Up the Down Staircase *** (1967, Sandy Dennis, Patrick Bedford, Eileen Heckart) – Classic Movie Review 7461

Director Robert Mulligan’s 1967 Up the Down Staircase stars Sandy Dennis, who is superb as Sylvia Barrett, the rookie teacher battling against all the myriad of troubles of a tough New York inner-city high school, in this ingratiating film from Bel Kaufman’s bestselling novel. Patrick Bedford co-stars as Paul Barringer.

Up the Down Staircase is smoothly made by director Mulligan, though perhaps some rough edges would have been better, at least would have made it seem more real and less like a movie. For added realism, though, it was filmed in an urban high school, using neighbourhood kids as extras, just like Michelle Pfeiffer’s Dangerous Minds (1995) does 28 years later. It is set in Calvin Coolidge High School but filmed in Benjamin Franklin High School, 260 Pleasant Ave, Manhattan, New York City.

However, the acting is good and strong all round from stalwarts like Eileen Heckart, Ruth White, Jean Stapleton, Roy Poole, Sorrell Booke, Florence Stanley and Ellen O’Mara. And Tad Mosel makes a good, literate and intelligent job of the screenplay, making fairly familiar material seem fresh. And the honourable Mulligan’s earnest sincerity shines though.

© Derek Winnert 2018 Classic Movie Review 7461

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com