The Last of The Blonde Bombshells

Synopsis

The Last of The Blonde Bombshells tells the story of Elizabeth (Dame Judi Dench) who upon the death of her husband realises that the happiest days of her life were when she played tenor saxophone in an all-girls dance band, The Blond Bombshells, during the Second World War. To the horror of her children Elizabeth starts busking in Camden where she is spotted by Patrick (Sir Ian Holm), a dedicated Lothario who played drums in the band to dodge conscription. Encouraged by her granddaughter Joanna, Elizabeth sets about to reunite the band with a reluctant Patrick.





Travelling across the country they find their fellow band members in a range of locations from old folks homes to prisons and a variety of lifestyles from the predictable to the bizarre. The search is haunted by the past. Elizabeth learns that Patrick systematically seduced every member of the band except herself primarily because she was under the age of consent but more probably because he was threatened with castration. Despite the odds, Elizabeth and Patrick using a mixture of charm, cajolery and bribery, reassemble the band. At Joanna's school concert The Blonde Bombshells triumph and Elizabeth agrees to become the last and only rose on Patrick's drum.

Details

Year

2000

Type of film

Features

Format

35mm

Director

Gillies MacKinnon

Producer

Simon Wright (Working Title TV)

Editor

Pia di Ciavla

Screenwriter

Alan Plater

Director of Photography

Richard Greatrex

Sound

Alistair Crocker

Music

Peter Waygood

Principal Cast

Dame Judi Dench, Sir Ian Holm, Olympia Dukakis, Dame Cleo Laine

Genre

Production status

Complete

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Last updated 26th November 2005