Blue Murder At St. Trinians

1847. BLUE MURDER AT ST. TRINIAN’S (I957-ENGLAND). With terry thomas, George COLE, JOYCE GRENFELL, ALASTAIR SIM, LIONEL JEFFRIES, SABRINA. Based on the drawings Of RONALD SEARLE. Rollicking, madcap slapstick farce chronicling the shenanigans Of the pupils at the infamous St. Trinran’s School for Girls: holy terrors who are not inaccurately described as “fiends in human shape” and “a tribe Of little cannibals.Ó St. Trinian’s is a most unusual school. As the film opens, it’s being run by the British army because the headmistress, Miss Amelia Fritton (played by Alastair Sim, in drag), has found herself in jail. The girls range in age from prepubescent brats to teenage sirens; via chicanery, they win a trip to the continent; and hope that one Of their senior members will get to his royal highness Prince Bruno, Italy’s foremost bachelor. Joe Mangan, father Of one Of the girls, is a thief who’s pilfered some diamonds and is on the lam from the law. He poses as St. Trinian’s new headmistress, and chaperones the girls on the journey. The film is crammed with gags which only begin when the St. Trinian’s students cause their military guardians to beg their superiors for reinforcements. The girls cleverly dispose Of the real new headmistress, and go on to cause commotion in Paris, Vienna and, finally, Italy. The cast is crammed with some Of England’s top character comedians, including Sim, Jeffries, Joyce Grenfell (playing a self-described “crazy, mixed-up policewoman”) and Terry Thomas (as the proprietor Of the only bus company in the country that would dare agree to transport the girls on their trip). Recommended! 86 minutes. Comedy