BABE
US, 1975, 100 minutes, Colour.
Susan Clark, Alex Kanner, Slim Pickens, Ellen Geer.
Directed by Buzz Kulik.
Babe is the pleasing biography of Babe Diedrickson Zaharias, the young Olympic winning athlete of the 30's and the champion professional golfer of the 40's and 50's. She died of cancer at the age of 42 years in 1957. Her life was a success story, American style, and her story is inspiring and worth the telling. Susan Clark won an Emmy for her portrayal of Babe in this good made-for-TV feature.
1. The overall appeal and impact of this film? For what audience was it made?
2. The nature of the appeal of biography - the presentation of facts. their situation in history, the presentation of a real person who is known through headlines and known in private life? was this film a successful biography?
3. The appeal of this film in its atmosphere of sport, an American, a success story, a sad death?
4. The film was made for television. Was this obvious? Television techniques?
5. The importance of the structure for audience response and emotional response? Knowledge of Babe. her life and career? The initial comments about her successful life? Audience expectation about her death, watching her life in view of her death? The contrast in the flashbacks between the ageing Babe and the young Babe and her career? The comment of her early life on her later development and her death?
6. Seeing the older, sick Babe with George - comparisons with her early life? Highlighting the significance of her life? Her memories, scrapbook etc.?
7. How well did the film recreate the early Texas atmosphere of Babe's life? Her pride in being a Texan? Her career at school. being a tomboy, the details of her success at sport, her ambitions for success, her encounter with the Colonel, the details of her build up as an athlete, hopes for the Olympics?
8. The importance of seeing her home life; the influence of her parents and of Lily and their continued support?
9. The emphasis on Babe's ambitions? Her drive and confidence in herself? Her being the only member representing her team? Her successes?
10. The visualising of the Los Angeles Olympics? The use of black and white photography? Authentic film of Babe, the comparison with Susan Clark acting the part? The sports impact in the 30's? The achievement of Babe at these games, even the disqualification and the disappointment of the high jump? Audience response to this crisis? Her handling of the situation? what had she achieved by 1932?
11. The opening up of the golf world? Her training, encounter with people? The speed with which she achieved golf success? The detailing of her success and the presentation of the games? How well did the film present the golf games? Even for those not familiar with the game?
12. Her consciousness of being a woman? Her interest in women having a role in sport? The highlighting of this during the initial golf game with George?
13. How well did the film show George and Babe falling in love and growing in love? The quality of their relationship? The effect on each of them? The proposal and the crisis about their careers? The choices, their reasons and motivations? Their hopes for a child and their disappointment? The importance of their home and working on this together?
14. The film's emphasis on the golf tournament and Babe's success? George's role behind the scenes? Potential for clashes, resolving their clashes?
15. The sporting climax of Babe's achievement in winning so many tournaments in succession? In Britain? How well did the film present these tournaments, how interestingly? An atmosphere of suspense and success?
16. The importance of Babe in the association for women golfers? How important was this for American sport?
17. The impact of her illness, the fact that the audience saw this from the beginning, the question of the operation and Babe's refusal? The significance of George introducing her to Sister Tarcisius, the impact of the talk with the nun?
18. Babe's drive to succeed after the operation, her rehabilitation, her final win and what this meant to her?
19. The importance of her work for cancer research and her raising money for cancer victims?
20. The impact of Babe's death on the audience? How successful a life had she had? How charmed a life? How good a woman was she? Her main strengths of character, her weaknesses? As a sportswoman, as a woman? How valuable a film was this biography of a real woman?
