To Sir, with Love

• Sidney Poitier: Mark Thackeray
• Christian Roberts: Bert Denham
• Judy Geeson: Pamela Dare
• Suzy Kendall: Gillian Blanchard
• Lulu: Barbara " Babs " Pegg

Young thorns (new title: Challenged in the original To Sir, With Love ) is a film from Columbia Pictures Corporation 1967 based on the autobiographical novel To Sir, With Love by E. R. Braithwaite. The German edition was published under the title With Love. Novel experience for young people.

Action

Mark Thackeray is an unemployed engineer who takes a job as a teacher in London's East End problem. Soon he discovers that the pupils are extremely violent. Led by Bert Denham and Pamela Dare they try to some extent to take over power in the class. Thackeray initially tried to stay calm and collected, but can then provoke yet. Finally, he introduces stricter rules and at the same time strives to treat the students as adults. Thackeray thus gaining a portion of the class, but not Denham. The conflict escalated more and more.

Background

The film opened on 14 June 1967 in the U.S. and on October 29, 1967 in the UK. The German version was shown under the title Young thorns from 31 October 1967 in the western German and from August 23, 1968 in the East German cinemas.

The DVD was released Challenged at the company Sony Pictures Home Entertainment, now under the new German titles on 1 February 2000.

The British pop singer Lulu sings the theme song To Sir With Love.

Reviews

• Dirk Jasper: " Sidney Poitier as Thackeray in a dramatic starring role. Electrifying suspense until the last minute. "
• Lexicon of international film: " Intended as an appeal to parents and educators, the artisanal clean staged film loses its simplistic psychology and euphemistic representation of credibility. "