The Last of the Blonde Bombshells

"It's never too late for an encore."

2000 1h 24m EN

👍

6.9

SOLID

★6.9TMDB · 21

ComedyMusicTV Movie

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

After Elizabeth's husband dies, she begins to play her tenor saxophone again, and remembers when she was 15 and a member of the Blonde Bombshells, an all-girl (with one exception) swing band. Accompanied by the exception and urged on by her grand-daughter, Elizabeth hunts up all the old members of the band and urges them to perform, and in doing so, learns more than she knew about the band, its members, the roses on the drum set, and herself--the last of the Blonde Bombshells.

“It's never too late for an encore.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Judi Dench
Elizabeth
Ian Holm
Patrick
Joan Sims
Betty
June Whitfield
Annie
Olympia Dukakis
Dinah
Billie Whitelaw
Evelyn
Leslie Caron
Madeleine
Cleo Laine
Gwen

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Gillies MacKinnon
Writers: Alan Plater
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom, United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

84 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

26 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Gillies MacKinnon, shot by Richard Greatrex. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by John E. Keane. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Pia Di Ciaula shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Judi Dench and Ian Holm and Joan Sims carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "It's never too late for an encore.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Gillies MacKinnon directs. Richard Greatrex behind the camera. John E. Keane scores. Pia Di Ciaula cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom, United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

184 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
226 years old — old enough to be someone's favourite childhood film.
3International production across 2 countries: United Kingdom, United States of America.
4Directed by Gillies MacKinnon, shot by Richard Greatrex. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by John E. Keane. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Pia Di Ciaula shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Judi Dench and Ian Holm and Joan Sims carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "It's never too late for an encore.".
9IMDB entry: tt0220608 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 21 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.