About The Last of the Blonde Bombshells (HBO)

The Last of the Blonde Bombshells is a captivating HBO film released in 2000. This heartening comedy-drama tells the story of Elizabeth (played by Judi Dench), a widowed woman who is brought back to life when she reconnects with her former life in an all-woman swing band during WWII - The Blonde Bombshells. Her flashbacks ignite, revealing her younger self (played by Romola Garai) during the war years. After a chance meeting with one of her former band mates, she is inspired to reunite the surviving members for a spectacular nostalgia-filled performance.

Making / Production

The HBO film was directed by Gillies MacKinnon and written by Alan Plater. The film was produced by Su Armstrong and Joanna Willett with Selwyn Roberts and George Faber in executive production roles. The cinematography was beautifully captured by Richard Greatrex while the editing was masterfully done by Pia Di Ciaula.

Actors

• Judi Dench as Elizabeth - A widow who rediscovers her passion for music.
  
• Ian Holm as Patrick - A charismatic drummer of the Blonde Bombshells who cross-dressed to be part of the band.
  
• Romola Garai as Young Elizabeth - She successfully presented a vibrant and youthful version of Elizabeth, with her love for music and life shown vividly.
  
• Billie Whitelaw as Evelyn - Despite her eccentricity, she played a crucial role in reuniting the band.
  
• Cleo Laine as Gwen - The band's vocalist who embodied the spirit and unity of the group.
  

Trivia / Interesting Facts

• The film brings to light the forgotten role of all-woman bands in lifting spirits during WWII.
• Judi Dench learned to play the saxophone for this film.
• The film was shot in London and Isle Of Man.

Awards

The movie garnered great acclaim and won numerous awards. The most notable of these include a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress (Judi Dench) and Primetime Emmy Awards for Outstanding Supporting Actor (Ian Holm) and Outstanding Made for Television Movie.

Quotes

• "A band is like a marriage, really. You argue, but you don't divorce."
• "You're never too old to boogie."
• "We're not just making music, we're making history."

Music, Soundtrack

• Music is the soul of this film with compositions by John Keane lifting the wartime spirit.
• Several old-time favourite tracks were used, including "In The Mood", "Moonlight Serenade", and "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy".
• Judi Dench performed her own saxophone parts in the film.