Frankly, I was expecting a laugh fest, but this flick is not too bad. Technically, it feels like a 60s TV movie, rather than a feature, but it is filmed well, and the acting is acceptable.
Actually, I enjoyed it mainly for its slice of 60s life and decor.
I had just watched "The Bad Seed" the night before, and didn't realize while watching this film that Patty McCormack plays the girlfriend of the "bad" teenager - she would have been in her early twenties by 1968.
I missed the first thirty minutes, and the bit parts by Garry Marshall and Peter Marshall, and for that matter, Teri Garr.
My main complaint would have to be that Fabian's teacher character does one stupid thing after another. For instance, he witnesses an ice cream truck man hand over a container of what turns out to be pot, to the student he suspects of dealing drugs, who then accidently drops it on the pavement, while scuffling. What does Fabian do, after already being falsely arrested for drug possession? HE PICKS IT UP AND TAKES IT HOME. In addition, every time he gets a lead on some drug situation going down, HE DRIVES THERE HIMSELF, rather than call the police. Granted, he wants to help one particular "nice" kid, but that doesn't require being an idiot.
The director is known for mild exploitation films, but in this case, he pulls it off without too many unintentional laughs.
I saw this on the FLIX cable channel today. (FYI - it's interesting to see what other films were lensed at the mansion seen at the end of this film. Check out the listing on the left.)
