Pent up emotions in teenagers need special attention, and it takes a teacher with unique methods to break through those awkward years. Students will test their teachers as fast as a teacher fails a student for doing poorly on their test, and when a teacher passes that test or proves themselves to be extraordinary, that teacher is remembered forever. A teacher isn't a friend or a parent, but a good teacher can be a confidante in issues one cannot tell a friend or a parent. In the case of Sidney Poitier, he's a teacher of enormous patience, of enormous heart, and one who can make learning fun.Poitier has challenges to face on his very first day. His students are more than just rough around the edges. They are downright rude and sassy. Poitier says things to them that would get a teacher instantly fired (as well as sued) today, and that's the shame in the lessons that this film tells. Teachers need a strong hand and serious nature, unique in disciplinary measures, and after breaking through to them, he becomes even more influential on their changes for the better than their own parents.This British drama has many comic moments, whether it being Poitiers's surrounded by a bunch of clicking he's on the bus, the individual moments between the various teachers (which includes "Keeping Up Appearances" and musical comedy star Patricia Routhedge) and students, most memorably Judy Geeson), plus that classic theme song. The world of education HSS been documented on screen many times, and this one is among the best, giving American audiences a look at the educational system of England, with America's documented the very same year in "Up the Down Staircase".

Braithwaite was born in Georgetown, Guyana, on June 27, 1912.[1][2] He had a privileged beginning in life; both of his parents went to Oxford University and he describes growing up with education, achievement, and parental pride surrounding him. His father was a gold and diamond miner and his mother was a homemaker.[3] He attended Queen's College, Guyana, and then the City College of New York (1940). During World War II, he joined the Royal Air Force as a pilot – he would later describe this experience as one where he had felt no discrimination based on his skin color or ethnicity. He went on to attend the University of Cambridge (1949), from which he earned a bachelor's degree and a doctorate in physics.[4] After the war, despite his extensive training, Braithwaite could not find work in his field and, disillusioned, reluctantly took up a job as a schoolteacher in the East End of London. The book To Sir, With Love (1959) was based on his experiences there.[5][6] It won an Anisfield-Wolf Book Award.[7] While writing his book about the school, Braithwaite turned to social work and it became his job to find foster homes for non-white children for the London County Council. His experiences resulted in his second novel Paid Servant (1962).Braithwaite's numerous writings have primarily dealt with the difficulties of being an educated black man, a black social worker, a black teacher, and simply a human being in inhumane circumstances. His best known book, To Sir, With Love, was made into a 1967 film, To Sir, with Love, starring Sidney Poitier, and adapted for Radio 4 in 2007 starring Kwame Kwei-Armah.[8] Paid Servant was dramatized on Radio 4 the following year, again with Kwei-Armah in the lead role. His 1965 novel Choice of Straws was dramatized in Radio 4's The Saturday Play slot in September 2009.In 1973, the South African ban on Braithwaite's books was lifted and he reluctantly applied to visit the country. He was granted a visa and the status "honorary white" which gave him significantly more privileges than the indigenous black population, but less than the whites. He recorded the experiences and horror he witnessed during the six weeks he spent in South Africa in Honorary White (London: The Bodley Head, 1975).Braithwaite continued to write novels and short stories throughout his long international career as an educational consultant and lecturer for UNESCO, permanent representative to the United Nations for Guyana, Guyana's ambassador to Venezuela, and academic. He taught English studies at New York University; in 2002, was writer-in-residence at Howard University, Washington, D.C.; associated himself with Manchester Community College (Connecticut), during the 2005–06 academic year as visiting professor, also serving as commencement speaker and receiving an honorary degree.[9] He turned 100 in June 2012.[10] Braithwaite lived in Washington, D.C..[11] He died on December 12, 2016 at the age of 104.[12]

1967 Was Sidney Poitier's annus mirabilis. He starred in three remarkable films: "In the Heat of the Night", "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner", and this wonderful film, which became an unexpected hit based upon his popularity."To Sir, with Love" was released years after "Blackboard Jungle" and, though it falls within the same genre as various other films about teachers inspiring "hopeless" students, it is different from many of them due to Poitier's gentle demeanor. "Stand and Deliver" is similar in that way.There are many thankless teaching jobs and it is always inspiring to see a film that shows what a dedicated and caring teacher can accomplish. Mark Thackeray (Poitier) starts as a teaching neophyte whose plans are to get out of teaching as soon as he can locate an engineering job. After some misfires, he finds that he has some natural teaching talents.The music is current to 1967 as are the dancing styles. The film is shot on location in London's East End, lending authenticity. The other actors, especially the kids, do a great job. With an economy of film and story, TSWL takes the viewer on an enjoyable journey as the students learn lessons about life. Montage is used judiciously and effectively in two instances. I saw this film when it was released. I enjoyed it then and I enjoy it still.

There are so any things which date this film, you could lose count. Its outlook towards the generation gap, racism, sexism, music and more really do seem preserved in mid-60's aspic and while it has some vintage charm, it has many more embarrassing aspects of almost look-away gaucheness.In its favour are the exterior London locations, I suppose the feel-good nature of the plot and a mostly watchable star performance by Sidney Poitier as the "Sir" of the title. Supposedly the new teacher at a school for difficult near-adult pupils you too will be amazed at how he tames his class of young hooligans just by throwing away their text books and talking about life.Elsewhere clichés abound, from Poitier's encounters with the class rebel, who he eventually teaches a lesson in the boxing ring and the class beauty who eventually forms a crush on him, to the unconventional way he gives out lessons. Occasionally the film tries to grow up with some adult-banter on the bus at Poitier's expense or the strange ritual burning of a sanitary towel in class, but with its largely teenage cast and references to contemporary pop-culture, it seems definitely aimed at the younger movie-goer.Poitier is good right up until he does his silly one-on-one dance with the adoring Julie Christie lookalike Sally Geeson and you feel more could have been made of his relationship with Suzy Kendall as his white, female colleague who offers him support. The young cast of class pupils occasionally turn to wood but a very young Lulu does quite well in concealing her broad Scottish accent and singing the hit title tune.The direction tries to be hip too, never more so than with the photo-montage of the class trip to a museum, but the editing isn't always clear and you suspect many of the scenes are watered down for the benefit of the censor.Still it was nice to jump into my 60's time-machine and watch a reasonably entertaining film from that era