From the first few moments of "Mrs. Henderson Presents," which opens with an animated credit sequence reminiscent of Monty Python-esque Victoriana, it's clear what the ensuing film will be: a whimsical period piece that, despite some quietly bawdy double-entendres and a lovely performance from the always dignified Dame Judi Dench, can't escape being a bit twee.

The movie is based on the true story of Laura Henderson, who as a recent widow in the early 1930s bought a defunct theater on London's Great Windmill Street and went on to make it a smashing success, even when German bombs began to fall.

She shared credit for it with her euphonically named manager, Vivian Van Damm (Bob Hoskins), who staged nonstop vaudeville revues and then, at Mrs. Henderson's own suggestion, nonstop vaudeville revues featuring completely naked women.

Humor and warmth abound in "Mrs. Henderson Presents," especially when the title character persuades a timid government official (Christopher Guest) to ease the censorship rules on her behalf. The solution: The entertainers will assume tastefully lit poses reminiscent of classical sculpture and painting, an artfully titillating tribute to the enduring showbiz principle of having it both ways. The film's most oddly moving sequence is also its most amusing, when as a tribute to their French allies the dancers assume a righteous homage to Liberte , Egalite and Decollete .

-- Ann Hornaday