Watch The Pure Hell of St. Trinian's For Free

The performances transcend the film's tropes, grounding it in characters that feel more complete than this subgenre often produces.

This film is so real. It treats its characters with so much care and sensitivity.

The tone of this movie is interesting -- the stakes are both dramatic and high, but it's balanced with a lot of fun, tongue and cheek dialogue.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

It has some hilarious moments - particularly the opening trial sequence and the striptease to the soliloquy from "Hamlet" - but it's on the same level as the first two films. As I said yesterday, Alastair Sim's virtual absence from "Blue Murder at St. Trinian's" was a blow to the film while his complete absence from this one is a major blow to it. Considering the importance of Miss Fritton to the first film and the fact that the school burns down, it's bizarre that she isn't even mentioned.The idea of the sixth formers being kidnapped and becoming a sheik's harem is a belter but the script isn't as well developed as it could be. Miss Harker-Packer and Alphonse O'Reilly are established as important characters but they both just disappear from the film. The fact that Miss Harker-Packer was only recently released from a mental institution could have led to some fantastic jokes but, like herself, it's more or less forgotten about. One thing about the film that bothered me was that it focused on the adults as opposed to the students. Those criticisms aside, however, there is a steady stream of good jokes throughout the film, such as Flash Harry's unique way with words.In Sim's absence, Cecil Parker - a wonderful character actor who is best known for his role as Todhunter in "The Lady Vanishes", which was also written by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat - is a very worthy substitute as Professor Canford (who is not a woman). He is hilarious in the role and has great chemistry with Joyce Grenfell as Ruby Gates, who makes her third and final appearance in the "St. Trinian's" film series. The same is true of Lloyd Lamble as Sammy Kemp-Bird, her characteristically and increasingly reluctant fiancé. As well as those already mentioned, the film has a great cast, particularly George Cole, Thorley Walters (who played a major in "Blue Murder at St. Trinian's"), Dennis Price, Sid James, Raymond Huntley, John Le Mesurier and Michael Ripper.

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..

Third time the charm? Well, not really. This installment in the original and classic St. Trinian's films doesn't actually take place at St. Trinian's at all! The school is a pile of embers at the top of the first reel! Gone, too, is Alistair Sim (everyone's favorite Scrooge) in the drag double role as headmistress and her brother. The up side is this allows more shenanigans from the likes of Joyce Grenfell (a personal favorite) and the supporting cast. But with school girls of St. Trins only set decoration, it's just not the same. There's a remake of the original that's also spawned two sequels (Rupert Everett subs for Sim) but these are inferior goods - stick to the glorious black and white originals!

There is something beautifully reassuring and warm about this film. The story is almost incidental to the characters. It is packed with superb performances and is a feast of character actors. The comedy is often subtle, but beautifully presented. It ranges from slapstick to the pure surrealism. The bizarre military bath unit stationed in the desert, the ballet-dancing civil servants, the desert island cookery - all superb. The civil servant chap handing over his wallet had me in stitches too. Its innocence is wonderful, although if you look a little closer the darker side is visible, along with lots of little touches that give the whole thing surprising depth. It isn't going to suit everybody. I don't expect too many Americans or teenagers to get the point. It is however a superb piece of work.