To Sir, with Love (1967)

To Sir, with Love
Directed by James Clavell
Written by James Clavell from a novel by John R. Stone
1967/UK
Columbia British Productions
Repeat viewing/Netflix rental

[box] Mark Thackeray: If you apologize because you are afraid, then you’re a child, not a man.[/box]

The surroundings have dated but Sidney Poitier is forever.

Mark Thakeray (Poitier) is an unemployed engineer who finds work teaching in an inner city London high school.  The kids test him mightily until he decides to start teaching life lessons instead of out of textbooks.

The most important lesson Thackeray teaches is respect for self and others.  Eventually he earns their love.  Introducing teen singing sensation Lulu and with The Mindbenders as the high school rock band.

I liked this a lot on original release and it remains an entertaining movie. Without Poitier it would have been so much less.  I tend to like inspirational teacher stories.

Despite hitting number one in the US, the title song was not nominated for an Academy Award.  I have always loved it.

Lulu’s final rendition in the film – some spoilers but nothing you would not have guessed already