Henry Cuthbert Edwards aka Flash Harry is a

fictional character In fiction, a character (or speaker, in poetry) is a person or other being in a narrative (such as a novel, play, radio or television series, music, film, or video game). The character may be entirely fictional or based on a real-life perso ...

from the St. Trinian's series of films who first appears in the 1954 '' The Belles of St Trinian's'' and who may also be a spiv. The term refers to "an ostentatious, loudly-dressed, and usually ill-mannered man". The best-known portrayer is George Cole in the 1950s–1960s films. In the St Trinian's films, Harry is a long-term associate of the girl pupils, a

Cockney Cockney is an accent and dialect of English, mainly spoken in London and its environs, particularly by working-class and lower middle-class Londoners. The term "Cockney" has traditionally been used to describe a person from the East End, or ...

involved in all sorts of shady dealings. His father sold racecards and, when he was 12, Harry himself was employed as a boot polisher by Miss Fritton,

headmistress A head master, head instructor, bureaucrat, headmistress, head, chancellor, principal or school director (sometimes another title is used) is the staff member of a school with the greatest responsibility for the management of the school. In som ...

of St Trinian's, and may be an antithesis of Harry Flashman (the bully) of the 1857 book ''

Tom Brown's School Days ''Tom Brown's School Days'' (sometimes written ''Tom Brown's Schooldays'', also published under the titles ''Tom Brown at Rugby'', ''School Days at Rugby'', and ''Tom Brown's School Days at Rugby'') is an 1857 novel by Thomas Hughes. The stor ...

''. As an adult, Harry is one of the few whom the pupils trust: he helps to bottle and sell their gin, distilled in the school chemistry lab, and places bets on race horses for them. Harry also runs the St Trinian's Matrimonial Agency for the teenage Sixth Form girls, setting them up with wealthy men. He even runs a betting scam of his own. By the time Amber Spottiswood (

Dora Bryan Dora May Broadbent, (7 February 1923 – 23 July 2014), known as Dora Bryan, was a British actress of stage, film and television.The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery ''The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery'' is a British comedy film, directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, written by Sidney and Leslie Gilliat, and released on 4 April 1966. It is the last of the original series of films based on the ...

'', film released in 1966 Harry's official connection to the school is as "chairman of the board of

governors A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

" and he earns money as a

costermonger A costermonger, coster, or costard is a street seller of fruit and vegetables in British towns. The term is derived from the words ''costard'' (a medieval variety of apple) and ''monger'' (seller), and later came to be used to describe hawkers i ...

while the school is closed. He sets up a

betting shop In the United Kingdom, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, a betting shop is a shop away from a racecourse ("off-course") where one can legally place bets in person with a licensed bookmaker. Most shops are part of chains including William Hill, ...

on the school grounds under the name Harry Hackett Ltd and takes bets from locals and pupils. Harry appears to be quite well known in the criminal community, another crook (

Lionel Jeffries Lionel Charles Jeffries (10 June 1926 – 19 February 2010) was an English actor, director, and screenwriter. He appeared primarily in films and received a Golden Globe Award nomination during his acting career. Early life Jeffries was born in ...

) referring to him as "riff-raff".'' Blue Murder at St Trinian's'', film released in 1957

Portrayers

"Flash Harry" was played by George Cole in the first four St Trinian's movies: *'' The Belles of St Trinian's'', 1954 *'' Blue Murder at St Trinian's'', 1957 *'' The Pure Hell of St Trinian's'', 1960 *''

The Great St Trinian's Train Robbery ''The Great St. Trinian's Train Robbery'' is a British comedy film, directed by Frank Launder and Sidney Gilliat, written by Sidney and Leslie Gilliat, and released on 4 April 1966. It is the last of the original series of films based on the ...

'', 1966. Here he is referred to as "Harry Hackett", but this may be a pseudonym.

Joe Melia Joe Melia ( Giovanni Philip William Melia; 23 January 1935, Camden, London - 20 October 2012, Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire) was a British actor. Educated at the City of Leicester Boys' Grammar School and Downing College, Cambridge, where ...

played the part in '' The Wildcats of St Trinian's'' in 1980. Russell Brand was "Flash Harry" in the 2007 film, '' St. Trinian's'' but did not return for '' St. Trinian's II: The Legend of Fritton's Gold'' in 2009. The main plot of '' The Belles of St. Trinian's'' centred on the kidnapping of a race horse and featured

Sid James Sidney James (born Solomon Joel Cohen; 8 May 1913 – 26 April 1976) was a British actor and comedian whose career encompassed radio, television, stage and screen. He was best known for numerous roles in the Carry On film series. Born to a mi ...

of Carry On fame as a shady bookmaker. Two years later, James starred in the comedy ''

Dry Rot Dry rot is wood decay caused by one of several species of fungi that digest parts of the wood which give the wood strength and stiffness. It was previously used to describe any decay of cured wood in ships and buildings by a fungus which resul ...

'' which followed a similar plot. James's character was also called Flash Harry and was in some ways similar to the Flash Harry of St. Trinian's.

References

{{St Trinians Flash Harry Flash Harry