Sidney poitier plays a teacher with raggedy students that no one wants to teach and everyone is afraid of except sidney i wish every teacher in all of life where like sir. Sidney poitier stars as mark thackeray, an engineer by training who reluctantly takes a teaching job in a workingclass london high school. Poitier showed acting brillliance beyond his years. Sidney poitier is the quintessential inspirational teacher. James clavell directed from his own screenplay, which was based on e. Agent teams up with a tracker to pursue a murderer after he vanishes into the mountains and infiltrates a hiking group. In 1967, sidney poitier, perhaps our finest american actor at time, made three hit movies in the heat of the night, guess whos coming to dinner and this one, to sir with love.
Sidney poitier is, along with cary grant, probably the most elegant of all hollywood movie stars. This film spoke to me as i saw parallels with my own life and work ive done. True, the movie has dated badly poitier s mark thackeray is automatically cooler than the other teachers just because hes black and handsome, and the kids seem, by. Besides to sir, with love he also starred in guess whos coming to dinner. The graduating class, led by denham christian roberts, pamela judy geeson and. In what movie sidney poitier was a teacher answers. Sidney poitier celebs who went from failures to success. Sidney poitier was born on february 20, 1927, in miami, florida. He brought dignity and grace to virtually all of his roles. It stars sidney poitier and features christian roberts, judy geeson, suzy. This brilliance continued over a 50 year film career. He plays an idealistic engineerturned teacher who ends up in an east end london school where the staff has given up on the rowdy, incorrigible students.
With sidney poitier, tom berenger, kirstie alley, clancy brown. Although others had enjoyed success in character roles or as musical performers, poitier won fame as a dramatic actor and romantic leading man, embodying an entire peoples struggle for social equality. A new english teacher at a violent, unruly innercity school is determined to do his job, despite resistance from both students and faculty. He won an academy award for best actor, the first black male actor to win that award, and was nominated a second time in addition, he was nominated six times for the golden globe award for best actor four times under motion picture drama, and once for both. With sidney poitier, judy geeson, christian roberts, suzy kendall. Then again, innercity ruffians are an alienlike species to their new british guyanan teacher too, getting even the great sidney p to lose his cool at one point. In so many american inspirationalteacher movies, the rowdy underachievers transformed into educated. It stars sidney poitier and features christian roberts, judy geeson, suzy kendall and singer lulu making her film debut. Each of them struck a different chord while demonstrating repeatedly why poitier reigned as the king of the movies. The wonderful sidney poitier made his fim debut auspiciously in the 1950 joe mankiewicz drama, no way out.
Incredibly, celebrated actor sidney poitier is going to be 93 years old on february 20. Sidney poitier, who in 1955 played a student in a tough innercity high school, portrays a teacher assigned to a similar institution in to sir, with love. Blackboard jungle is a 1955 social commentary film about teachers in an interracial innercity school, based on the novel the blackboard jungle by evan hunter and adapted for the screen and directed by richard brooks. Its safe to say that the boisterous london docks secondary school hasnt met anyone like sidney poitier before. Teachers and the actors who played them on the big screen. Quotes from sidney poitier s speech about widmark at the d. Idealistic engineertrainee and his experiences in teaching a. Sidney poitier gives one of his finest performances as mark thackeray, an outofwork engineer who turns to teaching in londons tough east end. Idealistic engineertrainee and his experiences in teaching a group of rambunctious white high school students from the slums of londons east end. A novice teacher faces a class of rowdy, undisciplined workingclass punks in this classic film that reflected some of the problems and fears of teens in the 60s. Free of eden is the heartwarming tale of will cleamons sidney poitier, in the heat of the night, a middleaged teacher turnedbusinessman who agrees to tutor eighteenyearold high school dropout nicole turner sydney tamiia poitier, death proof. With glenn ford, anne francis, louis calhern, margaret hayes.
With sidney poitier, shelley winters, elizabeth hartman, wallace ford. I love inspirational teacher films, and i think to sir, with love is the finest example of the genre. To sir, with love 1967 rotten tomatoes movie trailers. A novice teacher faces a class of rowdy, undisciplined. Thats how you know london really was swinging in the 60s. Braithwaites 1959 autobiographical novel of the same name. Poitier was covered in episode 14 band of angels 1957 and episode 23 the long ships 1964. Sidney poitier, bahamian american actor, director, and producer who broke the color barrier in the u. To sir, with love 1967 at cameo cinema movie times. To sir with love 1967 sidney poitier braithwaite named was changed to mark thackeray in the movie version of his book. Sidney poitier plays the role of teacher mark thackeray or sir. As the first time teacher to a group of undisciplined british youth, poitier is in virtually every frame of this picture. The marva collins true story great teacher movie duration. The movie is to sir, with love 1967 and stars that great actor sidney poitier with an english cast.
