''The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'' is a 1960 British

comedy film The comedy film is a film genre that emphasizes humor. These films are designed to amuse audiences and make them laugh. Films in this genre typically have a happy ending, with dark comedy being an exception to this rule. Comedy is one of the o ...

directed by

Frank Launder Frank Launder (28 January 1906 – 23 February 1997) was a British writer, film director and producer, who made more than 40 films, many of them in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. Early life and career He was born in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, ...

and starring

Cecil Parker Cecil Parker (born Cecil Schwabe; 3 September 1897 – 20 April 1971) was an English actor with a distinctively husky voice, who usually played supporting roles, often characters with a supercilious demeanour, in his 91 films made between 1 ...

, George Cole, Joyce Grenfell and

Eric Barker Eric Leslie Barker (12 February 1912 – 1 June 1990) was an English comedy actor. He is most remembered for his roles in the popular British '' Carry On'' films, although he appeared only in the early films in the series, apart from returning ...

. It was written by Launder,

Sidney Gilliat Sidney Gilliat (15 February 1908 – 31 May 1994) was an English film director, producer and writer. In the 1930s he worked as a scriptwriter, most notably with Frank Launder on ''The Lady Vanishes'' (1938) for Alfred Hitchcock, and '' Nig ...

and Val Valentine, and set in the fictional

St Trinian's School ''St Trinian's'' is a British gag cartoon comic strip series, created and drawn by Ronald Searle from 1946 until 1952. The cartoons all centre on a boarding school for girls, where the teachers are sadists and the girls are juvenile delinquent ...

. It was the third in a series of four films.

Plot

The St. Trinian's girls burn down the school building, go on trial at the

Old Bailey The Central Criminal Court of England and Wales, commonly referred to as the Old Bailey after the street on which it stands, is a criminal court building in central London, one of several that house the Crown Court of England and Wales. The s ...

, and are found guilty. Professor of Philosophy Canford of the University of Baghdad suggests that, rather than punishment, the girls need sympathy. He offers funds for a new school building, where with the help of noted educator Matilda Harker-Packer, the girls can be rehabilitated. To demonstrate the positive effects the sympathetic educational approach is having on the girls Harker-Packer suggests the school present a cultural festival featuring a fashion show, a painting demonstration, and a dramatic presentation. Ministry officials Culpepper Brown and Butters are invited. The show is a fiasco. Certain the Minister will close the school when they present their report, Culpepper Brown, Butters and Blackwood are crushed when the Minister explains that the fashions are due to be shown in London, a reputable gallery will exhibit the art, and the Stratford theatre will present the girls' Hamlet. Canford suggests that he take the sixth-form girls on a cultural tour of the Greek Islands, however after a series of misadventures they end up on an island in the East Arabian Sea. They are rescued and transferred to an army base in the nearest town, Makrab. The girls take over the base but a fight ensues. Things look bleak, when they hear the St. Trinian's school song in the distance, followed by the arrival of the fourth-form girls in army vehicles, who smash their way into the compound. Back in Britain, the girls are hailed as heroes.

Cast

as Professor Canford * George Cole as " Flash Harry" *

Joyce Grenfell Joyce Irene Grenfell (''née'' Phipps; 10 February 1910 – 30 November 1979) was an English diseuse, singer, actress and writer. She was known for the songs and monologues she wrote and performed, at first in revues and later in her solo show ...

as Sergeant Ruby Gates *

as Culpepper-Brown * Thorley Walters as Butters *

Irene Handl Irene Handl () (27 December 1901 – 29 November 1987) was a British character actress who appeared in more than 100 British films; she also wrote novels. Life Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the younger of two daughters of an Aus ...

as Headmistress Miss Harker-Packer * Dennis Price as Gore Blackwood * Sid James as Alphonse O'Reilly (nicknamed '

Wyatt Earp Wyatt Berry Stapp Earp (March 19, 1848 – January 13, 1929) was an American lawman in the American West, including Dodge City, Kansas, Dodge City, Wichita, Kansas, Wichita, and Tombstone, Arizona, Tombstone. Earp was involved in the gunfight ...

