Ronald Searle

First and best of the screen adventures of Ronald Searle's anarchic cartoon schoolgels, who dress in gymslips, carry jolly hockey sticks and take A-levels in GBH. A gloriously gaudy farce, with an alpha-plus cast: lugubrious Alastair Sim as the headmistress (and her brother), George Cole's archetypal spiv and Joyce Grenfell's plummy teacher.

Cartoonist Ronald Searle's naughty public schoolgirls are back - this time rebooted for the 21st century. So as well as the sexy sixth formers, the rabble of lacrosse-stick waving young'uns are now split into cliques such as geeks and emos. Despite a cast over-crammed with the likes of Russell Brand and Stephen Fry, Ealing Studios' kidult comedy could never rival the golden 1950s black-and-white classics starring Alastair Sim and Joyce Grenfell. But try not to compare them and it is a jolly enough, if surprisingly 'safe', watch - no Asbos here, just girlish high spirits. It's worth seeing just to catch Rupert Everett, in headscarf and tweeds, as headmistress Camilla Fritton - think a mix of Ab Fab's Patsy and the former Mrs Parker-Bowles. His seduction of Colin Firth's nervous school inspector is even more of a hoot than your French teacher sitting on a whoopee cushion.

St Trinian's cartoonist Ronald Searle dies

British cartoonist Ronald Searle, best known for creating the fictional girls' school St Trinian's, has died aged 91.

Video: St Trinian's cartoonist Ronald Searle dies

The cartoonist Ronald Searle, best known as the creator of the fictional girls' school St. Trinian's, has died at the age of 91. His family said he died at a hospital near his home in southern France.

Video: Gerald Scarfe pays tribute to Ronald Searle

British cartoonist Ronald Searle, best known for creating the fictional girls' school St. Trinian's, has died aged 91. Cartoonist Gerald Scarfe paid tribute to Searle, whom he described as his "hero". Scarfe said Searle "could draw beautifully" but he added that Searle's most famous creations were a "millstone around his neck".

Obituary: Ronald Searle

For many people the St. Trinian's cartoons define Ronald Searle's career, although he often pointed out that they occupied only five years of his life.

Gymslip-wearing, stocking-top-showing schoolgirls (originally inspired by Ronald Searle's cartoons) club together to save their school by stealing a famous painting from the National Gallery during a TV quiz show in this tabloid-type remake of a classic British comedy. Rupert Everett plays the headmistress and her dodgy brother; Gemma Arterton is a saucy headgirl; Russell Brand is hopeless as Flash Harry.