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Private School

  • 1983
  • R
  • 1h 29m
IMDb RATING
5.3/10
7.6K
YOUR RATING
Phoebe Cates, Matthew Modine, Jonathan Prince, and Michael Zorek in Private School (1983)
Chris from a girls' boarding school loves Jim from a nearby boys' boarding school. Jordan also wants Jim and plays dirty. Jim and 2 friends visit the girls' school posing as girls.
Play trailer1:19
1 Video
99 Photos
Raunchy ComedyRomantic ComedyComedyRomance

Chris from a girls' boarding school loves Jim from a nearby boys' boarding school. Jordan also wants Jim and plays dirty. Jim and two friends visit the girls' school posing as girls.Chris from a girls' boarding school loves Jim from a nearby boys' boarding school. Jordan also wants Jim and plays dirty. Jim and two friends visit the girls' school posing as girls.Chris from a girls' boarding school loves Jim from a nearby boys' boarding school. Jordan also wants Jim and plays dirty. Jim and two friends visit the girls' school posing as girls.

  • Director
    • Noel Black
  • Writers
    • Dan Greenburg
    • Suzanne O'Malley
  • Stars
    • Phoebe Cates
    • Betsy Russell
    • Matthew Modine
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • IMDb RATING
    5.3/10
    7.6K
    YOUR RATING
    • Director
      • Noel Black
    • Writers
      • Dan Greenburg
      • Suzanne O'Malley
    • Stars
      • Phoebe Cates
      • Betsy Russell
      • Matthew Modine
    • 76User reviews
    • 22Critic reviews
    • 25Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
  • Videos1

    Official Trailer
    Trailer 1:19
    Official Trailer

    Photos99

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    Top cast37

    Edit
    Phoebe Cates
    Phoebe Cates
    • Christine
    Betsy Russell
    Betsy Russell
    • Jordan
    Matthew Modine
    Matthew Modine
    • Jim
    Michael Zorek
    Michael Zorek
    • Bubba
    Fran Ryan
    Fran Ryan
    • Miss Dutchbok
    Kathleen Wilhoite
    Kathleen Wilhoite
    • Betsy
    Ray Walston
    Ray Walston
    • Chauncey
    Sylvia Kristel
    Sylvia Kristel
    • Ms. Copuletta
    Jonathan Prince
    Jonathan Prince
    • Roy
    Kari Lizer
    Kari Lizer
    • Rita
    Richard Stahl
    Richard Stahl
    • Mr. Flugel
    Julie Payne
    • Coach Whelan
    Frank Aletter
    Frank Aletter
    • Mr. Leigh-Jensen
    Frances Bay
    Frances Bay
    • Birdie Fallmouth
    Bill Wray
    • Bandleader
    Karen Chase
    Karen Chase
    • Bambi Leigh-Jensen
    Burke Byrnes
    • Mr. Ramsay
    Zale Kessler
    • Desk Clerk
    • Director
      • Noel Black
    • Writers
      • Dan Greenburg
      • Suzanne O'Malley
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    User reviews76

    5.37.6K
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    Featured reviews

    6ebiros2

    Russel and Cates in a Classic Teen Movie

    This movie is all about Cates, and Russel, but there're good amount of flesh in between too.

    The movie basically is about sexual interest the boys have in the girls that are in the same private school they're in. There're very little other plots to the story.

    The movie basically revolves around Christine (Phoebe Cates), and Jordan (Betsy Russel). While Cates is severely limited in her range of emotions, Russel carries most of the interesting parts of the story.

    For a movie that has almost no story to it, it's sure entertaining. The movie is basically a prototypical "cute" movies of the '80s, where raw power of the '70s started to take back seat to smaller social settings, and more charming behavior of the '80s.

    The movie is certainly one of the classic teen movie of all times, and is still entertaining to watch. ≈
    7scott-sw

    Bearable and bare-able!

    This was one I enjoyed in High School (and College) to see some T&A. Phoebe Cates plays Christine Ramsey, Matthew Modine plays Jim. He loves Chris, and Chris loves him. Enter Jordan Lee Jensen, played by Betsy Russell. She has the hots for Jim so she tries to break them up. In the meantime, you have plenty of T&A as Bubba tries to score and ends up in the girls shower. Sure, the plot is thin, the humor is thin, but Betsy Russell is so HOT! Probably the best scene is Russell riding topless on a horse. Even clothed this woman begs the male eye to revel and take in every inch of her skin. It's not Fast Times at Ridgemont High (also starring Cates) or The Breakfast Club--but Private School for Girls got me through those years when I wanted to see a lot of T&A. It is finally on DVD (much to the chagrin of Phoebe Cates), fully restored and in letterbox format to make the shower scene all the more pleasurable. It was about time, considering that lame movies like Night Patrol, Night of the Living Dead II and the Party Animal being put on DVD. In any case, I am truly sorry, Phoebe. However, the fans demanded it and Universal finally responded.
    7lost-in-limbo

    An education is far from their minds.

    A very raunchy and crude high school romantic sex comedy starring two luscious hotties in the immensely sweet Phoebe Cates and the wickedly memorable Betsy Russell. After seeing it, how can you forget Russell's topless horse riding scene and the saucy seduction of Matthew Modine's character. Yes… tongues would be hanging! Wait on guys… also featuring is sexpot Sylvia Kristel (well known for the 'Emmanuelle' series) as, just wait… the sex education teacher. Immature minds maybe, but you should know the target audience it's aiming for.

