THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF YOUR LIFE is the film that spawned the classic ST. TRINIAN'S series of films, itself based on a stage play that adapts well to the big screen. An on-form Alastair Sim plays the stressed head of a boy's school who becomes ever-more harassed when the pupils of a girl's school are sent to study at his own place. A battle of wits as well as a battle of the sexes takes place, with fine support from the likes of John Bentley, Guy Middleton, Arthur Howard and Margaret Rutherford, all of whom are good value in well-chosen character parts. There's plenty of calamity and satire, humour at the expense of bureaucracy, and a snapshot of a long-gone era pleasingly and pleasantly portrayed.
Review of The Happiest Days of Your Life
