On his first day at a teacher at a literally controlled public school, teacher Dick Clark tells his students that being his first teaching assignment, he knows all the angles. Unfortunately, the principal and parents have forgotten that angle, stuck in their own world of disappointments, it doesn't matter about me and one local has several of the teens involved in legal activities with suspicious motives. This is "Rebel Without a Cause" with a couple of new angles, and it works because you really begin to care about all of the characters, well, at least Clark, school secretary Victoria Shaw and a few of the students and one of the parents.
Clark is a single man raising his nephew, and on his first day at school, a spark strikes up between the two. To say that the spark could begin a fire for Clark and principal Wendell Holmes is an understatement. Holmes is a by-the-book man who doesn't appreciate Clark's efforts to become personally involved in the issues of the students, wanting to get rid of the one percent whom he considers troublemakers. then there is Rudy Bond as the local butcher who was involved in secret illegal activities and has an aura of perversion that makes his character hard to take even if he is based in reality.
The students, particularly Michael Callan and Warren berlinger, are very good, total contrasts of each other and rivals to the end. Veteran actress Linda Watkins is very touching as Berlinger's floozy mother who's descent into a life of degradation as sad to say the least. "I Love Lucy" recurring cast member Katherine Card has a few amusing scenes as Clark's lovable landlady.
This is a film that builds greatly in tension and in spite of Clarke presence, is not a musical as I first assumed it to be. Yes, there are a few musical moments, particularly the title song sung at a school dance by James Darren playing himself. This is also a step above the usual teenage rebel movie, showing us flesh and blood characters both good and bad and a few beyond redemption, although we do get to see Principal Holmes make amends wisely. Clarke is actually really good as the teacher, a supporting character in the novel but justifiably made a leading character in this. He is the heart and soul of the film and a reminder that sometimes it is the stranger whom we don't know who can be our Guiding Light.
Clark is a single man raising his nephew, and on his first day at school, a spark strikes up between the two. To say that the spark could begin a fire for Clark and principal Wendell Holmes is an understatement. Holmes is a by-the-book man who doesn't appreciate Clark's efforts to become personally involved in the issues of the students, wanting to get rid of the one percent whom he considers troublemakers. then there is Rudy Bond as the local butcher who was involved in secret illegal activities and has an aura of perversion that makes his character hard to take even if he is based in reality.
The students, particularly Michael Callan and Warren berlinger, are very good, total contrasts of each other and rivals to the end. Veteran actress Linda Watkins is very touching as Berlinger's floozy mother who's descent into a life of degradation as sad to say the least. "I Love Lucy" recurring cast member Katherine Card has a few amusing scenes as Clark's lovable landlady.
This is a film that builds greatly in tension and in spite of Clarke presence, is not a musical as I first assumed it to be. Yes, there are a few musical moments, particularly the title song sung at a school dance by James Darren playing himself. This is also a step above the usual teenage rebel movie, showing us flesh and blood characters both good and bad and a few beyond redemption, although we do get to see Principal Holmes make amends wisely. Clarke is actually really good as the teacher, a supporting character in the novel but justifiably made a leading character in this. He is the heart and soul of the film and a reminder that sometimes it is the stranger whom we don't know who can be our Guiding Light.