Romance with a Double Bass (1974)

Based on the Anton Chekov short story, Romance with a Double Bass (1974) tells the story of a professional bassist who shows up early for his performance at a ball celebrating the upcoming marriage of a princess. He decides to take a quick swim in a nearby river and there meets the princess who is also swimming. When someone steals their clothes, he helps her sneak back in by hiding her in his bass case.

This is a short film with John Cleese starting as the bassist. Both leads spend most of this movie nude as they try to sneak back inside the castle. We catch John from the side, shirtless and rear on several occasions as he lugs his case back inside while trying to avoid being seen. It is played for comedy, but is also a bit of a romance and Cleese looks great showing off the cheeks. We don’t quite get a glimpse of his Monty Python, but what we do get to see is hot enough to cause a flying circus to break out in your pants.