If you want to see what a funny school comedy looks like the your best bet is to watch The Best Years Of Your Life,the early St Trinians films and Carry On Teacher.Don't bother with this dud from the Boulting Brothers ,based on a play written by Sonnie Hale,ex-husband of Jessie Matthews.By some miracle of writing he has managed to make Cecil Parker,Irene Handel,James Robertson Justice et al ponderously unfunny.On not one occasion did I laugh at thus film,with the usual bunch of twenty somethings playing boys half their age.Given that the Boultings were in the middle of a hot streak with such films as Privates Progress,Brothers In Law,and I'm alright Jack,it is surprising that they could make such a dismally unfunny film.Incidentally August marks the centenary of their birth and is being marked with a season at the BFI Southbank.Maybe better not to show this.I would add that at ties Agnes Laurent is almost totally unintelligible.
Review of A French Mistress
