To Sir, with Love (1967)

Idealistic engineer-trainee and his experiences in teaching a group of rambunctious white high school students from the slums of London's East End.

Director:

James Clavell

Writers:

E.R. Braithwaite (novel), James Clavell (written for the screen by)

Stars:

Sidney Poitier, Judy Geeson, Christian Roberts

1 win & 2 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Sidney Poitier	...	Mark Thackeray
Christian Roberts	...	Denham
Judy Geeson	...	Pamela Dare
Suzy Kendall	...	Gillian Blanchard
Ann Bell	...	Mrs. Dare
Geoffrey Bayldon	...	Theo Weston
Faith Brook	...	Grace Evans
Patricia Routledge	...	Clinty Clintridge
Chris Chittell	...	Potter (as Christopher Chittell)
Adrienne Posta	...	Moira Joseph
Edward Burnham	...	Florian
Rita Webb	...	Mrs. Joseph
Fiona Duncan	...	Euphemia Phillips
Fred Griffiths	...	Mr. Clark
Mona Bruce	...	Josie Dawes

Storyline

Engineer Mark Thackeray arrives to teach a totally undisciplined class at an East End school. Still hoping for a good engineering job, he's hopeful that he won't be there long. He starts implementing his own brand of classroom discipline: forcing the pupils to treat each other with respect. Inevitably he begins getting involved in the students' personal lives, and must avoid the advances of an amorous student while winning over the class tough. What will he decide when the engineering job comes through?

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Plot Keywords:

high school | high school teacher | african american | dedicated teacher | london england | 

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Taglines:

A story as fresh as the girls in their minis. . .and as tough as the kids from London's East End! [UK Theatrical]

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Sony Movie Channel [United States]

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

14 June 1967 (USA)

Also Known As:

Al maestro con cariño

Filming Locations:

Tower Bridge, London, England, UK

Box Office

Budget:

$640,000 (estimated)

Gross USA:

$42,432,803

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation,Columbia British Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

105 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The first movie role for Patricia Routledge.

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Goofs

When The Mindbenders play the graduation dance, they are very obviously performing a lip-sync to studio recordings. A piano is audible, though no one visible is playing one. The guitar heard is a 12-string, though Eric Stewart is seen playing a 6-string Gibson Les Paul. Eric Stewart's lead vocals are very obviously double-tracked, a common technique for hiding performances with pitch issues.

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Quotes

Mark Thackeray: [entering classroom and seeing smoke] All you boys, out. Girls stay where you are. Out.
[closes door]
Mark Thackeray: I am sick of your foul language, your crude behavior and your sluttish manner. There are certain things a decent woman keeps private, and only a filthy slut would have done this and those who stood by and encouraged her are just as bad. I don't care who's responsible - you're all to blame. Now, I am going to leave this room for five minutes by which time that disgusting object had better be ...

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Crazy Credits

In the end credits, Michael Des Barres name is misspelled as "Micheal."

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Connections

Referenced in Full House: To Joey, with Love (1994)

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Soundtracks

To Sir, With Love
Lyrics by Don Black
Music by Mark London (as Marc London)
Performed by Lulu (uncredited)
Arranged and Conducted by Mike Leander (uncredited)

User Reviews

This may be the ultimate movie about a teacher.

As one of the movies (along with "In the Heat of the Night" and "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner") that made 1967 Sidney Poitier's annus mirabilis, "To Sir, with Love" shows a man forced to take charge in a less-than-pleasant situation. Poitier plays Mark Thackeray, a Guyanese engineer hired to teach in a high school in a rough London neighborhood. The students not only have little interest in school, but are not quite ready to be taught by a black man. Mark is forced to show the students that he will not tolerate insubordination.

Poitier did great in this role, with good support from the rest of the cast (including Lulu, who sang the theme song). It affirms his status as one of the greatest actors in movie history. And also, I hope that nobody tries to compare this with "Dangerous Minds"; the latter was in my opinion an insult. "To Sir, with Love" was a masterpiece.