The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery facts for kids

Quick facts for kids 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 Dora Bryan George Cole Reg Varney Raymond Huntley Richard Wattis
Music by	Malcolm Arnold
Cinematography	Ken Hodges
Editing by	Geoffrey Foot
Distributed by	British Lion Films Columbia Pictures
Release date(s)	4 April 1966 (1966-04-04)
Running time	90 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery is a funny British movie from 1966. It was directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat. This film is the last one in the first series of movies about the famous St Trinian's School. It's also the only one from that original series made in color!

The movie features many actors from earlier St. Trinian's films, like George Cole and Richard Wattis. New stars like Frankie Howerd and Dora Bryan also joined the fun.

The story is about the St. Trinian's school getting mixed up in a big train robbery. A group of robbers tries to get their stolen money back from the building where the students and teachers now live. The film even makes fun of the real Great Train Robbery that happened in 1963. It also playfully pokes fun at some ideas from the 1960s, like new government plans for schools and even spy movies!

What's the Story About?

A gang leader named "Alphonse" Askett, who pretends to be a hairdresser, gets a secret message from a mystery boss. The boss has a plan for a huge train robbery! The gang is told to steal £2.5 million from a mail train. They must hide the money at Hamingwell Grange, an empty country house, until it's safe to pick it up.

Meanwhile, Amber Spottiswood, the headmistress of St. Trinian's, knows Sir Horace. He is the new head of a government department called the Ministry of Schools. Sir Horace is a tricky politician. After his political party won an election, he took charge. To everyone's surprise, he gives the school money to move. This is because their old building burned down.

St. Trinian's moves into Hamingwell Grange. This scares Askett's gang when they try to get their hidden money back.

The Robbers' Plan and a Student's Discovery

When the mystery boss learns what happened, he tells Askett to find a way to get the money back. Askett must do this without making the school suspicious. Askett decides to send his own daughters, who are a bit wild, to St. Trinian's as new students. He tells them to find any useful information for the gang.

But Askett doesn't know that one of the St. Trinian's students finds some of the stolen money. She takes it to Flash Harry, who helps students with bets. Harry realizes it's from the train robbery that was in the news. He decides to claim the reward money from Edward Noakes, an insurance expert. However, Noakes finds Harry's secret meeting strange. So, he decides to watch St. Trinian's instead.

Parents' Day Chaos

The gang soon gets new instructions. They are told to use the upcoming Parents' Day at the school. They will pretend to be caterers to get the money back. While the school is busy with a dance show, the gang loses a camera. This camera has a secret two-way radio inside.

A student brings the camera to Harry to sell it. Harry and some students hear a message for Askett from the mystery boss. They realize the train robbers are right there in the school! The gang manages to get the stolen money and escape. Just then, the school finds out what's happening. Harry and the students chase the gang. Headmistress Spottiswood leads the teachers, hoping to get the reward money.

The Great Train Chase

A wild chase with trains begins! The gang uses a stolen train to get away. The students take over a passenger train to go after them. They manage to grab a train car from the robbers that has the stolen money. At the same time, the police are told what's happening by Noakes. They also take over a passenger train to chase both groups.

The students quickly get away from the robbers. They leave the gang to be chased by the police. The gang gets trapped at a train station. Police arrest most of the gang, but Askett manages to escape in the confusion. Meanwhile, the students take the stolen money to another station. They plan to claim it for themselves. But more police arrive and stop them. However, the officers praise the girls for finding the money. The students are even given medals, which surprises everyone who knows them!

Cast