The Wildcats of St Trinian's
Encyclopedia
The Wildcats of St. Trinian's is the fifth British
comedy
film
set in the fiction
al St Trinian's School
, released in 1980
.
It poked fun at the British trade union movement
which had been responsible for the recent wave of strikes that culminated in the Winter of Discontent
.
The film was not a critical success and has yet to be released on DVD
except in the US.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
comedy
Comedy
Comedy , as a popular meaning, is any humorous discourse or work generally intended to amuse by creating laughter, especially in television, film, and stand-up comedy. This must be carefully distinguished from its academic definition, namely the comic theatre, whose Western origins are found in...
film
Film
A film, also called a movie or motion picture, is a series of still or moving images. It is produced by recording photographic images with cameras, or by creating images using animation techniques or visual effects...
set in the fiction
Fiction
Fiction is the form of any narrative or informative work that deals, in part or in whole, with information or events that are not factual, but rather, imaginary—that is, invented by the author. Although fiction describes a major branch of literary work, it may also refer to theatrical,...
al St Trinian's School
St Trinian's School
St Trinian's is a fictional girls' boarding school, the creation of English cartoonist Ronald Searle, that later became the subject of a popular series of comedy films....
, released in 1980
1980 in film
- Events :* May 21 - Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back is released and is the biggest grosser of the year ....
.
It poked fun at the British trade union movement
Trades Union Congress
The Trades Union Congress is a national trade union centre, a federation of trade unions in the United Kingdom, representing the majority of trade unions...
which had been responsible for the recent wave of strikes that culminated in the Winter of Discontent
Winter of Discontent
The "Winter of Discontent" is an expression, popularised by the British media, referring to the winter of 1978–79 in the United Kingdom, during which there were widespread strikes by local authority trade unions demanding larger pay rises for their members, because the Labour government of...
.
The film was not a critical success and has yet to be released on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
except in the US.
Plot
The Girls of St. Trinian’s hatch yet another fiendish plot – a trade union for British schoolgirls. Their friend and mentor, Flash Harry, suggests a plan which involves kidnapping girls from other rather more respectable colleges and substituting their own "agents". Thus begins a hilarious, often bloody, battle of wits as the girls meet resistance not only from Olga Vandermeer, their Headmistress, but from the Minister of Education, a private detective and an oil sheikh. Despite all his desperate efforts to foil the conspiracy, the Minister has to face a growing realisation that the girls’ demands will have to be met - for him this will mean a very great and very personal sacrifice.Cast
- Sheila HancockSheila HancockSheila Cameron Hancock, CBE is an English actress and author.-Early life:Sheila Hancock was born in Blackgang on the Isle of Wight, the daughter of Ivy Louise and Enrico Cameron Hancock, who was a publican. Her sister Billie is seven years older...
as Olga Vandemeer - Michael HordernMichael HordernSir Michael Murray Hordern was an English actor, knighted in 1983 for his services to the theatre, which stretched back to before the Second World War.-Personal life:...
as Sir Charles Hackforth - Joe MeliaJoe Melia-Films:* Too Many Crooks * Follow a Star * The Intelligence Men * Four in the Morning * Modesty Blaise * Oh! What a Lovely War * Antony and Cleopatra * Sweeney!...
as Flash Harry - Thorley WaltersThorley WaltersThorley Walters was an English character actor.He is probably best remembered for his comedy film roles such as in Two-Way Stretch and Carlton-Browne of the FO...
as Hugo Culpepper Brown - Rodney BewesRodney BewesRodney Bewes is an English television actor and writer who is best known for playing Bob Ferris in the BBC television sitcom The Likely Lads and its colour sequel Whatever Happened to the Likely Lads? , and in the various radio series based on them , and in the big screen film The Likely Lads...
as Peregrine Butters - Deborah NortonDeborah NortonDeborah Norton is an English actress best known for her appearances in Yes, Prime Minister and A Bit of Fry and Laurie.- Personal life :...
as Miss Brenner - Maureen LipmanMaureen LipmanMaureen Diane Lipman CBE is a British film, theatre and television actress, columnist and comedienne.-Early life:Lipman was born in Hull in the East Riding of Yorkshire, England, the daughter of Maurice Julius Lipman and Zelma Pearlman. Her father was a tailor; he used to have a shop between the...
as Miss Katy Higgs - Julia McKenzieJulia McKenzieJulia McKenzie is an English actress, singer, and theatre director. She is best-known for her performance in Fresh Fields, but to current television audiences, she is best known for her role as Miss Marple in Agatha Christie's Marple...
as Miss Dolly Dormancott - Ambrosine PhillpottsAmbrosine Phillpotts-Selected filmography:* This Man Is Mine * The Chiltern Hundreds * The Franchise Affair * Happy Go Lovely * Mr...
as Mrs Mowbray - Rose HillRose Hill (actress)Rose Lilian Hill was an English actress best known for her role as Madame Fanny La Fan in the British television series Allo 'Allo!. She was a former member of the Royal Shakespeare Company....
as Miss Martingale - Diana KingDiana King (actress)Diana King was an English television actress who had a career on British television from 1939 to 1986. She was sometimes credited as Diane King, and was born in Buckinghamshire....
as Miss Mactavish - Luan PetersLuan PetersLuan Peters , also known as Karol Keyes, is an English actress.Born as Carol Hirsch, she made her stage debut in a pantomime aged four, then went on to win a drama scholarship at aged 16 after a performance of Twelfth Night...
as Poppy Adams - Barbara Hicks as Miss Coke
- Rosalind KnightRosalind KnightRosalind Knight is an English actress. She was the daughter of actor Esmond Knight and his first wife, Frances Clare and the stepdaughter of actress Nora Swinburne....
as Miss Walsh - Patsy SmartPatsy SmartPatsy Smart was an English actress who is best remembered for her performance as Miss Roberts in the 1970s ITV television drama Upstairs, Downstairs....
as Miss Warmold - Bernadette O'FarrellBernadette O'FarrellBernadette O'Farrell was an Irish actress.She is best known for playing Maid Marian in the 1950s TV version of The Adventures of Robin Hood...
as Miss Carfax - Sandra PayneSandra PayneSandra Payne is an English actress best known for her roles as Christine Harris in the British television series Triangle and as Marion Ballard in Waiting for God....
as Miss Taylor - Frances RuffelleFrances RuffelleFrances Ruffelle is an English musical theatre actress and recording artist. Her mother is Sylvia Young, the founder of the famous theatre school at which Frances trained, and her daughter is recording artist Eliza Doolittle. Her younger sister is actress Alison Ruffelle...
as Angela Hall / Princess Roxanne - Hilda BraidHilda BraidHilda Braid was an English actress who had a long career on British television and became well known in her later years for playing Victoria "Nana" Moon in the BBC One soap opera EastEnders....
as Miss Summers