A novice teacher faces a class of rowdy, undisciplined working class punks in this classic film that reflected some of the problems and fears of teens in the '60s. Academy Award winner Sidney Poitier gives one of his finest performances as Mark Thackeray, an out-of-work engineer who turns to teaching in London's tough East End. The graduating class sets out to destroy Thackeray as they did his predecessor by breaking his spirit. But Thackeray, no stranger to hostility, meets the challenge by treating the students as young adults who will soon enter a workforce where they must stand or fall on their own. When offered an engineering job, Thackeray must decide if he wants to stay. -- Adapted from container.