The Bass Player and the Blonde

British TV play and serial (1977–1978)

The Bass Player and the Blonde

DVD cover

Created by| Roy Clarke
Directed by| Dennis Vance
Starring| Edward Woodward
Country of origin| United Kingdom
Original language| English
No. of episodes| 4 (1 pilot)
Production
Producer| Dennis Vance
Production company| ATV
Original release
Release| 14 June 1977 (1977-06-14) –
22 August 1978 (1978-08-22)

The Bass Player and the Blonde is a television play directed by Dennis Vance and starring Edward Woodward and Jane Wymark.[1] It was created by Roy Clarke and broadcast in the ITV Playhouse anthology series, first broadcast 14 June 1977.

It was followed up with a three-part serial with episodes named from musical terms: "Rondo" (8 August 1978), "Allegro" (15 August 1978), and "Andante" (22 August 1978).

## Plot

[edit]

In the play and the series, George Mangham, a middle aged, debt ridden bass player in a jazz band, falls in love with the wealthy and much younger blonde singer Terry, much to the distress of her father.[2]

## Cast

[edit]

* Edward Woodward as George Mangham
* Jane Wymark as Terry
* Ronald Fraser as Charlie
* Jeremy Sinden as Nigel
* Alfie Bass as the pawnbroker
* Sam Kydd as Max
* Betty McDowall as Beth
* George Sewell as the drummer

## Credits

[edit]

* Producer/Director: Dennis Vance
* Production Company: ATV
* Screenplay: Roy Clarke, Ian Lindsay and Phil Redmond
* Designer: Michael Eve

## Reception

[edit]

Nancy Banks-Smith wrote: "The Bass Player and the Blonde (ATV) is ... a sequel to last year's play of the same name. In spirit it is stylish thirties comedy. Where else (except in Pedro the Fisherman) would a bride, serenaded by her lover run out of the church in her wedding dress pursued by rough diamond Dad and his heavy mob? It has some jolly cameos-they-used-to-be called from, for instance, Alfie Bass as an unintelligible pawn broker. It has Ronald Fraser gloriously abusing his heavies for being too heavy. "You was chosen from many applicants. I'ad to scrape the bottom of the barrel to get as good as you. I want you, standing like greyhounds in the...er...er." It has beautiful lighting and good snappy writing. Forty years ago it would have had Tracy and Hepburn. Now it has Edward Woodward, who sings well and Jane Wymark, who looks nice. Louis B. Mayer would have done it better. But Lew Grade the last tycoon doesn't do it badly."[3]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "The Bass Player and the Blonde". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 6 July 2024.
2. ^ The Bass Player and the Blonde (The Memorable TV Guide to British Television) Archived 30 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ Banks-Smith, Nancy (9 August 1978). "Fraternity/Bass Player". The Guardian. p. 9. Retrieved 6 July 2024 - via ProQuest.

## External links

[edit]

* The Bass Player and the Blonde at IMDb

* v
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Roy Clarke

Situation
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* The Misfit (1970–71)
* Last of the Summer Wine (1973–2010)
* Oh No It's Selwyn Froggitt (pilot, 1974)
* Open All Hours (1973, 1976–85)
* The Growing Pains of PC Penrose (1975)
* Rosie (1977–81)
* Potter (1979–83)
* Flickers (1980)
* The Magnificent Evans (1984)
* The Clairvoyant (1984–86)
* Mann's Best Friends (1985)
* First of the Summer Wine (1988–89)
* Keeping Up Appearances (1990–95)
* Don't Tell Father (1992)
* Ain't Misbehavin' (1994–95)
* Still Open All Hours (2013–19)
* Young Hyacinth (2016)

Other|

* Spyder's Web (1972)
* The Bass Player and the Blonde (1977)
* Pulaski (1987)
* Hawks (1988)
* The Sharp End (1991)
* A Foreign Field (1993)
* The Wanderer (1994)

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