A Commentary : Blue Murder at St. Trinians

A Commentary on Blue Murder at St. Trinians

They are at it again. Those irrepressible St. Trinian's girls roll out the barrel one more time, for spills, thrills and quite a lot of laughs. The St. Trinian's format was a winning one and this film is no exception. With a battle cry of 'trample on the weakest, glory in their plight', we know the school song says it all.

When Joe Mangan appears played by Lionel Jeffries he is quick to jump into the shoes of Miss Amelia Fritton, headmistress, now tied up in the belfry. It is perhaps a pity it is only a brief appearance by Alastair Sim but with Terry Thomas and Joyce Grenfell on board comic situations are never in short supply. Cameos by Thorley Walters and Richard Wattis add to the comedic furore and appearances by Dilys Laye, Marigold Russell and Sabrina add enough glamour for any red-blooded male. Joe Mangan is on the run after a Hatton Garden robbery, and in impersonating Miss Fritton he can accompany the girls on their trip to Rome, thereby bringing to bear his exit from the country. Joyce Grenfell however is on his tail; passing herself off as a translator, she is a mata hari that beggars belief and her charm and piquant caprice shine like her name, Ruby Gates. She is a gem in the English comedy canon - no one can deny that.

George Cole, running a marriage bureau from the school, seeks to interest a wealthy client in his more than well-developed schoolgirls. These girls know a thing or two we all know that and George Cole is not one to underestimate them. Joe Mangan tries to evade capture but Ruby Gates is no fool and all ends as it should with Lionel Jeffries outwitted at last. Terry Thomas, owner of the coaches that have got the girls abroad, (just), has plans of his own, taking an interest in Ruby's granny's saving bonds, but the truth will out, Ruby loves another, the constable that she begins the film with, though he seems a bit recalcitrant.

A souped-up Mozart concert in Vienna and a swimming contest to avoid at all costs, dogs the trip abroad, but the real Miss Fritton escapes and alerts the ministry. Sterling support from the men in education does not fail to deliver delicious performances but knavery and cunning must be defeated. Ruby is our heroine and we cannot fail to admire her, while Terry Thomas is a likeable cad. The blustering Lionel Jeffries and the conniving George Cole play very good parts in yet another winner from the St. Trinian's stable. Of note are the opening credits showing drawings by Richard Searle. They prove to be of inspiration to the entire cast and Frank Launder's direction is beyond reproach.