“A British institution”
– Empire
“…possibly the boldest, broadest, burlesque feature ever seen.”
–David Robinson, Sight & Sound
THIS FEBRUARY, CLASS IS IN SESSION WITH THE LEGENDARY ALASTAIR SIM IN ONE OF THE MOST BELOVED BRITISH COMEDIES OF ALL TIME – NOW DIGITALLY RESTORED
AND AVAILABLE ON BLU-RAY
THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIANS
Street Date: February 23, 2021
Blu-ray/Digital: $24.95
SYNOPSIS
Perhaps best remembered as Ebenezer Scrooge in A Christmas Carol, Scottish character actor Alastair Sim became a leading star of British cinema after spending five years as a lecturer of elocution at the University of Edinburgh. One of the best-loved and most prolific actors in classic British comedy, Sim, who often appeared in multiple roles, starred in more than fifty films beginning in 1935 and was both critically acclaimed and unfailingly popular, regularly topping the cinema-goers popularity polls.
This February, a master class in comedy is in session with THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIAN’S, a beloved 1954 classic directed by Frank Launder (I See a Dark Stranger, The Blue Lagoon). The anarchic schoolgirls of St. Trinian’s are more interested in men and mischief than homework and hockey, but even greater trouble beckons with the arrival of two new students: Princess Fatima of Makyad and the return of recently expelled Arabella Fritton, who has a kidnapping scheme on her mind Based on the cartoons of Ronald Searle, THE BELLES OF ST. TRINIAN’S is one of the most celebrated British comedies of all time, spanning several sequels and featuring the incomparable Alastair Sim in dual roles as headmistress Miss Millicent Fritton and her twin brother, Clarence.
BONUS FEATURES
- “The Girls of St. Trinian’s featurette
- Interview with film historian Geoff Brown
- Interview with Dr. Melanie Williams, Senior Lecturer in Film Studies, UEA
- Interview with Alastair Sim’s daughter, Merlith McKendrick
- Interview with Steve Chibnall, Professor of British Cinema, De Montfort University
PROGRAM INFORMATION
Type: Blu-ray/Digital (New Digital Restoration)
Running Time: 91 minutes
Aspect Ratio: 1.37:1 Original Aspect Ratio
Audio: Mono
About Film Movement
Founded in 2002, Film Movement is a North American distributor of award-winning independent and foreign films based in New York City. It has released more than 250 feature films and shorts culled from prestigious film festivals worldwide including the Oscar-nominated films Theeb (2016) and Corpus Christi (2020). Film Movement’s theatrical releases include American independent films, documentaries, and foreign art house titles. Its catalog includes titles by directors such as Hirokazu Kore-eda, Maren Ade, Jessica Hausner, Andrei Konchalovsky, Andrzej Wajda, Diane Kurys, Ciro Guerra and Melanie Laurent. In 2015, Film Movement launched its reissue label Film Movement Classics, featuring new restorations released theatrically as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, including films by such noted directors as Eric Rohmer, Peter Greenaway, Bille August, Marleen Gorris, Takeshi Kitano, Arturo Ripstein, King Hu, Sergio Corbucci, Ettore Scola and Luchino Visconti. For more information, please visit www.filmmovement.com. Visit www.filmmovementplus.com for more information about Film Movement Plus, the new subscription streaming service from Film Movement.
