Touches You

Excellent but underrated film

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The inmates are running the asylum in this very funny British comedy about an all girl's school in which the students run rings around the not so rosy teachers who couldn't control them with a chair and a whip. Yes, Alastair Sim's Miss Fritton might look like a more showered version of "Matilda's" Miss Trunchbull, but she has the discipline capacity of a kitten. Indeed, Alastair Sims is in drag here, as well as playing Miss Fritton's brother, a rather sordid fellow with ties to a horse racing syndicate. When the brother learns that a Muslim princess has become a student, he brings his expelled daughter (the student ringleader) back, using his family ties to get sister to forgive her niece and take her back. Unbeknownst to the faculty, a police officer in disguise as a new teacher has arrived, and it is the seemingly prim and proper Joyce Grenfell who uses liberal forms of education to try to keep the girls in line but finds even that method cannot control these heathens who are desperate to make some cash from the local horse racing syndicate themselves. This brings in a criminal element when a valuable horse is stolen by the girls, but never underestimate the power of hundreds of screaming teens as they set their sites on increasing their paltry bank accounts.It is the performances here which are quite more memorable than the film itself which runs about 15 minutes too long and isn't quite as funny as I hoped it would be. Certainly, Sim is superb, a comic genius even in playing humorless officials in other films, and of course, best known for arguably the most popular version of "A Christmas Carol". He fortunately does not overplay the femininity of Miss Fritton or camp it up, so he simply just looks like a rather large, eccentric British matron. Grenfell, an actress I've caught in a few movies and tremendously enjoyed, underplays her part as well, although I missed her eccentric voice that she utilized in other films. That aspect alone shows her versatility, although on occasion, you can catch a glimpse of that part of her personality. She knew that this was a straight role, so she kept that aspect of her acting chops out of it. Still, memories of those other films (and an imitation of her by Kaye Ballard on "The Mothers-in-Law") prevail. so Grenfell is an actress quite worth exploring. Some of the other well known British character actors really are just part of the ensemble including Beryl Reid, deliciously teaching her students geography through the history of champagne, and a very masculine made up Hermoine Baddeley, but it is the ensemble of girls (one of whom is drawn and quartered in an attempt to get information from) who get the most laughs in addition to Sim and Grenfell.

"The Belles of St. Trinian's" is a British comedy similar to other films about schools run amok. It has a different twist however. Here the disorder and havoc are fomented by an unorthodox "faculty" as much as by a generally unruly student body. Indeed, the film leads one to wonder how many of the faculty have their faculties.The humor in this setup soon wears thin, and the screaming hordes after a while become grating. What saves the film, or makes it in the first place are the performances of three of the cast. Alastair Sim is very funny in his double role, especially as St. Trinian's head mistress. He/she is Millicent Fritton, sister of Clarence, also played by Sim.Two excellent performances are given by George Cole as Flash Harry and Joyce Grenfell as a police sergeant, Ruby Gates. She goes undercover to check on illegal activities suspected of going on through the school. The film is worth seeing for these three performances that generate most of the laughs.Here's a funny exchange between Millicent and Flash Harry. Millicent, "She says there is an illicit still on the premises." Harry, "It ain't a still. It's a homemade gadget for makin' bath tub gin." Millicent, "There is a man her called Flash Harry …" Harry, "Yeah. But she's no right to call me that in official documents." Millicent, "… who acts as a contact man." Harry, "Oh, that's a lie. I'm a go-between."

The Belles of St. Trinian's is directed by Frank Launder and co-written by Launder, Sidney Gilliat and Val Valentine. It stars Alastair Sim, Joyce Grenfell, George Cole, Hermione Baddeley and Betty Ann Davis. Music is by Malcolm Arnold and cinematography by Stanley Pavey.Inspired by the cartoon drawings of Ronald Searle, The Belles of St. Trinian's is the first part of a franchise that still thrives even today. With 7 films currently under the Trinian's banner, the roguish behaviour of the girls and their manner of dress sense passed into pop culture and is still going strong today. Either for sexual titillation (the St. Trinian's look has always been popular at fancy dress parties) or as a tag for unruly girls in British schools, it's hard to believe that Searle envisaged the ever lasting appeal of his creations. Unfortunately the films are a mixed bunch, with a couple of them just plain bad. This however is not a problem with The Belles, the best of the bunch by some margin.The Barchester Bedlam.Pic is fronted by Sim in a dual role of brother and sister. The art of drag has been tarnished over the years by some of the more stuffy members of the human race, but in the right hands it often works so well, as evidence by the wonderful Sim here. The plot involves a gambling sting at the big horserace on the horizon, with Flash Harry (Cole) aided and abetted by the terrors of St. Trinian's. It's all very chaotic and horsey, both in the equine sense and in horseplay terms. Grenfell is the policewoman who goes under cover as a teacher in the school, where the staff roster is populated by British stars of the future like Beryl Reid, Joan Sims and Irene Handl.The girls, of various stages of their schooling, smoke, toke, drink and take every opportunity to cause mischief. Their reputation precedes them, as the train that carries them inward bound for the new term approaches, the town citizens start to board the place up, even the chickens run off into hibernation! This is the on going joke that works right to the film's conclusion, sadly it would run out of steam by the time The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery pulled into the station in 1966. But Belles is great fun, very British of course and very clever. From Sim being dry as the Sahara and Grenfell's Duracell Bunny performance, to those rascal girls, the school is open for frolics and energised bedlam. Enjoy. 8/10

I have always loved this film, it is a comedy classic I think. There may be those who find the humour more cosy than chaotic, but I cannot deny the humour is wonderful and never ceases to make me laugh. With a great script, cast and sight gags this is a wonderful film that never fails to cheer me up when I'm not happy.The Belles of St. Trinians is very nicely filmed, the cinematography is lovely and the scenery, buildings and costumes are great to look at. The music is also a nice touch, while the story while admittedly thin to some is engaging and suitably anarchic. The sight gags are inspired and hilarious, the script is deft and funny and the direction is playful. The acting is also really good, Alastair Sim is on sparkling form as Mrs Fritton and George Cole is excellent as Flash Harry. Joyce Grenfall though is the one who comes very close to stealing the show, who is delightfully dippy as Sergeant Gates.Overall, a great film and just great fun. 10/10 Bethany Cox