To Sir, with Love

Cultural impact

The film is very much in a now-established genre in which an idealistic teacher is confronted with a class of cynical teenagers, disengaged by conventional schooling. The first such film had been Blackboard Jungle in 1955, a film in which, incidentally, Poitier played a disruptive pupil. The present film makes a departure in that is sets Poitier, a black teacher, in a predominantly white London school. The film touches on racial issues but concentrates on the usual tropes of teenage angst and inspirational leadership. The film portrays a sanitised and fictional Swinging London. Issues of sexual infatuation between a pupil and teacher were rather less sensitive in the 1960s than they were to become in the 21st century, as evidenced by the rather provocative strapline A story as fresh as the girls in their minis.

Related Topics:
Blackboard Jungle - 1955 - Poitier - Black - White - London - Swinging London - 1960s - 21st century - Minis

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Subsequent films that exploited the inspiriational teacher drama theme include: Stand and Deliver (1988), Lean on Me and Dead Poets Society (both in 1989), and Dangerous Minds (1995).

Related Topics:
Stand and Deliver - 1988 - Lean on Me - Dead Poets Society - 1989 - Dangerous Minds - 1995

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To Sir, with Love itself was followed by a television movie sequel, To Sir, with Love II, in 1996.

Related Topics:
Television movie - Sequel - To Sir, with Love II - 1996

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