To Sir, With Love is a 1967 movie starring Sidney Poitier as an out-of-work engineer from Guyana who tries his hand at teaching at an inner-city high school in London.
- "The film deals with discrimination based on both race and economics." [1]
Poitier's character Mark Thackeray inspires his students with his sensitivity and common sense, dealing with all sorts of social issues and even one girl who develops a crush on him.[1]
The title song, sung by British pop star Lulu, contains the words:
- How do you thank someone
- Who has taken you from crayons to perfume?
- It isn't easy but I'll try.
It became a hit in the U.S., and was number one on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1967.[2]
A sequel appeared in 1996 with Poitier reprising his role.
The movie was based on E.R. Braithwaite's 1959 book about his experiences teaching in the East End of London, also titled To Sir, With Love. He later wrote a sequel, Paid Servant, about his time as a social worker. Born in Guyana, Braithwaite also served as Ambassador to the United Nations for Guyana, and Guyana's Ambassador to Venezuela.[3]