Up the Down Staircase (1967)

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

Director:

Robert Mulligan

Writers:

Bel Kaufman (novel), Tad Mosel (screenplay)

Stars:

Patrick Bedford, Sandy Dennis, Eileen Heckart

1 win & 3 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
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

Storyline

Sylvia Barrett is a rookie teacher at New York's inner-city Calvin Coolidge High: her lit classes are overcrowded, a window is broken, there's no chalk, books arrive late. The administration is concerned mainly with forms and rules (there's an up and a down staircase); bells ring at the wrong time. Nevertheless, she tries. How she handles the chaos and her despair in her first semester makes up the film: a promising student drops out, another sleeps through class, a girl with a crush on a male teacher gets suicidal, and a bright but troublesome student misunderstands Sylvia's reaching out. A discussion of Dickens, parents' night, and a mock trial highlight the term. Can she make it?

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Plot Keywords:

reference to calvin coolidge | reference to george eliot | reference to silas marner | teacher student romance | reference to a tale of two cities | 

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Taglines:

Simple words that could start a war.

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Genres:

Drama

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 August 1967 (Finland)

Also Known As:

Apigorevmena skalopatia

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Park Place Production

Technical Specs

Runtime:

124 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Film debut of Bud Cort, in an uncredited walk-on role as a student. He is seen at the tail end of the film, chewing gum and tossing a book in the air as he passes by Sandy Dennis in the school hallway.

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Goofs

In the classroom scene where Harry A Kagan is talking, his necktie alternates between being tucked into the belt and in front of the belt.

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Quotes

[Lou Martin gives an oral book report]
Lou Martin: My book is...
Sylvia Barrett: [Correcting his grammar] The book you read.
Lou Martin: Yeah. The title is called "MacBeth," by Shakespeare.
Sylvia Barrett: [Correcting his grammar, again] The title 'is.'
Lou Martin: [Finishing her sentence] "... MacBeth."
Sylvia Barrett: Isn't "MacBeth" required reading for last english term?
Lou Martin: I ain't never read it before.
Sylvia Barrett: [Correcting his grammar, again] I' ve never read it.
Lou Martin: Me neither.
[...]

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Connections

References Batman (1966)

User Reviews

Great Drama

Reminds me of the wonderful movie "To Sir, with Love" starring Sidney Poitier, which came out one year earlier in 1966. Both have an academic setting and emphasize reaching difficult young adults through intellect and respect. The direction and the script on this one is somewhat darker, and scenes are allowed to build up suspense with realistic danger that comes very close to the edge. The film explores the spectrum of student characters and the delicate balance a teacher has with both students and faculty. A very hard to find film, I've seen it only once just after midnight and commercial free on a highly rated classic movie channel, Turner Classic Movies. I highly recommend at least one viewing of this great drama.