Headmaster John Crane, MA (Cecil Parker), the guiding light of Melbury Public School. finds himself without a French master when term begins. He hastily engages one, but “he” turns out to be an attractive and comely blue-stocking, Madeleine Lafarge (Agnès Laurent).
Her academic qualifications are impeccable and she soon wins over Robert Martin (James Robertson Justice), Crane’s jovial second-in-command, and the boys of the school.
Crane’s sports master son, Colin (Ian Bannen) falls for Madeleine and so does Head Boy Edmonds (Scot Finch), whose Blimpish father, Colonel Edmonds (Thorley Walters) is Chairman of the School Governors.
Headmaster Crane discovers that he had met Madeleine’s mother many years before while holidaying in France. During a blizzard, they had spent a night together and since Madeleine never knew her father, Crane believes she is his daughter.
He decides to send Madeleine away, but the boys go on strike and Colonel Edmonds calls an emergency meeting.
In the end, Crane learns he couldn’t possibly be Madeleine’s father, but by now the outraged boys have set the gym on fire . . .
The script and direction lack finesse, but the hand-picked cast’s enthusiasm prevents the mixture of sentiment, sex and horseplay from becoming too thick. Hilarious in parts and well-staged.
Location shooting took place at Shoreditch Training College.
Headmaster John Crane MA
Cecil Parker Robert “Bow Wow” Martin
James Robertson Justice Colin Crane
Ian Bannen Madeleine Lafarge
Agnès Laurent Rev. Edwin Peake
Raymond Huntley Staff Sgt. Hodges
Irene Handl Matron
Edith Sharpe Mr Meade
Kenneth Griffith Mr Ramsay
Robert Bruce Colonel Edmonds
Thorley Walters 2nd Governor
Henry Longhurst 3rd Governor
Brian Oulton Edmonds (Head Boy)
Scot Finch Milsom
Richard Palmer Wigram
Peter Greenspan Slater
David Griffin Baines
Jeremy Bulloch Vane
Diarmid Cammell Poole
Christopher Sandford Warwick
Gregory Warwick Proffit
Nigel Bulloch Benson
Gordon Pleasant Kent
Michael Crawford Church
Pearson Dodd Stephenson
Christopher Beeny Beatrice Peake
Athene Seyler M. Fraguier
Paul Sheridan
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Headmaster Crane discovers that he had met Madeleine’s mother many years before while holidaying in France. During a blizzard, they had spent a night together and since Madeleine never knew her father, Crane believes she is his daughter.
