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The George McKenna Story is a 1986 biographical television film directed by Eric Laneuville, which stars Laneuville’s St. Elsewhere co-star Denzel Washington and Lynn Whitfield. It involves the events at George Washington Preparatory High School in South Los Angeles. The film was later (after Denzel Washington became a superstar) re-released on video under the title Hard Lessons.
George McKenna (Denzel Washington) confronts a career-defining moment when he accepts a job as principal of a tough, inner city Los Angeles high school. Facing an apathetic student body and indifferent teachers and parents, McKenna, with help from dedicated educator Bobbie Maxwell (Lynn Whitfield), transforms the school from a gang-ridden war zone into a stepping-stone for higher education, and in the process gains the hard-won respect of the community and school administrators.