The Best Movie You Never Saw: Three O’Clock High

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Welcome to The Best Movie You NEVER Saw, a column dedicated to examining films that have flown under the radar or gained traction throughout the years, earning them a place as a cult classic or underrated gem that was either before it’s time and/or has aged like a fine wine.

This week we’ll be looking at THREE O’CLOCK HIGH!

THE STORY: Jerry Mitchell (Casey Siemaszko), a hopelessly meek high schooler, finds himself in a race against time when the hulking, seemingly psychotic new transfer student, Buddy Revell (Richard Tyson) challenges him to a fight in the high school parking lot when the school day ends, at three o’clock SHARP.

THE PLAYERS: Starring: Casey Siemaszko, Richard Tyson, Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall, John P. Ryan, and Anne Ryan. Music by Tangerine Dream. Directed by Phil Joanou.

“I got an audition for this movie at Universal – Three O’clock High. It was at Spielberg’s production company, Amblin. I never met Spielberg, but I was told he loved all the dailies. He loved me. I wish I could meet him today. Aaron Spelling was the other producer on it. I auditioned for him years later, and there were like 25 people in the room, and he got up and walked over to me and whispered to me and shook my hand and goes, “Buddy Revell!” It was real cool.” Richard Tyson Interview – Flickering Myth

THE HISTORY: Back in the mid-eighties, Steven Spielberg was the king, and anyone anointed by him was seen as the next “chosen one.” Certainly, that’s what happened with director Phil Joanou. While still in his early twenties, he was given the shot of a lifetime when he was picked by Spielberg to direct an episode of “Amazing Stories”, and shortly after, he cut his teeth on his first feature, THREE O’CLOCK HIGH. A co-production between Spielberg (who removed his name from the film) and Aaron Spelling, this was timed to cash-in on the burgeoning teen market, which the studio, Universal, had great luck attracting with movies like FAST TIMES AT RIDGEMONT HIGH and a slew of John Hughes movies.

Perhaps due to what might be seen as a low-wattage cast for the time (no Brat Packers here), and the lack of Spielberg’s visible support behind it, THREE O’CLOCK HIGH opened and closed within a few short weeks in American theaters, eking out an abysmal $3.6 million. Given the $5 million budget, it likely turned a profit for Universal thanks to video and cable sales, but it’s a movie somewhat lost to time these days…

When I came on I had really loved Martin Scorsese's movie AFTER HOURS (1985). If you compare Scorsese's film with my film, you will see that I was heavily influenced by AFTER HOURS, as in I stole a ton of stuff from it! In the film, Griffin Dunne is trapped down in SoHo and no matter what he does, he can't escape his fate. It's very similar to 3 O'CLOCK HIGH in that this kid is trapped in high school and no matter what he does, he can't escape. The original script was much more about him having to confront the bully, and I added ''Well, what if he tried everything he could think of to get kicked out.'' The ticking clock and the trapped hero were what I brought to 3 O'CLOCK HIGH. I also tried to make it much more of a black comedy as opposed to a straight-ahead teen comedy. – Phil Joanou – Money Into Light Interview

WHY IT’S GREAT: THREE O’CLOCK HIGH could have easily been your typical eighties high school film. It’s easy to imagine another version of the film where Jerry’s played by one of the era’s heartthrobs, like a chiseled Rob Lowe, James Spader or Andrew McCarthy. Rather, the choice was made to cast Casey Siemaszko, then best known for tiny parts in STAND BY ME and BACK TO THE FUTURE, in the lead and he couldn’t be more effective. Meekness is the key to Jerry’s character, and Siemaszko looks like an unassuming guy. He’s perfect as the overachiever who no one really hates – he’s nice enough and not terribly awkward – but easily blends into the background and gets pushed around. He’s the kind of guy I was in high school, and it’s hard not for this to resonate on some level. Siemaszko’s performance is key to that.

By that reasoning, so is Richard Tyson’s, who is iconic as the fearsome Buddy Revell. In some ways, Revell’s even more layered of a character than Jerry. Initially, he’s your typical bad guy, with a reputation that’s made everyone terrified of him. However, there are hints that there’s a more conflicted guy underneath. My impression of Buddy is that people have pigeonholed him so much as the thug that he’s fine living up to it.

It’s the conflict between Jerry and Buddy that makes THREE O’CLOCK HIGH a classic, as it feels realistic – more so than most high school movies of the era. Jerry definitely doesn’t rise to the occasion- at least not at first. Realistically, we see him panic, trying everything he possibly can to get out of what he knows will be a brutal beating by Buddy. He does some pretty disgraceful things, with the worst being that he steals money to pay off another bully to rough Buddy up – a plan that backfires spectacularly. Yet, as the showdown approaches (with Joanou framing it HIGH NOON-style with constant close-ups to clocks) it starts to sink in for Jerry that not only is there no way out, but there shouldn’t be a way out either.

Siemaszko and Tyson are pitch perfect, and the supporting cast is similarly good, with Anne Ryan as Jerry’s wacky but loyal and highly likable girlfriend, Stacey Glick as his younger sister (for once we get on-screen siblings that aren’t feuding in a cartoonish way and genuinely like each other) and John P. Ryan as the school principal. Also watch out for Jeffrey Tambor, Philip Baker Hall and Mitch Pileggi in smallish parts. I should also mention the terrific soundtrack by Tangerine Dream, although apparently some of the score was jettisoned, with Sylvester Levay scoring some of the big moments, like the final fight.

BEST SCENE: While I’m tempted to throw in the killer showdown between Jerry and Buddy, I don’t want to spoil things for those of you who haven’t seen the movie. Instead, here’s Buddy’s memorable introduction, which got lifted somewhat for 10 THINGS I HATE ABOUT YOU.

SEE IT: THREE O’CLOCK HIGH is available digitally and on a nice new Blu-ray from Shout Factory.

PARTING SHOT: While THREE O’CLOCK HIGH barely made a peep in theaters, many of us eighties kids grew up watching it, and I suspect it holds a special place in the hearts of many of our readers. Yet, it’s also a movie that hasn’t really become part of the conversation when it comes to teen movies of the era. For my money, it’s pretty near the top of the list and holds up a lot better than most of them.