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The Belles of St Trinian's
The VHS cover
Directed by	Frank Launder
Produced by	Frank Launder Sidney Gilliat
Written by	Frank Launder Sidney Gilliat Val Valentine
Starring	Alastair Sim Joyce Grenfell George Cole Hermione Baddeley Betty Ann Davies
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography	Stanley Pavey
Editing by	Thelma Connell
Distributed by	British Lion Films London Films
Release date(s)	1954
Running time	86 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Belles of St Trinian's is a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, made in 1954.

Directed by Frank Launder and written by him and Sidney Gilliat, it was the first of a series of four films starring well-known British actors such as Alastair Sim (who performed in drag as the school headmistress, Miss Fritton and also played her brother, Clarence Fritton), George Cole as cockney spiv "Flash Harry", and Joyce Grenfell as Policewoman Ruby Gates.

The staff were played by Hermione Baddeley, Renee Houston, Beryl Reid, Irene Handl, Mary Merrall and Joan Sims.

Richard Wattis appeared as Manton Bassett, a Civil Servant in the Ministry of Education, Lloyd Lamble as Superintendent Kemp-Bird (the reluctant fiancé of Ruby Gates), and Sid James as Benny, one of Clarence Fritton's racing associates.

The schoolgirls battle against the Ministry of Education, and against the school mistresses (the teachers) and the local police force, as well as amongst each other.

Music for the film was composed by Malcolm Arnold.

St. Trinian's school students became embroiled in a plot with the daughter of an Arab sheik and the sheik's racehorse, trying to gamble on the outcome of the upcoming "Gold Cup" horse race. The Fourth Formers want the sheik's racehorse to win. However, the Sixth Formers want to keep the sheik's racehorse from racing, so that another racehorse can win instead. The headmistress of the school also places a bet on the sheik's racehorse to win, to save her beloved school.

The opposing aims of the two Forms pit the Sixth Form students and Fourth Form students against each other in a pitched battle, with a general mêlée ensuing (also involved in the battle are former students at the school).

The sheik's racehorse wins and the headmistress is able to get the school out of debt with her winnings, and was also able to reclaim the school's pawned sports trophies.

• The Belles of St Trinian's at the Internet Movie Database
• The Belles of St. Trinian's at All Movie Guide

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