Little known fifth entry in the St Trinian's series. The schoolgirl terrors come to the conclusion that they're given far too much schoolwork whilst having to endure poor surroundings and facilities. So, they decide to launch a trade union for British schoolgirls. Every British schoolgirl, at every British girls' school. But of course there's more to it than that. Their bonkers plan involves strike action, kidnapping, blackmail, criminal damage, assault, demanding money with menaces, and a potentially disastrous diplomatic incident. The cast includes several well-known names of UK TV and film at the time; Sheila Hancock, Michael Hordern, Thorley Walters, Joe Melia, Rodney Bewes, Maureen Lipman, and Julia McKenzie. The 6th form are led by the ill-fated Debbie Linden, and 'Real Housewife' Lisa Vanderpump(!).
The original four movies ran from 1954 - 1966. This entry - 14 years later - doesn't have the same charm. The tropes are there; the girls of the lower school all look like they've been pulled through a hedge backwards; the 6th form are all glamour, short skirts, and stockings; the head mistress has even less moral fibre than her pupils; and everyone, from local residents to the government's Department of Education, is terrified of the lot of them. But the whole thing feels out of its time (the 2007 film actually did a better job of reinvigorating the franchise). In truth, there's no denying it's the worst of the series (despite an early VHS release, it's the only one that's never been released on DVD in the UK). But I can't be too hard on it. I grew up with these films, like the Carry On films. And like the Carry Ons, I watched them with my parents, and my children have watched them with me. 6/10.
