The Teacher is another Crown International release included in the wonderful Mill Creek Drive-In Classics 32-movie pack. This one dates from 1974.
Diane Marshal (Angel Tompkins) is a high school teacher. She’s pushing thirty, she’s married but separated and she has normal female urges which can be a bit of a temptation when your pupils are cute horny teenage boys. Diana looks to go out in her cabin cruiser and sunbathe topless. Two of her pupils, Sean Roberts (Jay North) and his best buddy Lou Gordon (Rudy Herrera Jr) have discovered that they can get a very good view of Diane’s sunbathing routine from an old warehouse. Being teenage boys they naturally take advantage of the opportunity. It’s pretty harmless stuff.
Lou’s older brother Ralph (Anthony James) also watches Diane from the warehouse. Ralph might be a harmless crazy Vietnam vet or he might be a dangerous crazy Vietnam vet. He seems to be seriously obsessed by Diane. He’s pretty much stalking her.
These three peepers get into an argument and Lou falls to his death.
Ralph was already a bit crazy but now he’s really crazy. He blames Sean for Lou’s death. Maybe he blames Diane as well. Ralph drives a hearse and in that old warehouse he has a coffin in which he keeps his treasures – his binoculars, his gun, his scuba gear and other stuff.
Diane is intent on playing Mrs Robinson to young Sean. Sean is naïve and he’s a virgin but Diane soon takes care of his virginity. Romance as well as lust blossoms for Diane and Sean.
And now Ralph is stalking them. His intentions aren’t clear and it’s likely that he’s so crazy he doesn’t know himself what he intends to do.
Diane and Sean are too wrapped up in bedroom fun to appreciate just how dangerous Ralph has become. Even when they’re canoodling on her boat and Ralph’s face suddenly appears at the cabin window (he’s snorkelled out to the boat) they don’t realise that they may be dealing with a potential killer.
This is a move that isn’t quite sure what its focus is going to be. Is it going to be a serious coming-of-age movie or a twisted erotic/psychological thriller? It tries to be both. Surprisingly enough, it succeeds to a certain degree.
Jay North was famous as the child star of Dennis the Menace. This was his attempt to break into grown-up roles. After this movie he more or less abandoned that attempt. He’s not good here but he’s not terrible. Sean is supposed to be goofy and gormless – he’s a hormone-crazed teenage boy.
Anthony James does some serious scenery-chewing as Ralph and he manages to get across the point that Ralph’s craziness is growing steadily worse. He does overdo things a bit and Ralph does come across as a cartoonish monster at times. But he’s fun.
The movie’s biggest asset is Angel Tompkins. She gives a subtle finely judged performance. The danger was that Diane would come across as a bit of a predator but Tompkins convinces us that Diane isn’t really a manipulative schemer. She’s lonely and she genuinely likes Sean. She’s the one who does the seducing but she’s well aware that Sean wants to be seduced, and it’s not as if he’s under-age. Tompkins also convinces us that Diane is not entirely sure of her own emotions. She was intending the affair to be a lighthearted adventure for herself and for Sean but she finds herself getting seriously emotionally involved.
There’s a bit of nudity and a bit of simulated sex but it’s pretty restrained. The violence isn’t graphic either.
The climatic warehouse scenes are executed quite well (and it is a great setting).
Iraq-born writer-director Howard Avedis (credited here as Hikmet Avedis) loses control just a little. The movie is too long and has a few pacing issues. The dialogue doesn’t exactly sparkle. He does manage to give the movie some creepy moments and he redeems himself with the excellent ending.
This is a very very 70s movie. And I mean that in a good way. It has that 70s loopiness and weirdness. There are no rules, man. We’re just making a movie. Just let it happen.
The anamorphic transfer is quite acceptable.
The Teacher might not obey the rules of classical Hollywood movie-making but it has plenty of entertainment value. Highly recommended.
