John Cleese - Romance With A Double Bass | John Cleese, Connie Booth

John Cleese - Romance With A Double Bass | John Cleese, Connie Booth | NOT Fawlty Towers... However,

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John Cleese - Roma...

	John Cleese - Romance With A Double Bass John Cleese, Connie Booth White Star, 2003 average customer review:based on 18 reviews view larger image
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John Cleese and Connie Booth star in this delightful tale of comic romance based on the short story by Anton Chekhov. On a hot summer's day a musician (Cleese) decides to skinny dip in the royal lake, not knowing that the princess (Booth) has done the same. A passing thief steals both their clothes, and their attempt to return to the castle proves to be a hilarious adventure.

Dead Parrot Not Included: Charming Tale About the Princess and the Musican (Both Naked)

After quitting `Monty Python's Flying Circus' in 1973, John Cleese went on to create his best work in his career so far - actually the best comedy ever made in the history of the world. That is `Fawlty Towers,' incredibly funny comedy about the worst hotel and its delightfully arrogant owner Basil Fawlty. It is regrettable that they only made 12 episodes.

`A Romance with a Double Bass,' shot in 1974, prior to the 1st six episodes of `Fawlty,' is NOT the unreleased 13th episode about Basil and Polly though it features three of the actors seen in this landmark comedy, and contains some funny moments. You also should not expect the craziness of Monty, such as Cleese doing silly walk. No, it is a love story, and John Cleese means it ... even though he is stark naked.

Based on Chekhov's short story, `A Romance with a Double Bass' opens with double bass player Smychkov (Cleese) arriving at the Russian palace where a betrothal ball is going to be held. As he arrived too early on a hot summer's day, he decides to take a bath in a lake nearby, little knowing that the Princess (Booth) has done the same.

Things get complicated (and funny) when a passing thief takes away the clothes of the both. Chivalrous Smychkov promises the distraught Princess to bring her back safely to the palace like a true gentleman. Luckily, the thief didn't steal the double bass case. in which the naked Princess can hide.

Their misadventure results in the unexpected romance of the two, which is the most charming of the film. John Cleese and Connie Booth (then married) manage to show enough chemistry between them to convince us of the budding romance in spite of the short running time of the film.

This 40 minute film may sound like an extended sketch from `Monty Python' at first, but John Cleese and Connie Booth (both credited as writer) are obviously trying to make the film not too silly. The behaviors of both characters, funny as they are, are always based on the reasonable motives, so you will never see a dead parrot or flying sheep here.

Additional fun is the appearance of Andrew Sachs as musician, who was later cast as Manuel in `Fawlty Towers.' The film also has British character actor Freddie Jones, and is directed by Robert Young, the original director of `Fierce Creatures' starring John Cleese.

For all its background, `A Romance with a Double Bass' should be enjoyed out of the context of two leading actors' careers. Don't try to find any `Monty' sketch nor `Fawlty Towers' episode. It is a romance from a Russian writer, Anton Chekhov, master of storytelling, and this charming adaptation well-reflects the fact.

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NOT Fawlty Towers... However,

Definitely a little charmer. Silly situation pulled off very nicely. We definitely liked it. Not even The Brigadier would stop this for being 'too silly.' A fun 40 minutes.

Fun, especially for bassists

This is a film that I had always heard about (I am a professional bassist). It's a cute, relaxed little film based on a Chekhov short story. I suspect it was made for British TV in the '70s. The production value isn't great, but the performances are charming and it's a perfectly pleasant way to spend 40 minutes or so. Bassists and their admirers will enjoy the references to bass stereotypes. Plus, it's fun to watch John Cleese lug around a giant wooden bass case for 30 minutes!

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3, 4

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