A new high school teacher tries to help troubled students and falls in love with the principal's secretary.A new high school teacher tries to help troubled students and falls in love with the principal's secretary.A new high school teacher tries to help troubled students and falls in love with the principal's secretary.
IMDb RATING
5.9/10
324
YOUR RATING
- Director
- Writers
- John Farris(novel "Harrison High")
- James Gunn
- Stars
Top credits
- Director
- Writers
- John Farris(novel "Harrison High")
- James Gunn
- Stars
- Awards
- 1 win
Jack Bryan
- Mr. George Gregoras Mr. George Gregor
- (uncredited)
Kathryn Card
- Mrs. Wellenbergas Mrs. Wellenberg
- (uncredited)
- Director
- Writers
- John Farris(novel "Harrison High")
- James Gunn
- All cast & crew
- See more cast details at IMDbPro
Storyline
Neil Hendry is the new high school teacher in town, but he is still haunted by a tragic event in his past. However, his friendly, casual style wins the hearts of some of the school's more troubled teens, as well as the principal's secretary. He is able to positively help them both in and out of school. But these same attributes make him an enemy of the principal, who discourages such close relationships between teachers and students. —<jgp3553@excite.com>
- Taglines
- THIS IS YOUTH...the real and revealing story of today's teenagers!
- Genre
- Parents guide
Did you know
- TriviaThe title song was not written by John Williams but Don Costa, with lyrics by Aaron Schröder and Wally Gold. The song "Because They're Young" was released by Duane Eddy and became one of the rare all-instrumental hits of the era, going to #4 on the American charts in the summer of 1960. The combination of Duane Eddy's "twang" guitar style and string orchestration was a different one for Eddy and it ironically became the biggest hit of his career. His version of the title song was not the version used in the movie; an anonymous orchestra played the instrumental version over the opening credits, and James Darren sang the vocal version. Duane Eddy and the Rebels performed "Shazam" in the movie. Darren didn't hit it big as a singer until a year and a half after this movie came out, when he hit the top 10 with "Goodbye Cruel World."
- GoofsEddy's guitar is amplified even though it is not connected to an amplifier.
- ConnectionsEdited into Heavy Petting (1989)
- SoundtracksBecause They're Young
Music by Don Costa
Lyrics by Aaron Schröder (as Aaron Schroeder) and Wally Gold
Performed by James Darren
Top review
"It's not easy for a teacher to be objective if he digs kids at all..."
Dick Clark strays too far from the Bandstand in this misguided youth flick, which is one-half benign high school opus and the other half a "Rebel Without a Cause"-type drama. Based on John Farris' novel "Harrison High", the plot has been reworked in schoolteacher Clark's favor, turning the teenagers of the piece into 'problems' this sensitive adult can solve. The newest teacher at a high school primarily home to the wealthier teen set gets involved with the principal's secretary while straightening out entangled young lives. Worse off seems to be Michael Callan as a working-class boy who doesn't fit in; his love-hate relationship with a touchy-feely butcher who wields a mean cleaver has to be seen to be believed! Tuesday Weld, suffering under the thumb of her harping, bed-ridden mother, is anxious to shed her trampy reputation, crossing paths with bad-boy Callan for the second time. Clark has problems of his own, nursing a wounded ego after a car accident has left him unable to play football--oh, and the wreck killed his brother and sister-in-law, too! The stilted dialogue throughout, courtesy screenwriter James Gunn, renders the teen conversations utterly false, while the only animated thing about Dick Clark is his eyebrows (and when he jiggles them around, his forehead becomes lined with curious criss-cross wrinkles). The film's third act becomes intentionally mired in juvenile delinquent melodramatics, with moody lighting and mad bongos on the soundtrack; however, since none of the characters have managed to elicit our sympathies, one is inclined not to care who makes out all right and who doesn't. *1/2 from ****
helpful•25
- moonspinner55
- May 20, 2009
Details
- Runtime1 hour 42 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.85 : 1
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Top Gap
By what name was Because They're Young (1960) officially released in Canada in English?
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