Greetings And Salutations, and welcome to my review of Blue Murder At St Trinians. Before we get into it, here are my ratings:
Story - 1.25
Direction - 1.25
Pace - 1.50
Acting - 1.25
Enjoyment - 1.50
TOTAL - 6.75 out of 10
Though this romp isn't as satirical as previous and subsequent movies in the series, it still pulled a laugh a three from me: This was chiefly to do with the sight gags.
Blue Murder is a misleading title. There is no real outcry to speak of - not enough to warrant it being in the title, and nor is there a murder. A more apt epithet would be A Marriage At St. Trinians. As expected, the plot calls for the girls to get into loads of joyful trouble, which they do with wicked merriment. There's a Prince in Italy who is interested in some of the girls in the St Trinians Mariage Bureau. But for Flash to get them there before the deadline, the girls must win a schools contest, which they've already taken. Before the results are marked, the girls break into the Department of Education and swap out their answers for the correct ones, which leads to a terrific ongoing skit about council workers and their preference for a cuppa. Once the results are in, the girls are off to Europe, finishing in Italy. Throw into the mix a bank robber who's committed a jewellery heist and has decided to hide out at his daughter's school - St Trinians. Gilliat and Launder weave these elements into a rollicking good time.
Launder and the team even come up with some superb sequences. The best of which is the switching of the headmistress. In order for the Jewel thief to remain hidden, the girls dress him as the headmistress. When the real head arrives, the young ladies give her a resounding welcome. They sing the school song and parade her through the school and up towards her room. However, halfway up the stairs, a secret panel opens and the head is butterfly-netted away into the shadows. A couple of seconds later, the hellions responsible come from the opening and start singing as the disguised crook is escorted downstairs. The swap is complete. Next, we see the headmistress tied to a chair and hoisted upwards into the belfry. Brilliantly structured and executed. Such lovely fun.
Comedy is not always about the jokes, it's about their delivery and timing. Launder is a master at filming sight gags, while the cast proves they are just as skilled at vocal and slapstick delivery. Once again, we have a team of actors and actresses that cannot be faulted. Everyone who reprises their roles are just as crisp and fresh as in their first outing. It's also charming to see Alister Sim reprise his role as Miss Fritton, if even for a short time. Sim always makes me smile. Lionel Jefferies is awesome as the thief on the run. And Terry Thomas is Terry Thomas - hey, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Should you want an hour or so of fun and high-jinx then Blue Murder at St Trinians is a worthy watch. And luckily, the BBC have it on IPlayer along with The Pure Hell Of St Trinians, April-2022. I would happily recommend the original St Trinians film series. They never fail to put a smile on my face.
Please feel free to visit my Just For Laughs list to see where I ranked Blue Murder At St Trinians.
Take Care & Stay Well.