' by the girls) * Julie Alexander as Rosalie Dawn * Lloyd Lamble as Superintendent Kemp-Bird, the reluctant fiancé of Ruby Gates. *

Raymond Huntley Horace Raymond Huntley (23 April 1904 – 15 June 1990) was an English actor who appeared in dozens of British films from the 1930s to the 1970s. He also appeared in the ITV period drama '' Upstairs, Downstairs'' as the pragmatic family soli ...

as judge * Nicholas Phipps as Major Hargreaves *Lisa Lee as Miss Brenner *

John Le Mesurier John Le Mesurier (, born John Elton Le Mesurier Halliley; 5 April 191215 November 1983) was an English actor. He is probably best remembered for his comedic role as Sergeant Arthur Wilson in the BBC television situation com ...

as the Minister of Education *

George Benson George Washington Benson (born March 22, 1943) is an American jazz fusion guitarist, singer, and songwriter. He began his professional career at the age of 19 as a jazz guitarist. A former child prodigy, Benson first came to prominence in the ...

as defence counsel * Elwyn Brook-Jones as Emir *

Basil Dignam Basil Dignam (24 October 1905 – 31 January 1979) was an English character actor. Basil Dignam was born in Sheffield, West Riding of Yorkshire. Before the acting, he tried many jobs, from a company clerk to a journalist. He acted on film and ...

as army officer *

Cyril Chamberlain Cyril Chamberlain (8 March 1909 – 30 April 1974) was an English film and television actor. He appeared in a number of the early '' Carry On'', '' Doctor'' and '' St. Trinian's'' films. Chamberlain's first film appearance was in the 1936 Mich ...

as Captain Thompson *

Michael Ripper Michael George Ripper (27 January 1913 – 28 June 2000) was an English character actor who appeared in many British horror and science fiction films. Career Ripper began his film career in quota quickies in the 1930s and until the late 195 ...

as Eric the liftman * Mark Dignam as prosecuting counsel * Monte Landis as Octavius * Warren Mitchell as tailor *

Clive Morton Clive Morton (16 March 1904 – 24 September 1975) was an English actor. Best known for playing upper class Englishmen, he made many screen appearances, especially on television. Career In 1955, Morton appeared in Laurence Olivier's film vers ...

as V.I.P. * Wensley Pithey as Chief Constable *

Bill Shine William Shine (born July 4, 1963) is a former White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications in the First presidency of Donald Trump, first administration of President of the United States, U.S. President Donald Trump. He spent most of his ...

as usher *Harold Berens as British Consul *

Liz Fraser Elizabeth Joan Winch (14 August 1930 – 6 September 2018), known professionally as Liz Fraser, was a British film actress, best known for being cast in provocative comedy roles. Early life Fraser was born in Southwark, London. Her year of b ...

as WPC Susan Partridge *Maria Lennard as Millicent *Dawn Beret as Jane

Box office

The film was called a "money maker" at the British box office in 1961.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin The ''Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 until April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those wi ...

'' wrote: "''The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's'' demonstrates that reputable producers are just as capable of turning out third-rate British farces as any mushroom growth B-picture studio. Given a script without a vestige of originality, Frank Launder's capacity as a director is revealed as correspondingly tired and easily satisfied; his film, despite a promising opening, could hardly be more shapeless or laborious. The experienced actors give embarrassing performances, and the monstrous girls themselves, uprooted from their proper environment, are left like their elders to cope as well as they can against a series of arbitrary backdrops – army encampments, desert islands, Arab market-places, that sort of thing." '' Variety'' called it "well up to standard." '' Time Out'' regretted that "inspiration seems to have deserted the St Trinian's scriptwriters," but noted "Some bright moments." ''The

Radio Times ''Radio Times'' is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio programme schedules, with other features such as interviews, film reviews and lifestyle items. Founded in September 1923 by John Reith, then general manage ...

Guide to Films'' gave the film 2/5 stars, writing: "Bereft of Alastair Sim, the third film in the St Trinian's series ... has its moments, but sadly all too few of them. With the school reduced to smouldering ashes, mysterious child psychologist Cecil Parker takes charge of the tearaways, in league with white-slaving sea captain Sidney James. Woefully short on mayhem, the film spends too much time in the company of eventual castaways Parker and Joyce Grenfell."

References

External links

*
St Trinians Net
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pure Hell of St Trinian's, The 1960 films 1960 comedy films British black-and-white films British comedy films British sequel films Films directed by Frank Launder Films scored by Malcolm Arnold Films set in schools Films with screenplays by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat St Trinian's films 1960s English-language films 1960s British films