The Teacher (1974 film)

The Teacher is a 1974 American coming-of-age erotic suspense film, written, produced, and directed by Hickmet Avedis (also known as Howard Avedis) in just twelve days for an estimated $65,000 and released by Crown International Pictures.  The film is Hickmet Avedis' grindhouse homage to The Graduate (1967).  

The film stars Angel Tompkins, Jay North, and Anthony James, and tells the story of an 18-year-old's first relationship with his alluring teacher, and the hidden danger awaiting them in the shadows.  The film is daring in its narrative structure and ludicrous in the extreme.  Its part leering soft-core sex romp, part tender coming-of-age drama, part stalk-and-chill suspenser, the movie's mismatched parts come together to form a surreal and laughable whole. 

Synopsis
It is summer, and obsessed Ralf Gordon (Anthony James) stalks a high-school teacher, 28-year-old Diane Marshall (Angel Tompkins).  He watches her from an old warehouse while she is relaxing in her swimsuit on one of the boats.  One of Diane's students, 18-year-old Sean Roberts (Jay North) and Ralf's younger brother Lou (Rudy Herrera, Jr.), also watch her strip naked and exercise.  An angry Ralf yells at them, brandishing a bayonet.  Shocked at this, Lou falls over the railing to his death, for which Ralf falsely blames Sean. 

Later that night, Ralf confronts Sean again, threatening to cut the boy's tongue out should he reveal anything.  The sheriff questions Sean, who lies due to seeing Ralf eyeing him.  The next day, Sean meets with Diane, who invites him to have tea.  Diane reveals that she knows about Ralf stalking her.  On their way home, Sean and she see Ralf watching them.  Diane invites Sean into her house for a drink.  This soon escalates into a moment of passionate lovemaking while Ralf, unknown to them, watches jealously. 

Diane invites Sean to her boat the next day.  Ralf arrives and threatens Sean with a handheld harpoon.  However, upon seeing Diane, he flees.  Diane later asks Sean to dinner, after which Ralf again threatens him with the bayonet.  Diane then tells Sean's parents about Ralf's threats.  The next day, Sean drives Diane home and they have a pool party together, then make love.  Diane receives a phone call from her drifter husband telling her that he is coming back, but Diane tells him she is divorcing him.  

As Sean gets into his van to drive home, he is held at bayonet point by Ralf and ordered to drive to the warehouse.  Sean manages to get away and arms himself with a rifle, but Ralf reveals that the gun is loaded with blanks.  Ralf gets him in a chokehold, which ends up killing him.  Diane arrives on the scene, where Ralf tells her that he killed Sean so he can be with her.  A horrified Diane pleads tearfully with him.  Ralf, overcome with anger and jealousy at Diane's love for Sean over himself, tries to strangle her.  Diane manages to stab him with his own bayonet and flees crying, leaving Ralf to bleed to death.  Diane finds Sean's body, breaks down and weeps. 

Cast
Angel Tompkins ... Diane Marshall
Jay North ... Sean Roberts
Anthony James ... Ralph Gordon
Marlene Schmidt ... Alice Roberts
Barry Atwater ... Sheriff Murphy
Med Flory ... Joe Roberts
Rudy Herrera Jr. ... Lou Gordon
Quinn O'Hara ... Margaret Parker
Sivi Aberg	... Bonnie Nelson
Richard Winterstein ... Russell Marshall
Katherine Cassavetes ... Gossiping Lady 1
Lady Rowlands ... Gossiping Lady 2
Cassandra Lucas ... Waitress

Reception
Although 22 years old during principal production, North was still largely known to audiences as the impish child he had played 10 years before on the CBS family series Dennis the Menace.   Prior to the release of the film, columnist Jack O'Brian reported of the "vulgarity" of North's first adult feature film role: "Nice little Jay North (TV's Dennis the Menace only a few smiles ago) has a bang-up role in 'The Teacher' flick -- an explicit porn-scene with Angel Tompkins." 

While not impressed with what he deemed to be a "ludicrous" storyline, Los Angeles Times critic Kevin Thomas expressed appreciation for the portrayal of the film's two lead characters, writing:The plot of 'The Teacher' isn't worth outlining, yet it develops a relationship between a 28-year-old woman and an 18-year-old high school boy with sensitivity and credibility unusual for an exploitation film. [...]   Avedis displays much concern for his people and allows Miss Tompkins and North plenty of room to give fresh, spontaneous performances. 

See also
 List of American films of 1974

References

External links
 
 

Category:1974 films
Category:1970s coming-of-age films
Category:1970s erotic thriller films
Category:1970s exploitation films
Category:1970s psychological drama films
Category:1970s psychological thriller films
Category:1970s thriller drama films
Category:Adultery in films
Category:American coming-of-age films
Category:American erotic thriller films
Category:American exploitation films
Category:American films
Category:American psychological thriller films
Category:American thriller drama films
Category:Crown International Pictures films
Category:English-language films
Category:Erotic drama films
Category:Films about murderers
Category:Films about psychopaths
Category:Films about stalking
Category:Films about teacher–student relationships
Category:Films about virginity