Romance with a Double Bass

For the silent film, see Romance with a Double Bass (1911 film).
Romance with a Double Bass
Directed by Robert Young
Written by John Cleese
Connie Booth
Bill Owen
Anton Chekhov (short story)
Starring John Cleese
Connie Booth
Graham Crowden
Freddie Jones
Release dates
1974
Running time
approx. 40 min.
Country UK
Language English

Romance with a Double Bass is a 1974 featurette from the United Kingdom. It was written by John Cleese, Connie Booth, and Bill Owen, and based on the short story of the same name by Anton Chekhov. Along with Cleese and Booth, the cast included Andrew Sachs, who would work with both stars in Fawlty Towers the following year.

Plot

Smychkov (Cleese), a bassist, shows up too early for the ball of a beautiful princess, and decides to spend his extra time skinny dipping in the nearby lake. The princess (Booth), meanwhile, has gone fishing at the lake, and later decides to go skinny dipping as well. However, things change when a thief absconds with both Smychkov's and the Princess's clothes, and while the Princess is wandering around, she meets Smychkov. After their initially embarrassing encounter, he tries to help her return to the castle by hiding her in his bass case.

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