Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Terry-Thomas | ... | Capt. Romney Carlton-Ricketts (as Terry Thomas) | |
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George Cole | ... | 'Flash' Harry |
Joyce Grenfell | ... | Sgt. Ruby Gates | |
Alastair Sim | ... | Miss Amelia Fritton | |
Sabrina | ... | Virginia | |
Lionel Jeffries | ... | Joe Mangan | |
Lloyd Lamble | ... | Superintendent Samuel Kemp-Bird | |
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Raymond Rollett | ... | Chief Constable |
Terry Scott | ... | Police Sergeant | |
Ferdy Mayne | ... | Italian Police Inspector | |
Thorley Walters | ... | Major | |
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Cyril Chamberlain | ... | Captain |
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Ronald Ibbs | ... | Lieutenant |
Judith Furse | ... | Dame Maud Hackshaw | |
Michael Ripper | ... | Eric - The Liftman |
To further the aims of the St Trinian's Marriage Bureau run by Flash Harry, the school contrives to win a competition with a European "Goodwill" trip as prize, to the horror of the Ministry of Education. Joe Mangan, father of a sixth former and hiding out at the school after a Hatton Garden diamond robbery, is persuaded to travel with the girls as their new headmistress, leaving the real one trussed up in the belfry. At least her arrival had allowed the remains of the Army unit sent in to keep order to evacuate. Written by Jeremy Perkins {J-26}
With Miss Fritton locked away in the school basement, and the army laying siege to the school grounds (with a great deal of resistance), Flash Harry is abroad promoting the `St Trinians Marriage Bureau' to a wealthy Italian Prince. However he has to visit the Prince with the girls. He manages to cheat in a competition that allows the school to tour to Rome and they're on their way. However one of the girl's Dads is a diamond thief who tries to escape capture by dressing as their headmistress and smuggling himself out of the country, bringing the attention of the law to bear on the already suspect group.
Not one of the best of the series of movies, but still this stands up as a good British caper movie, with a strong cast of British comedians on board. The plot is thin at best and relies on the fact that no-one can tell the difference between sexes after a little bit of cross dressing ..well, I suppose Shakespeare did it all the time and it worked for him! Much of the comedy draws from slapstick or seeing girls fight, but there are some good lines and characters Michael Ripper's working class liftman is my favourite.
George Cole plays Harry well in fact he was born playing cockney rogues (eg Cottage to Let), kept playing them (St Trinians ) and got old playing them (Minder on TV). The wonderfully British Joyce Grenfell is good again as Gates, while the support cast is rich in talent Terry Thomas, Lionel Jefferies, Terry Scott and Alistair Sim. The girls are a little iffy , the young ones are clearly children and play rough little warriors, however the older girls (i.e. 16-18) are played by women of early/mid twenties. They're all dressed up in uniforms with stockings and suspenders showing and using their sexuality for all they can get not more so than the great Sabrina. However in today's climate where any hint of teenage sexuality or pedophilia sparks a media frenzy, this sits a little uncomfortably there's certainly no way this could get made today!
Overall it's enjoyable if basic there are better movies, but it's worth watching once.