The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery
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| The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Sidney Gilliat Frank Launder |
| Produced by | Sidney Gilliat Frank Launder |
| Written by | Frank Launder Ivor Herbert |
| Starring | Frankie Howerd Reg Varney Stratford Johns Richard Wattis Desmond Walter-Ellis Cyril Chamberlain Eric Barker Dora Bryan Arthur Mullard Marion Seward |
| Music by | Malcolm Arnold |
| Cinematography | Ken Hodges |
| Editing by | Geoffrey Foot |
| Distributed by | British Lion Films Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) | 1966 |
| Running time | 90 min. |
| Country |  United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| IMDb profile | |
The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery is a British comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, released in 1966, three years after the historical Great Train Robbery had taken place. It also parodies the technocratic ideas of the Harold Wilson government and its support of the comprehensive school system.
Directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat to a script by Sidney and Leslie Gilliat, it was the last of a series of four films starring well-known English actors such as George Cole as "Flash Harry", and Frankie Howerd as Alfred (Alphonse) Askett. Also appearing were Reg Varney as Gilbert, and Dora Bryan, as Miss Spottiswood, the school headmistress. Although asked twice, Joyce Grenfell refused to appear again as Sergeant Ruby Gates. She later said that she had regretted appearing in the St Trinian's films.[citation needed]
Raymond Huntley appeared as the Minister of Education, and the civil servants of the Ministry of Education were played by Eric Barker as Culpepper-Brown, and Richard Wattis as Manton Bassett. Cyril Chamberlain appeared as Maxie.
[edit] Plot
After a train robbery, the thieves store their takings in a nearby empty mansion.
When the train robbers return to the building to recover the money, they discover, to their horror, that the dreaded St. Trinian's school has taken over the mansion as their new school building. The students get the upper hand in the battle which follows. Retreating, the train robbers revise their plans and try to retrieve the money again at a later date. However, once again, the students of the school foil attempts by the train robbers to recover the money.
[edit] Filming notes
All of the railway scenes were filmed on the former Longmoor Military Railway. However in the final railway scene where the girls 'return' the money the British Railways station at Liss can be seen in the background, separated from the Longmoor Railway by a fence
The locomotives used were:
- Longmoor Military Railway W.D. 2-10-0 #601 'Kitchener' as the express locomotive in mock-up green livery and carrying a fake BR-pattern numberplate on the smokebox door
- Two J94 Tank Engines, one of which was mocked up to resemble a J50 and temporarily renumbered 68961, the other one, No. 68011, remaining unrebuilt
- One class 08 shunter in Longmoor colours but carrying British Railways markings
- A DEMU in BR livery as the commuter train commandeered by the police
- A Wickham trolley used in the school staff's attempt to join the chase
The extras in the train carriages were pupils from a local convent school
[edit] External links
- The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery at the Internet Movie Database
- The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery at Allmovie
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