A faux-mute gardener dodges the wrath of a tyrannical headmistress at a seventeenth-century girls' school.
THE HEAD MISTRESS
Filmed on location… Inside a girl's dormitory.
A man pretends to be an imbecile so that he may work at an all-girls school.
Quick Answer
The Head Mistress is a 1968 American comedy drama fantasy film directed by Byron Mabe about a man who pretends to be mute and stupid to infiltrate an all-girls school as a gardener, where he must evade the strict and man-hating headmistress.
Programmer's Pick
Only in late-sixties sexploitation would a mute gardener, a tyrannical headmistress, and an all-girls school collide in a swirl of foot fetishes and forbidden affairs. Byron Mabe’s film doesn’t just break the fourth wall—it steamrolls it, all while winking at the camera.
— SassyFlix Programmer
Overview
Cast & Crew
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Why Cult
Marsha Jordan rules the school with iron resolve and a personal vendetta against men, fueling both drama and dark comedy.
Expect female full frontal nudity, lesbian affairs, and a surreptitious gardener with more on his mind than pruning roses.
Characters narrate their own stories, talk directly to the audience, and flashbacks abound, blending comedy and meta-fantasy.
This film revels in its obsession, featuring foot kissing, shoe removal, and a gallery of foot-centric scenes for the curious.
Scene Gallery
Questions from the Vault
When was The Head Mistress released? +
The Head Mistress was released in 1968.
Who directed The Head Mistress? +
Byron Mabe directed The Head Mistress.
How long is The Head Mistress? +
The Head Mistress has a runtime of 70 minutes.
What genre is The Head Mistress? +
The Head Mistress is a comedy, drama, and fantasy film.
Where can I watch The Head Mistress? +
You can watch The Head Mistress on SassyFlix.
How does the gardener infiltrate the girls' school? +
He pretends to be stupid and mute, which convinces the school to hire him as the gardener, giving him free run of the grounds.
What kind of narrative techniques are used in The Head Mistress? +
The film employs voice-over narration, characters talking to the camera, and flashbacks, giving it a self-aware and playful tone.
