenders from Year Zero and the British film industry relied upon her.
When she took bad (although I do wish her a speedy recovery),a national newspaper published a special message in which readers can send their best wishes to a television legend.
As far as I know,she has only made her name in Eastenders,and that was after replacing the original actress who played Ma Baker,sorry Ma Mitchell.
As far as the Carry On...series is concerned,she was only a busty little blonde,but she was never attractive. Liz Fraser was by far the best looking in the Carry On...series and in the British comedy films of the fifties and sixties. She has appeared in the last few years in The Bill,and she is still an attractive woman.
Joan Sims was better looking than Ms Windsor and also a better comedy actress.
Anyway,I've said my piece.
Ta Ta
Marky B :mad:
I think you are being a little harsh on our Babs. However, I do admit that when I watched Cor Blimey!(2000), Samantha Spiro was so good in her portrayal of Windsor, that when the star appeared as herself at the end of the film, it was a disappointment!
Although I do like Barbara Windsor, I agree that Joan Sims was an excellent comedy actress and, in my opinion, the First Lady of the Carry Ons.....
I also thought that Hattie Jacques was wonderful too. Sometimes I think that Barbara Windsor is put on a pedestal above the other female cast members in the series. She was just one of many fine comedy actresses to appear in the films.
Regards
Phil Turner
I don't know about being sick to death or reading about her, but, yeah, I do agree that Barbara Windsor does seem to have somehow magically morphed, certainly undeservedly, into some kind of national treasure. Liz Fraser was by far and away my favourite Carry On lady. Hattie Jaques and Joan Sims are comedy legends of the highest order. Also, Dylis Laye ( I'm not sure if I've spelled that correctly, but she was the nightclub singer in Spying and, if I remember correctly, one of the guests in Cruising ), but I suspect my plumping for Dylis Laye might be because I fancied her somewhat when I was a nipper. It's the press, the press love a good national treasure ( Elton John, anyone? ). Can't say I was ever a great Barbara Windsor fan. Nothing against her, she just never made the impact on me that Liz, Hattie, Joan, Dylis, or even the fabulous one-shot that was Fenella Fielding had.
By the way, I just want to say: I love this site, I really do.
Isn't it right that Barbara Windsor only appeared in about 8 Carry On films whilst Joan Sims was in nearly all of them. BW was good, but Joan Sims was different class, a real Carry On Star.
Liz Fraser, wonderful actress, was only in four and appeared more times in Hancock's Half Hour. Never forget her in Two Way Stretch, very funny . I met her a couple of years ago, and a friend I was with reminded her of a funny line she had in The Family Way, and blow me down, she then recited it word perfect and burst out laughing, saying it was one scene she would never forget. Funny Woman.
All these ladies were stars in their own right so please dont slate Barbara Windsor, she as an actress was great and still is and by the way Barbara Windsor is a lovely lady in life as well, a real gem, Hattie jacques was a wonderful actress and i think quite sexy in her day for a large lady she also does not get full recognition for all the work she had done on and off stage as for Liz Fraser yes this was also a great lady and all these ladies made us laugh in their own right so please no slating this great British actress who is still great today.
Originally Posted by Carmel
All these ladies were stars in their own right so please dont slate Barbara Windsor, she as an actress was great and still is and by the way Barbara Windsor is a lovely lady in life as well, a real gem, Hattie jacques was a wonderful actress and i think quite sexy in her day for a large lady she also does not get full recognition for all the work she had done on and off stage as for Liz Fraser yes this was also a great lady and all these ladies made us laugh in their own right so please no slating this great British actress who is still great today.
You're right, of course, Carmel. I don't think anyone here is neccessarily slagging Barbara off. I think it's just that Barbara seems to get all the attention over and above a handful of great great actresses who, in my opinion, at least, deserve it easily just as much ( or, in the case of Joan Sims, a darned sight more ). Barbara has done some cracking work over the years, she was one part of a fantastic ensemble whole. Maybe it's because most of the others are dead now that she's being lauded in the way she is. Barbara did some great work, but she wasn't by any stretch the best in the group. Good, absolutely, but by no means the great.
Some years ago, when I was in the 'personal appearances' netherworld, I lobbied to 'hire' Barbara Windsor for a venue. Eventually it was decided that a more contemporary actress who had recently become popular in a new comedy series should be selected instead. I was disappointed. Somehow, I felt in my water, that although Ms. W. hadn't really seemed to be around much at the time, she would be recognised and appreciated by the 'audience'.
Naturally these things were arranged somewhat in advance of the event. Before the big day, Ms. W had made her entrance into the Queen Vic, to immediate national acclaim. I think they used to call such women "IT girls".
I just mumbled something to the effect of 'I told you so'.
I do think that a woman who dispenses condoms to young cast members of eastenders and revels in her seven abortions and had an affair with sid james when he was married should not be regarded as a national treasure.
And your a saint i suppose
And as for handing out condoms to young cast members who is the responsable one not the young cast members remember the 60's were a diffrent era altogether, maybe she is making sure they dont end doing what she did and having a life time of heart ache
I am not word perfect but I believe it went something like this......
"Do the job on his wife? The milkman has been doing your job for years!!"
Thumps husband.
I totally agree, I think The Carry On... series would have been better without her. However most attractive Carry on girl has to be Angela Douglas. But Liz is right up there too.
Love her or hate her, Babs will always be the actress most associated with the Carry Ons. That might be because Hattie, Joan & Liz did work away from the series that is better remember. Hattie will always be Matron, but also Eric Sykes' sister. As for the Carry Ons, the two most iconic moments have to be Kenny's infamy line from Cleo - stolen we now know from Muir & Norden, and Babs losing her bra in Camping.
Let us not forget Amanda Barrie's line in Carry On Cleo, where she tells Sid James that she has a poisonous asp and Sid assures her that she hasn't
Probably because that scene gets shown so often in clip shows on TV.
Also, the media do love to hang a tag on someone so "Carry On girl Barbara Windsor" is easier for them than "Barbara Windsor, who, before EastEnders, did a few things you might have seen like Sparrows Can't Sing, but rarely had a named role before she joined the Carry On team for a few films"
Steve
Barbara Windsor nice in real life? Not in my experience, unless it is an 'appearance'.All these ladies were stars in their own right so please dont slate Barbara Windsor, she as an actress was great and still is and by the way Barbara Windsor is a lovely lady in life as well, a real gem, Hattie jacques was a wonderful actress and i think quite sexy in her day for a large lady she also does not get full recognition for all the work she had done on and off stage as for Liz Fraser yes this was also a great lady and all these ladies made us laugh in their own right so please no slating this great British actress who is still great today.
Id like to know why i have met Barbara several times now and found her lovely she never was dismisive or arragant like some i can mention she was always a lady and id like to know why you found her any diffrent, when my daughter died she also sent me a lovely note
Totally agree - Angela Douglas was sex on legs,likewise Liz Fraser.
Ta Ta
Marky B
It seems Barbara Windsor has been around for longer than I thought!
I just picked up a pristine copy of an LP called "Old Time Music Hall" a Parlophone LP from in 1959 and in (Stereo)! She sings several songs in a 'Down At The Old Bull and Bush' sort of way.
At a time when Long Play albums were a considerable chunk out of your weekly pay and stereo was in its inception;(Aug/Sep 1958) this must have cot around 37 shillings! in old UK currency!Sounds fantastic!!
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