The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's (1960)
Directed by Frank Launder

Film Review

There's plenty of arson around in the third of the original St Trinian's film, and a fair amount of double entendre, but the laughs are few and far between as the writer-director team of Sidney Gilliat and Frank Launder struggle to unearth jokes in a now pretty worn out concept.  As in the previous film, Blue Murder at St. Trinian's (1957), the presence of Alastair Sim is sorely missed, although Cecil Parker and Irene Handl are respectable stand-ins.  By now, the focus has shifted away from the demonic schoolgirls towards the grown-up regulars, Joyce Grenfell, George Cole and Thorley Walters, who are by this stage looking pretty fed up with having to rehash the same old material.  Grenfell refused to do any more St Trinian's films after this and later said that she regretted appearing in the first three.  Comedy legends Sid James and John Le Mesurier get a look in, but both are pretty well wasted, whilst all that Eric Barker and Thorley Walters are required to do is to look neurotic and indulge in a spot of ballet every ten minutes or so (you can overdo a repeat gag...).  After a promising start at the Old Bailey, The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's rapidly grinds to a halt and is well and truly stuck in a rut by the midway stage, after which it's every girl for herself.  This is where the series should have ended...

Film Synopsis

Having burned down their school, the girls of St Trinian's find themselves on trial at the Old Bailey.  The jury has no difficulty finding them guilty of arson, but the judge is inclined to clemency when one of the girls shows him some thigh.  Rather than send them to prison, the judge places them in the custody of Professor Canford, a seemingly benign academic who is adamant that he can reform the girls.  Canford's real motives soon become apparent when he sends the sixth formers on a tour of the Greek islands.  In fact, the girls are destined for an Arabian prince...