Although somewhat dates, it's still so easy to like this paean to anarchy. It's a timelessy appealing concept; a girls' school where the kids are terrible and the teachers are even worse.
Admittedly it is kind of a one joke movie in this respect and the little girls being so dangerous is at first a mostly informed attributed. However, the professionalism in Alistair Sim's excellent performance reminds us how a man drag can still be the height of comedic charm (Sandler and Perry, this is how it's done).
Slacking in many parts only to return with swell visual gags as well as a fine plot where the school, Millicent's brother (Sim's in another super performance) AND the fuzz try to get one up over the other as horses are kidnapped and lowered out of windows and then ridden up the stairs as we swing to a fine climax of all out inter-scholastic war.
The little girls have their done splendidly to resemble the original comics and the main one (who speaks most of the lines) is so adorable she haunts my dreams.
It's nothing close to the badassdom and Riot Grrrl of the later reboot but it still makes crucial viewing and I suggest seeing this first to get some background. It still maintains that same wonderful depiction of outcasts and youngsters outsmarting the authorities, even if I'm a little baffled by the how it resolved.
It's also interesting for having a role for a young Joan Sims.
Oh, and the music is perfect for the rule tone of vintage rule breaking, it's stylistically very rich. Just wanted to put that in there.
In one scene the head mistress shows round their new games mistress (pig in disguise). They pass by a door that says words to the effect of "Sex education". She says "I think we'll skip this one until you're more accustomed to our ways".
And this 1952!
Admittedly it is kind of a one joke movie in this respect and the little girls being so dangerous is at first a mostly informed attributed. However, the professionalism in Alistair Sim's excellent performance reminds us how a man drag can still be the height of comedic charm (Sandler and Perry, this is how it's done).
Slacking in many parts only to return with swell visual gags as well as a fine plot where the school, Millicent's brother (Sim's in another super performance) AND the fuzz try to get one up over the other as horses are kidnapped and lowered out of windows and then ridden up the stairs as we swing to a fine climax of all out inter-scholastic war.
The little girls have their done splendidly to resemble the original comics and the main one (who speaks most of the lines) is so adorable she haunts my dreams.
It's nothing close to the badassdom and Riot Grrrl of the later reboot but it still makes crucial viewing and I suggest seeing this first to get some background. It still maintains that same wonderful depiction of outcasts and youngsters outsmarting the authorities, even if I'm a little baffled by the how it resolved.
It's also interesting for having a role for a young Joan Sims.
Oh, and the music is perfect for the rule tone of vintage rule breaking, it's stylistically very rich. Just wanted to put that in there.
In one scene the head mistress shows round their new games mistress (pig in disguise). They pass by a door that says words to the effect of "Sex education". She says "I think we'll skip this one until you're more accustomed to our ways".
And this 1952!