The Last of the Blonde Bombshells
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| The Last of the Blonde Bombshells | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Gillies MacKinnon |
| Produced by | Su Armstrong |
| Written by | Alan Plater |
| Starring | Judi Dench Ian Holm Leslie Caron Olympia Dukakis Cleo Laine Joan Sims Billie Whitelaw June Whitfield Kate Maberly |
| Music by | John Keane |
| Cinematography | Richard Greatrex |
| Editing by | Pia Di Ciaula |
| Release date(s) | 2000 |
| Running time | 84 mins |
| Country | UK |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Last of the Blonde Bombshells is a 2000 television film made by the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and Home Box Office (HBO).
Contents |
[edit] Tagline
- It's never too late for an encore.
[edit] Synopsis
After her husband's death, a widow (Judi Dench) decides she wants to re-kindle her musical roots. Encouraged by her granddaughter, she seeks out the members of the almost all-female band she played with as a teenager during World War II. The one non-female in the troop was a cross-dressing drummer (Ian Holm) whom she meets by chance in London. Together they start tracking down their old cronies—and find one dead, one mentally incompetent, one in prison, one in the Salvation Army, one alcoholic… Slowly the band grows, but rehearsals are unconvincing. When the singer (Cleo Laine) joins them for the performance, everything comes together.
The present-day story is interspersed with flashbacks to the band in its wartime heyday, and gives a good taste of the music and atmosphere of the period, with performances interrupted by air raids, and the drummer trying to score with every member of the band in turn.
[edit] Cast
| Character | Current day character played by | Wartime character played by | Instrument | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Elizabeth | Judi Dench | Romola Garai | Saxophone | |
| Patrick | Ian Holm | Grant Ibbs | Drums | |
| Madeleine | Leslie Caron | Kate Maberly | Double bass | |
| Dinah | Olympia Dukakis | Lucy Voller | Trumpet | |
| Gwen | Cleo Laine | Ria-Belinda Mundell | Singer | |
| Betty | Joan Sims | Saskia Vale | Piano | Last acting performance of Joan Sims |
| Evelyn | Billie Whitelaw | Laura Crossley | Saxophone | |
| Annie | June Whitfield | Patricia Valentine | Trombone | |
| Vera | Thelma Ruby | Clemency Burton-Hill | Saxophone | |
| Joan | Lucy Pawlby | Saxophone | Died in World War 2 | |
| Joanna | Millie Findlay | Elizabeth's granddaughter | ||
| Patricia | Felicity Dean | Elizabeth's daughter | ||
| Edward | Nicholas Palliser | Elizabeth's son | ||
| Leslie | Valentine Pelka | |||
| Carol | Carla MacKinnon | |||
| Paul | Dom Chapman | street musician | ||
| Hibbert | John Warnaby | |||
| McNab | James Cosmo | |||
| Scobie | Harry Jones | The Wee Man | ||
| Al | Peter Youngblood Hills | |||
| Mum | Kathryn Pogson | Young Elizabeth's Mother |
[edit] Awards and nominations
[edit] Wins
- BAFTA Award for Best Actress (Judi Dench)
- Golden Globe Award for Best Performance by an Actress in a Mini-Series or Motion Picture Made for TV (Judi Dench)
[edit] Nominations
[edit] Emmy Awards
- Outstanding Lead Actress in a Miniseries or a Movie (Judi Dench)
- Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie (Ian Holm)
- Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
- Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
- Outstanding Hairstyling for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special
[edit] Screen Actors Guild Awards
- Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries (Judi Dench)
[edit] American Comedy Awards
- Funniest Female Performer in a TV Special (Judi Dench)
