The Belles of St Trinian's was a comedy film set in the fictional St Trinian's School, made in 1954. Comedy is the use of humor in the performing arts. ... Film refers to the celluloid media on which movies are printed Film is a term that encompasses motion pictures as individual projects, as well as the field in general. ... The Three Graces, here in a painting by Sandro Botticelli, were the goddesses of charm, beauty, nature, human creativity and fertility in Greek mythology. ... St Trinians is a fictional girls school created by Ronald Searle, a British cartoonist. ... 1954 was a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

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. Frank Launder (January 28, 1906—February 23, 1997) was a British writer, director and producer, who made more than 40 films, usually in collaboration with Sidney Gilliat. ... Sidney Gilliat (February 15, 1908 – May 31, 1994) was a British film director, producer and writer. ... Actors in period costume sharing a joke whilst waiting between takes during location filming. ... Alastair Sim Alastair Sim (October 9, 1900 – August 19, 1976) was a Scottish character actor, whose comic appearance ensured him success in a string of classic British films. ... Drag in its broadest sense means a costume or outfit that carries symbolic significance, but usually refers to the clothing associated with one gender role when worn by a person of the other gender. ... George Cole (born April 22, 1925) is a British actor born in Tooting, London, best known for his roles as Flash Harry in the St Trinians films and as Arthur Daley in the TV series Minder. ... A Cockney, in the loosest sense of the word, is a working-class inhabitant of the East End of London. ... spiv is a British slang word for a person (invariably male) who makes a living by shady dealings, usually by selling goods of dubious provenance. ... George Cole appears as Flash Harry, a spiv, in the St. ... Joyce Grenfell, born February 10, 1910 - died November 30, 1979, was a British film and television actress, comedienne, and singer-songwriter. ... Constables of the Metropolitan Police Royal Canadian Mounted Police Police forces are government organisations charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. ...

The staff were played by Hermione Baddeley, Renee Houston, Beryl Reid, Irene Handl, Mary Merrall and Joan Sims. Hermione Baddeley (November 13, 1906 - August 19, 1986) was a celebrated British character actress of theatre, film and television. ... Beryl Reid was the daughter of Scottish parents and grew up in industrial Manchester, England. ... Irene Handl (December 27, 1901 – November 29, 1987) was an English film actress. ... Irene Joan Marian Sims (May 9, 1930, Laindon, Essex - June 28, 2001) was a British actress. ...

Richard Wattis appeared as Manton Bassett, a Civil Servant in the Ministry of Education, Lloyd Lamble as Superintendent Kemp-Bird (the reluctant fiancee of Ruby Gates), and Sid James as Benny, one of Clarence Fritton's racing associates. Constables of the Metropolitan Police Royal Canadian Mounted Police Police forces are government organisations charged with the responsibility of maintaining law and order. ... Sid James (May 8, 1913 - April 26, 1976) was a film and television actor. ...

Music for the film was composed by Malcolm Arnold Sir Malcolm Henry Arnold (born October 21, 1921) is an English composer. ...

Plot

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. A school is most commonly a place designated for learning. ... Horse-racing is an equestrian sporting activity which has been practiced over the centuries; the chariot races of Roman times were an early example, as was the contest of the steeds of the god Odin and the giant Hrungnir in Norse mythology. ...

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. The sheik's racehorse wins and the headmistress is able to get the school out of debt with her winnings. Mêlée generally means hand-to-hand combat or mano-a-mano. ...

The schoolgirls also battle against the Ministry of Education, and against the school mistresses (the teachers) and the local police force, as well as amongst each other. Several countries have government departments named the Ministry of Education Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology (Japan) Ministry of Education (India) Ministry of Education (New Zealand) Ministry of Education (Israel) Ministry of Education (Malaysia) Ministry of Education (Singapore) See also: Minister of Education, Department of Education This is...

External links

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

• The Belles of St Trinian's at the St. Trinian's website