A French Mistress

This used to be on TV quite often on weekends when I was younger. It never appears now because it's in b&w. It's a lovely gentle but cheeky comedy in the traditional of The Lavender Hill Mob and Passport to Pimlico, with many familiar faces, including James Robertson Justice and Cecil Parker. It has a rather racy proposition that appears part way through the film, which might have been quite shocking for audiences at the time and might still be shocking for some people today, if it were true.

The only casting issue is Ian Bannen as the romantic lead. A bit strange. But it still doesn't detract from this lovely little film which is a real joy.

I'm more enthusiastic about this film than other reviewers here on IMDB and elsewhere. This is due to my having been at a boys' boarding-school (where, incidentally, James Robertson Justice had been educated) at the time that AFM was made and the boy's clothes - and some of their personalities - evoked memories. So did their excitement over the young lady arriving in their midst. Not that we were so monastic as Melbury: several of our masters had daughters, there were two nurses in the sanatorium (their bathroom adjoined one we used) and we were allowed into the town for an hour after lunch .

I still recall the very attractive sister who visited one boy and was chatted up by our senior prefect. Later the cover of the school magazine caricatured her at the bottom of a ladder leading to the prefect's room on the first floor. So another memory evoked by AFM when, in a reverse situation, Scot Finch clambers up to Madeleine's room ...

I thought that the actors all performed reasonably well and in the version that I saw (on the Talking Pictures TV channel) I was able to understand Madeleine (unlike a couple of other reviewers) and better so than in some actors in modern TV dramas.

A very attractive French teacher (mistress) is recruited at the last minute to teach at a middle class all boy's public school. Her arrival causes not only the testosterone levels of the boys to rise, but also the son of the headmaster, who quickly becomes besotted by the new 'French mistress.' Although it's terribly dated in today's world of 'sexual liberalism,' the light touch comedy skills of Cecil Parker, the headmaster, and the roguish housemaster, played by James Robertson Justice, are something to be savoured, as they try to preserve the 'moral decency' of their all male conservative bastion of privilege. Special mention must be made of the marvellous character actor, Raymond Huntley, cast as the self righteous and snooty Reverend Edwin Peake, as well as the delightful, Irene Handl, who plays the 'no nonsense, plain talking, head cook, ex - staff Sgt. Hodges, whose food at best can be described as 'basic.' However, it's a film which revolves around the wonderful Cecil Parker, whose mannerisms, facial expressions and a constant exasperated voice, makes it a joy to watch.

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.

So, you're Roy Boulting. You're in the middle of the golden years of your career. You're handed James Robertson-Justice, Cecil Parker, Irene Handl and Raymond Huntley as cast members. What could go wrong? Well, sadly, plenty. The rather flimsy plotline - minor boys only public school recruits new French mistress who, at the age of 24 is some 30 years younger than was expected (did no one check her resume?). Headmaster's son falls for Mademoiselle. Headmaster realises he may have had more to do with Mademoiselle than he thought! - is insufficient to really flesh out any of the main characters. The script is flat (almost theatrical) abd the direction uninspired. Agnes Laurent is gorgeous and probably the stand-out performer here, her naivety charming as it flutters around the avuncular pose adopted by anyone male (including one or two of the rather mature-looking boys). The major cast members appear to be acting almost on autopilot. If you approach this movie in the right way, you might find it a passable little romp - the problem is that one expects so much more of such an assembled cast. 3/10.