To Sir, with Love | |
---|---|
UK theatrical release poster
|
|
Directed by | James Clavell |
Produced by | James Clavell |
Screenplay by | James Clavell |
Based on |
To Sir, With Love 1959 novel by E. R. Braithwaite |
Starring | Sidney Poitier |
Music by | Ron Grainer |
Cinematography | Paul Beeson |
Edited by | Peter Thornton |
Production
company |
|
Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
Release date
|
|
Running time
|
105 min |
Country | United Kingdom |
Language | English |
Budget | $625,000 |
Box office | $42,432,803 |
To Sir, with Love | ||
---|---|---|
Soundtrack album by various | ||
Released | 1967 | |
Genre | Traditional pop | |
Label | Fontana Records (UK) | |
Singles from To Sir, with Love | ||
|
To Sir, with Love is a 1967 British drama film that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. It stars Sidney Poitier and features Christian Roberts, Judy Geeson, Suzy Kendall and singer Lulu making her film debut. James Clavell (who had written The Children's Story three years prior) directed from his own screenplay, which was based on E. R. Braithwaite's 1959 autobiographical novel of the same name.
The film's title song "To Sir With Love", sung by Lulu, reached number one on the U.S. pop charts for five weeks in the autumn of 1967 and ultimately was Billboard magazine's No. 1 pop single for that year. The movie ranked number 27 on Entertainment Weekly's list of the 50 Best High School Movies.
A made-for-television sequel, To Sir, with Love II (1996), was released nearly three decades later, with Poitier reprising his starring role.
Mark Thackeray (Sidney Poitier), an unemployed man, applies for an engineering job but it will be a long time before a decision is made. He also applies for, and is awarded, a teaching position at the North Quay Secondary School in the tough East End of London. He comes from British Guiana via California.