The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's (1960)

The hellions of St. Trinians are recruited to a sheik's harem. Little does he know what he's letting himself in for.

Director:

Frank Launder

Writers:

Sidney Gilliat, Frank Launder

Stars:

Cecil Parker, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Cecil Parker	...	Professor Canford
George Cole	...	'Flash' Harry Cuthbert Edwards
Joyce Grenfell	...	Sergeant Ruby Gates
Eric Barker	...	Culpepper-Brown
Thorley Walters	...	Butters
Irene Handl	...	Miss Harker-Parker
Dennis Price	...	Gore Blackwood
Sidney James	...	Alphonse O'Reilly
Julie Alexander	...	Rosalie Dawn
Lloyd Lamble	...	Superintendent Samuel Kemp-Bird
Raymond Huntley	...	Judge
Nicholas Phipps	...	Major
Lisa Lee	...	Miss Brenner
John Le Mesurier	...	Minister of Education
George Benson	...	Defence Counsel

Storyline

When the school burns to the ground there's clearly been some arson around. The pupils are found guilty and the judge hands them into the care of a pretty dubious child psychiatrist. The sixth form are soon kidnapped and on their way to Arabia with the Ministry of Education, Barchester police, and an Army Bath Unit after them. But real rescue is at hand in the shape of Britain's finest fighting force - St. Trinian's fourth form.

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Plot Keywords:

harem | school | female protagonist | uniform | schoolgirl | 

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Genres:

Comedy

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

22 December 1960 (UK)

Also Known As:

Satanades tou parthenagogeiou

Filming Locations:

Littleton House, Shepperton, Surrey, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

British Lion Film Corporation, Hallmark Productions, Tudor Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

94 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Sidney James had previously appeared as a separate character in The Belles of St. Trinian's (1954).

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Goofs

At the end of the film the church used as the exterior is clearly not the same one used for the interior.

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Crazy Credits

The end credits include one for 'Camels by Abdullah'.

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Connections

Followed by The Wildcats of St. Trinian's (1980)

User Reviews

Winding down

THE PURE HELL OF ST. TRINIAN'S is the third of the initial four films, coming hot on the wake of the very good BLUE MURDER AT ST. TRINIAN'S. This one's not as hot, as it feels like the series was winding down by now, the gags are limited and it's more like an endless parade of cameoing guest stars, including the likes of Sid James, Thorley Walters and the ubiquitous Michael Ripper.

Still, for fans of both genre and era this will provide an adequate example of days-gone-by British cinema, with a slightly racier edge than normal (raising uncomfortable questions about the sexualisation of schoolgirls in the process, especially in the wake of Jimmy Savile-obsessed media coverage). It's great fun seeing all the favourite stars back once more, Joyce Grenfell is typically excellent and George Cole has a highlight with his rendition of "Knees Up Mother Brown".

The plot does seem to be unfocused and all over the place after an admittedly dramatic opening, and indeed the St. Trinian's schoolgirls don't seem to feature much in the antics involving various characters finding themselves washed up on a desert island. Worth a look for nostalgia enthusiasts, then, but I preferred the next one, THE GREAT ST. TRINIAN'S TRAIN ROBBERY; also the first in colour, which seemed to revitalise everything somehow..