    As for the cornball story, it's rather slight with characters coming and going doing their own things with running gags, cheesy set-ups, plenty of flowing nudity and episodic set-pieces. It's the same old high-jinx that remain amusing due to the cast committing themselves and Noel Black's direction being so spiritedly random. There are moments of awkwardness (with many daggy dialogues) and tackiness, but it was hard to keep a smile off my face. I really liked the classy Ray Walston (who a year earlier appeared in the classic teen comedy with Cates; 'Fast Times at Ridgemont High') short, but funny cameo. Matthew Modine was likable enough and Michael Zorek was humorous as a horn-dog. Kathleen Wilhoite (in her film debut) was a cheeky delight as Cates' room-mate/friend and Fran Ryan was terrific as the prudish headmistress. There's also fine additional support by Jonathan Prince, Julie Payne, Richard Stahl, Frank Aletter, Frances Bay and Karen Chase. Look out for a risible appearance by Martin Mull as drug store clerk.

    Now the soundtrack is a complete blast. Catchy, hip and upbeat bubblegum sound that's always (well nearly) playing in the background with many old tunes revamped. It's like a record, with someone taking the needle off for a short break to only rip back in to it again. You got the 'Stray Cats', 'Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs' (probably of the favourite of the lot), 'Harry Nilsson', 'Rick Springfield', 'Bow-Wow-Wow' and 'Vanity 6' to name a few.

    It's no classic, but a vibrantly charming 80s high school teen sex comedy outing that can't do no wrong.
    jsmilkovich

    Great shower scene

    Rent this movie for the shower scene, you'll love it (though not as good as the one in "Hellhole"). Voyeurism is rampant in this flick... I loved Betsy Russell's character the most. A very funny movie and definitely worth spending $$ on.
    5rosscinema

    Dumb but sexy horny teen flick

    This is one of those horny teenager films that came out in the 1980's and it's easily just as dumb as most of them but looking at the young cast today this could be interpreted as a curio for this genre. Story is about horny teenagers from two prep schools where the boys and girls engage in raucous behavior from peering into windows to sneaking into showers. The girls side is Cherryvale and the boys Freemount and we see Jim Green (Matthew Modine) who dates Christine Ramsey (Phoebe Cates) and she has decided to give her virginity up and books a room in a cheap Mexican hotel.

    *****SPOILER ALERT*****

    Jim's friend Bubba (Michael Zorek) takes bets on the event but he also wants to try and score with the sexy Jordan (Betsy Russell) who is jealous of the fact that Christine and Jim have a solid relationship going on although he and Bubba dress up as woman and sneak into Cherryvale. The Dean is Miss Dutchbok (Fran Ryan) who tries to keep the shenanigans down to a limit but she gets caught in the back of a limo with a chauffeur (Ray Walston) with their lovemaking broadcast over an intercom system!

    This film is directed by Noel Black who in 1968 made the terrific "Pretty Poison" but since then he has worked primarily in television and his feature film efforts were regulated to low budget sex romps like this. It would be easy to just unload one bad remark after another for a film like this but that would be too easy and instead I look back at this as something that was a trend and if you compare them with the few horny teen films that are made today you'll see how different they are. The abundance of nudity was actually the norm during this period and actress Betsy Russell has three nude scenes in the first 30 minutes and the scene of her riding the horse topless has gone on to be infamous. The familiar cast is also another reason to check this out and along with Modine, Cates, and Russell is Kathleen Wilhoite, Sylvia Kristel and Brinke Stevens in the shower scene. For trivia there are two things to point out like the fact that Cates sings two songs on the soundtrack and is actually pretty good and the other is that Paula Abdul was the choreographer for the outdoor calisthenics/dance sequence. I'm not really recommending this to anyone because this is one of those films that audiences can make up their minds about on their own but maybe my comments point out a few things to help others decide if they want to venture out and view this.

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      Betsy Russell said that filming her topless scene on horseback wasn't easy. It was out in the open in a huge pasture with several people around watching. "It was a weird feeling flashing out there in the middle of a field on horseback," she said in an interview. "It was a freezing day and I caught cold. We had to do the scene three times. The first horse almost ran away with me, and they decided to improve the second take, so we did it a third time. I got the feeling the only reason they shot it so many times was so the producers could keep watching my tits bounce around." To make matters more stressful, old acquaintances showed up on the day she was shooting her topless scene. "I hadn't seen these people in years. They turned up on the set, outdoors in the middle of nowhere. The director made them leave. It was hysterical. I learned that day not to take it all too seriously."
    • Goofs
      During the beach scene with Jim (Matthew Modine) and Chris (Phoebe Cates), gaffers tape is visible on Phoebe's left breast.
    • Quotes

      Christine Ramsey: Jordan thinks that length is the most important. What do you think?

      Betsy: I think width.

      Christine Ramsey: Why width?

      Betsy: Because Jordan thinks length.

    • Alternate versions
      The TV version adds footage deleted from the theatrical release:
      • A scene of Christine and Jim having dinner at the hotel they've come to lose their virginity at.
      • Shots of Jim and Christine taking turns jogging from their car into a drugstore to buy condoms.
      • The scene at the end where the girls moon Miss Dutchbok is replaced by a shot where the girls moon her wearing their underwear instead.
    • Connections
      Featured in At the Movies: Teenage Sex Movies (1983)
    • Soundtracks
      You're Breaking My Heart
      Performed by Harry Nilsson

      Composed by Harry Nilsson

      Published by Blackwood Music, Inc.

      Courtesy of RCA Records

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    FAQ17

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    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • July 29, 1983 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Escuela privada... para chicas
    • Filming locations
      • Whittier College - 13406 Philadelphia Street, Whittier, California, USA(Freemount Academy, Stadium and Gymnasium)
    • Production companies
      • Unity Productions
      • Universal Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $3,500,000 (estimated)
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $14,049,540
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $4,411,861
      • Jul 31, 1983
    • Gross worldwide
      • $14,049,540
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 29 minutes
    • Sound mix
      • Mono
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.85 : 1

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