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Up the Down Staircase ()


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The experiences of a young female English teacher in an inner-city New York high school.

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Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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Sylvia Barrett
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Paul Barringer
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Henrietta Pastorfield
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Beatrice Schacter
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Sadie Finch
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Dr. Bester
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Mr. McHabe
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Ella Friedenberg
Vinnette Carroll ...
The Mother
Janice Mars ...
Miss Gordon
Loretta Leversee ...
Social Studies Teacher
John Callahan
Denis Fay
Otto Lomax
Martha Greenhouse ...
Alberta Kagan
María Landa ...
Carole Blanca (as Maria Landa)
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Mr. Osborne
Elena Karam ...
Nurse Frances Eagen
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Charlotte Wolf (as Francis Sternhagen)
Candace Culkin ...
Linda Rosen
Lew Wallach ...
Lou Martin (as Lewis Wallach)
John Gerstad ...
Teacher Who Discusses the New School Building
Dan Morgan
Joey Sacks
Salvatore Rasa ...
Harry A. Kagan
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Joe Ferone
Ellen O'Mara ...
Alice Blake
Jose Rodriguez ...
Jose Rodriguez
John Fantauzzi ...
Eddie Williams
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
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Student (uncredited)
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Student (uncredited)
Merle Exit ...
Merle (uncredited)
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Student (uncredited)
Lance Herle ...
Bob Whiteside (uncredited)
Bel Kaufman ...
Teacher Talking to Mr. McHabe (uncredited)
Daniel Nugent ...
Tough Student in Miss Barrett's Class (uncredited)
Marilyn Rogers ...
Student (uncredited)
...
Teacher (uncredited)
Esmeralda Santiago ...
Esmeralda (uncredited)
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Student (uncredited)
Jeffrey Walker ...
Student Who Shoves Miss Barrett (uncredited)

Directed by

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Robert Mulligan ... (directed by)

Written by

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Bel Kaufman ... (based on the novel by)
 
Tad Mosel ... (screenplay by)

Produced by

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Alan J. Pakula ... producer (produced by)

Music by

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Fred Karlin ... (music composed by)

Cinematography by

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Joseph F. Coffey ... director of photography (as Joseph Coffey)

Editing by

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Folmar Blangsted ... film editor

Casting By

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Alixe Gordin ... (uncredited)

Art Direction by

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George Jenkins

Costume Design by

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Ann Roth ... (costumes designed by)

Production Management

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George Justin ... production supervisor

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Don Kranze ... assistant director

Sound Department

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Dennis Maitland ... sound
John H. Bolz ... sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department

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Harvey Genkins ... camera operator (uncredited)
Tom Volpe ... grip (uncredited)

Music Department

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Dan Wallin ... music scoring mixer (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Tony Major ... production assistant
Crew believed to be complete

Production Companies

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Distributors

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Special Effects

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Other Companies

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Storyline

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Plot Summary

Sylvia Barrett is a rookie teacher at New York's inner-city Calvin Coolidge High: her lit classes are overcrowded, a window is broken, there's no chalk, books arrive late. The administration is concerned mainly with forms and rules (there's an up and a down staircase); bells ring at the wrong time. Nevertheless, she tries. How she handles the chaos and her despair in her first semester makes up the film: a promising student drops out, another sleeps through class, a girl with a crush on a male teacher gets suicidal, and a bright but troublesome student misunderstands Sylvia's reaching out. A discussion of Dickens, parents' night, and a mock trial highlight the term. Can she make it? Written by

Plot Keywords
Taglines Simple words that start a war: "Good morning. My name is Miss Barrett. I am your Home Room teacher..." See more »
Genres
Parents Guide View content advisory »
Certification

Additional Details

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Also Known As
  • Escalier interdit (France)
  • Contra corriente (Spain)
  • O Último Degrau (Portugal)
  • Zabranjene stepenice (Yugoslavia, Serbian title)
  • Kolejdeki Günlerim (Turkey, Turkish title)
  • See more »
Runtime
  • 124 min
Country
Language
Color
Aspect Ratio
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Filming Locations

Did You Know?

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Trivia The U.S. State Department submitted this film to the 1967 Moscow Film Festival, in order to contradict Soviet propaganda, which implied that all American schools were racially segregated. See more »
Goofs In the classroom scene where Harry A Kagan is talking, his necktie alternates between being tucked into the belt and in front of the belt. See more »
Movie Connections Referenced in The Acid Eaters (1967). See more »
Quotes [Defending her inability to treat an abused student]
Nurse Frances Eagen: I give them tea. At least that's something.
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