Up the Down Staircase (1967)

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Bel Kaufman (novel)
Tad Mosel (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 July 1967 (USA)

Genre:

Drama

Tagline:

Simple words that start a war: "Good morning. My name is Miss Barrett. I am your Home Room teacher..."

Plot:

The experiences of a young female English teacher in an inner-city New York high school.

Plot Keywords:

School | Student | Teacher | New York | Class

Awards:

2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

Sandy Dennis	...	Sylvia Barrett
Patrick Bedford	...	Paul Barringer
Eileen Heckart	...	Henrietta Pastorfield
Ruth White	...	Beatrice Schacter
Jean Stapleton	...	Sadie Finch
Sorrell Booke	...	Dr. Bester
Roy Poole	...	Mr. McHabe
Florence Stanley	...	Ella Friedenberg
Vinnette Carroll	...	The Mother
Janice Mars	...	Miss Gordon
Loretta Leversee	...	Social Studies Teacher
John Callahan
Denis Fay
Otto Lomax
Martha Greenhouse	...	Alberta Kagan
María Landa	...	Carole Blanca (as Maria Landa)
Robert Levine	...	Mr. Osborne
Elena Karam	...	Nurse Frances Eagen
Frances Sternhagen	...	Charlotte Wolf (as Francis Sternhagen)
Candace Culkin	...	Linda Rosen
Lew Wallach	...	Lou Martin (as Lewis Wallach)
John Gerstad
Dan Morgan
Joey Sacks
Salvatore Rasa	...	Harry A. Kagan
Jeff Howard	...	Joe Ferone
Ellen O'Mara	...	Alice Blake
Jose Rodriguez	...	Jose Rodriguez
John Fantauzzi	...	Eddie Williams
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Bud Cort	...	Student (uncredited)
Merle Exit	...	Merle (uncredited)
Linda Gillen	...	Student (uncredited)
Lance Herle	...	Bob Whiteside (uncredited)
Bel Kaufman	...	Teacher talking to Mr. McHabe (uncredited)
Daniel Nugent	...	Tough Student in Miss Barrett's Class (uncredited)
Esther Rolle	...	Teacher (uncredited)
Esmeralda Santiago	...	Esmeralda (uncredited)
Jeffrey Walker	...	Student who shoves Miss Barrett (uncredited)

Directed by
Robert Mulligan

Writing credits
Bel Kaufman		(novel)
Tad Mosel		(screenplay)

Produced by
Alan J. Pakula	....	producer

Original Music by
Fred Karlin

Cinematography by
Joseph F. Coffey		(director of photography) (as Joseph Coffey)

Film Editing by
Folmar Blangsted

Art Direction by
George Jenkins

Costume Design by
Ann Roth

Production Management
George Justin	....	production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Don Kranze	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Dennis Maitland	....	sound

Music Department
Dan Wallin	....	music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Other crew
Tony Major	....	production assistant

Production Companies

• Park Place Production

Distributors

• Warner Bros (1967) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1972) (USA) (TV)
• Warner Home Video (1994) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2007) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Warner Bros. Cosmetics  makeup: Sandy Dennis
• Score Productions  music supervision

Also Known As:

Runtime:

124 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-12 | Sweden:11 | USA:Approved | Canada:PG (video rating) | Netherlands:14 (orginal rating)

Filming Locations:

Benjamin Franklin High School - 260 Pleasant Ave, Manhattan, New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Park Place Production

Trivia:

Bel Kaufman, in the Preface to the 25th anniversary edition of the book, writes: "The movie was filmed in New York City, in and around Haaren High School, which had been emptied for the summer."

Goofs:

Continuity: When GO President Kagan is talking to Miss Barrett, his tie keeps changing lengths. In the close-ups it is short, just above his belt. In the long shots is appears to be tucked into his belt.

Quotes:

Paul Barringer:They say a writer should stick to what he knows. What nonsense. What did Dickens know about French Revolutions? What did Shakespeare know about Moors in Venice? If he stuck to what he knew, we'd have no Othello, we'd have no Alice in Wonderland, we'd have no Treasure Island...

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Replacements: Hollywoodn't (#3.11)" (2008)

The one they'll always remember Sandy Dennis for.

If there's any movie that one can automatically associate with Sandy Dennis, "Up the Down Staircase" is the one. True, she did win an Oscar for "Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?," but that was mainly a Richard Burton-Elizabeth Taylor movie. I saw this one night on television sometime after her death, and became a huge fan. Actually, I think I may have seen it several times or more before, and forgot about it. I fell for everybody involved, from the late Sandy Dennis, to Bel Kaufman, to Fred Karlin, who's musical score is one that I'm lucky to possess a copy of, and is long overdue to be re-released on Compact Disc. In addition, I also gained an appreciation for people like Jean Stapelton, and Sorrell Booke, who I previously couldn't think of as anyone else but Edith Bunker, and Boss Hogg, respectively. Patrick Bedford, however, sounded like he was trying to be the new Cary Grant. I was almost ready for him to shout out..."SYLVIA, SYLVIA, SYLVIA!!!" And how about the kids? None of them went on to fame and fortune, except for But Cort, who I still can't spot, but a few of them (Jeff Howard, Jose Rodriguez, Maria Landa, etc.,...) had roles as extras. It's also a shame that Lew Wallach, who played as Lou Martin was never on screen again. He was hilarious.

If you ever see a copy of this movie in a video store, pick it up. I did, and I'm glad.