Romance with a Double Bass

SO... John Cleese in a movie I had never heard of... had to order it from amazon and check it out. It's one of three films in a J Cleese collection, along with How to Irritate People and The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It. Pretty durn short, at 40 minutes. He is the musician who has been hired to play at the wedding of the Princess (Connie Booth). The interesting tidbit here is that they would work together on MANY projects, and were married from 1968 - 1978. Back to the story... when they are swimming near each other in a river, someone absconds with their clothes, and when they try to return to the event, adventures ensue. A little slow moving, but I appreciated the fact that they didn't try to fill every moment with banter. I'd rather have less talking than too much. Fun bit... feels like a really long Monty Python skit. Pulls it off well, even without the rest of the Pythons. Nudity. Rear on him, frontal on her. Cleese and Booth would go on to make "Fawlty Towers" together.

This is one of those that should have been lost in the mists of time. The whole idea seems to be how funny it is that Connie Booth and John Cleese are naked, but not supposed to be, in a lead up to a formal event. It simply doesn't work, and what's more I suspect it didn't work in 1975 when it was made. The humour is arch and 'daring' but not. Mr Cleese uses his usual stock of mannerisms and Connie Booth has a very nice body, but I suspect nobody cared if she could act or not. It's schoolboy humour, but not for grownups. British humour is usually known for its wit and silliness, neither of which are present in this. Disappointing.

One of John Cleese's first post-Python projects -- after he decided not to appear in the fourth series -- was this short film based on a story by Anton Chekhov. In it he plays a musician who falls in love with a princess, played by then-wife Connie Booth. Theirs is the ultimate "meet cute" as they both decide to go skinny dipping at the same time and both have their clothes stolen. Luckily for both of them, Cleese's instrument of choice is the double bass.

"Romance with a Double Bass" was the second writing collaboration for Cleese and Booth, after co-writing the "Fairy Tale" sketch in the second German Python special a year earlier. It also marked the first time they worked with Andrew Sachs, who would co-star in their brilliant series "Fawlty Towers" a year later. Incidentally, this film was directed by Robert Young, who would go on to direct Eric Idle's "Splitting Heirs" and co-direct "Fierce Creatures."

I love this (short) film. I first caught it late one night and luckily recorded it (mentioned John Cleese so I thought 'why not?'). It bears very little relation to the Monty Python style of humor.

It's a tale of a double bass player (John) commisioned to play at the engagement of a princess (Connie) and some count she's never met. John is early so is rather rudely told to go away until the scheduled time. Connie is bored with her life and just wants to fish. John ends up having a swim in the river and Connie sneaks away from a dress fitting to fish (co-incidentally nearby). Connie's float gets caught and she strips (don't want to get the dress wet or dirty) so she can retreive it. A peasant pinches her clothes and runs away (pinching John's as well on the way).

The naked pair meet and have to get back to the castle (and dressed) without being caught.

The rest is classic and I won't spoil it any more except to say; if you love classical music or comedy or political satire or John Cleese (or naked women or John's bottom), then you will love this movie.