Review of Up the Down Staircase

I just saw this movie on Turner Classic Movies channel and I was drawn in by the gritty look and feel of the movie, as well as the tough guy attitudes of many of the students and the pretty new naive teacher that cares about them. Sandy Dennis is very cute and appealing to my eyes in this role. You almost expect that something really bad is going to happen to her in this South Philly style environment during the turbulent 60's. All innocence is lost by this time in our history, and student uprising was part of the American culture. But, the movie takes you through the hallways, loud bells, and unruly classroom environment that students and teachers face daily at Calvin Coolidge high in a typical diverse middle lower to lower middle class neighborhood in the city. The principal does a good job of not taking flak from the students and the teacher is pushed to the edge of tolerance. An interesting and memorable film. Fab