What sidney poitier movie did he play a teacher answers. American mark thackeray sidney poitier recently received his degree in engineering, but cannot find work. Plot summary american mark thackeray sidney poitier recently received his degree in engineering, but cannot find work. The ending of to sir, with love thackeray sidney poitier tears up his letter of acceptance for an engineering job, and decides to stay at the school. Sidney poitiers exceptional lead performance anchors this touching film about that special person who changes your life. When sidney won his best actor oscar for lilies of the field 1963, the statuette was presented to him by anne bancroft santa monica civic auditorium april, 1964. Three decades may have passed, but sidney poitier had no difficulty resurrecting his memorable character of teacher mark thackeray for to sir, with love ii. To reach his sullen, rebellious students, poitier throws away his textbooks and endeavors to reach them as human beingsand as the adults they. Sidney poitier gives one of his finest performances as mark thackeray, an outofwork engineer who. The best movies about inspirational teachers liveabout. His unruly students played by an impressive group of unknowns assume theyll easily gain the upper hand.
Griffith award for lifetime achievement the generosity of spirit that lights his way will also warm your heart. Tad mosel wrote the screenplay adaptation of the novel of. Sidney poitier was to hollywood what performerp60791jackie robinsonjackierobinson was to major league baseball. A blind, uneducated white girl is befriended by a black man, who becomes determined to help her escape her impoverished and abusive home life by introducing her to the outside world. He wins them over once he abandons the posture of the typical teacher and begins to level with them. Sidney poitier gives one of his finest performances as mark thackeray, an outof work engineer who turns to teaching in londons tough east end. Sid poitier has always had a quiet dignity and elegance and his performances have been consistently excellent. Here, the crusading teacher is sidney poitier just 12 years removed from being the top troublemaker in blackboard jungle, and the unruly students are white londoners. The year ends with the school dance and in the final movie scene.
In 1967 sidney poitier starred in to sir with love, about a teacher who turns around the lives of the disenchanted teenage pupils at a british, inner city school. He was not disabled but his costar played a blind girl. Poitier plays mark thackeray an unemployed engineer who takes a job teaching high school in londons east end slums, all the while hoping to land a job in his chosen profession. To his surprise, their relationship not only helps nicole build a future but also encourages cleamons to put his life back together. Idealistic engineertrainee and his experiences in teaching a group of rambunctious white high school students from the slums of londons east. To sir, with love is a 1967 british drama film that deals with social and racial issues in an inner city school. It is remembered for its innovative use of rock and roll in its soundtrack and for the unusual breakout role of a black cast member, future oscar winner and star sidney poitier as. To sir, with love 1967 720p bluray x264 yify youtube. After a delinquencyfilled youth and a short stint in the u. Sidney poitier gives one of his finest performances as mark thackeray, an outof work engineer who turns to teaching in londons tough east. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a teacher in a rough london east end school. Sidney poitier grew up in poverty in the bahamas, and his acting career was initially stalled due to rejection by the american negro theatre, according to the bbc. To make ends meet, he takes a job as a teacher in a rough london east end. Sidney poitier was at the pinnacle of his movie career in 1967.
The plot concerns the first, trying assignment for a young, idealistic teacher. The movie ranked number 27 on entertainment weeklys list of the 50 best high school movies. Up the down staircase is a 1967 american drama film directed by robert mulligan and starring sandy dennis, patrick bedford, eileen heckart, and jean stapleton. Army, poitier moved to new york to pursue an acting career. Eventually he wins the students over, changing their lives and his in the process. Did sidney poitier play the role of a cripple in any of his movies. Poitier, as their teacher, is much more startled and naive in the face of. Sidney poitier walks into a east end london class of disaffected teens and changes their habits, attitudes and prospects. In the 1950s and 60s, sidney poitier won international fame as a film actor and transformed the image of african americans in the cinema. Unable to find work as an engineer, poitier accepts a teaching post in londons east end slums. Noted for appearing in some of the most distinguished films to. To sir, with love 1967 trailer sidney poitier judy geeson. Mark thackeray sidney poitier, an engineer by trade, comes to teach a class in the east end of london, full of obnoxious and unruly and underprivileged white students.
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