''Alfie Darling'' is a 1975 British

comedy drama film Comedy drama, also known by the portmanteau ''dramedy'', is a genre of dramatic works that combines elements of comedy and drama. The modern, scripted-television examples tend to have more humorous bits than simple comic relief seen in a typical ...

directed by Ken Hughes. The film premiered at the Universal Cinema in London on 6 March 1975. It is the

sequel A sequel is a work of literature, film, theatre, television, music or video game that continues the story of, or expands upon, some earlier work. In the common context of a narrative work of fiction, a sequel portrays events set in the same ...

to the film '' Alfie'' (1966), with

Alan Price Alan Price (born 19 April 1942) is an English musician. He was the original keyboardist for the British band the Animals before he left to form his own band the Alan Price Set. He was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1994 as a m ...

taking over

Michael Caine Sir Michael Caine (born Maurice Joseph Micklewhite; 14 March 1933) is an English actor. Known for his distinctive Cockney accent, he has appeared in more than 160 films in a career spanning seven decades, and is considered a British film ico ...

's role of Alfie. Price also penned the movie title song, The film is also known as Oh Alfie!. The Sequel cost £500,000 to produce and promote. eventually ''Alfie Darling'' made £2.5 million at the UK box office, finishing 7th as the most popular movie in the UK. Performed and released as a single by

Cilla Black Priscilla Maria Veronica White (27 May 1943 – 1 August 2015), better known as Cilla Black, was an English singer, actress and television presenter. Championed by her friends the Beatles, Black began her career as a singer in 1963. Her ...

who was also the first to record the title song based on the original movie, penned by

Burt Bacharach Burt Freeman Bacharach ( ; born May 12, 1928) is an American composer, songwriter, record producer and pianist who composed hundreds of pop songs from the late 1950s through the 1980s, many in collaboration with lyricist Hal David. A six-time Gr ...

and

Hal David Harold Lane David (May 25, 1921 – September 1, 2012) was an American lyricist. He grew up in New York City. He was best known for his collaborations with composer Burt Bacharach and his association with Dionne Warwick. Early life David ...

. It is based on the 1970 novel of the same name by

Bill Naughton William John Francis Naughton (12 June 1910 – 9 January 1992) was an Irish-born British playwright and author, best known for his play '' Alfie''. Early life Born into relative poverty in Ballyhaunis, County Mayo, Ireland, he moved to Bo ...

(who wrote the play upon which the first film was based).

Plot

After experiencing a failure in the ending of the earlier film, Alfie - now working as a London to France HGV driver alongside Bakey ( Paul Copley) - decides to get back to his old self. And his new occupation provides new opportunities to do so. The film starts as Bakey drives the truck through customs in France, while Alfie has sex with an English hitchhiker ( Vicki Michelle) in the back until the customs' officer catches her topless. When arriving at their destination, he spots a woman (

Jill Townsend Jill Townsend (born January 25, 1945) is an Anglo-American actress best known for her roles as Elizabeth Chynoweth in ''Poldark'' and Dulcey Coopersmith in the 1967 western television series ''Cimarron Strip''. Life and career Townsend was born ...

) in a

sports car A sports car is a car designed with an emphasis on dynamic performance, such as handling, acceleration, top speed, the thrill of driving and racing capability. Sports cars originated in Europe in the early 1900s and are currently produced by ...

. They start racing until the police break it up. Alfie soon finds comfort by flirting with the married waitress Louise (

Rula Lenska Rula Lenska (born Róża Maria Leopoldyna Łubieńska, 30 September 1947) is a British actress. She mainly appears in British stage and television productions and is known in the United States for a series of television advertisements in the 19 ...

), who takes him to her apartment. During the night, her husband returns from his fishing trip, but Bakey, outside in the truck, sounds the horn as a warning. Alfie later catches up with the woman from the race and learns her name is Abby and that she is a sophisticated magazine editor. When she turns him down, he proceeds to stalk her until, after another car chase, she finally agrees to a date. When Alfie gets his wish, he suffers

erectile dysfunction Erectile dysfunction (ED), also called impotence, is the type of sexual dysfunction in which the penis fails to become or stay erect during sexual activity. It is the most common sexual problem in men.Cunningham GR, Rosen RC. Overview of ma ...

and leaves her apartment in anger. This failure causes him to use his little black book to contact women with whom he has a casual relationship. However, some of these encounters lead him into trouble. He faces the consequences of an encounter with Norma ( Sheila White) and the wrath of the husband of older Fay (

Joan Collins Dame Joan Henrietta Collins (born 23 May 1933) is an English actress, author and columnist. Collins is the recipient of several accolades, including a Golden Globe Award, a People's Choice Award, two Soap Opera Digest Awards and a Primeti ...

), when said husband discovers Alfie's wallet under their bed. With Fay's encouragement, Alfie apologizes to Abby about leaving her apartment in a huff and asks her for a proper dinner. On a holiday in France, he tells her what he never says to his lovers – that he loves her and wants her to marry him. She initially refuses. Alfie angrily insists that he has asked her to marry him, demanding to know what the hell is wrong with her that she refused. As he leaves their hotel room, he tells her that if she is making an idiot of him, he will kill her. Back in the UK, Alfie suffers a minor accident and is bed-ridden. Abby pays him a visit to apologise for refusing his marriage proposal, and expresses her acceptance. She then has to take a quick work-related flight. When Abby leaves for the airport, Alfie's older neighbor, Claire (

Annie Ross Annabelle McCauley Allan Short (25 July 193021 July 2020), known professionally as Annie Ross, was a British-American singer and actress, best known as a member of the jazz vocal trio Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. Early life Ross was born in Surr ...

), hears from another neighbor that Alfie can't move, she lets herself into his apartment and serves him tea. When Alfie comments on Claire's perfume, she reveals her true feelings for him by suddenly entering his bed and taking her top off. She ignores his protests but then her attempts to mount him fix his back, and he escapes before she succeeds in making actual intimate contact. Alfie catches Abby before her flight takes off, and they decide to marry the following day. In the morning Alfie waits for her in the airport, not having heard that her plane has crashed without any survivors. Upon learning the news, Alfie drives to the crash site and cries over the wreckage.

Cast

as Alfie Elkins *

as Abby Summers * Paul Copley as Bakey *

as Fay * Sheila White as Norma *

as Claire * Hannah Gordon as Dora *

as Louise * Minah Bird as Gloria * Derek Smith as Harold * Vicki Michelle as Bird * Brian Wilde as Doctor * Jenny Hanley as Receptionist

Production

The film was based on the novel ''Alfie Darling'' by Bill Naughton, which was published in 1970. It was a sequel to ''Alfie'', which had been a radio play, then play and film. The films starred singer Alan Price who had featured prominently in ''

O Lucky Man! ''O Lucky Man!'' is a 1973 British comedy-drama fantasy film directed by Lindsay Anderson, and starring Malcolm McDowell as Mick Travis, whom McDowell had first played as a disaffected public schoolboy in his first film performance in Ander ...

''.

Patsy Kensit Patricia Jude Kensit (born 4 March 1968) is an English actress and was the lead singer of the pop band Eighth Wonder in the 1980s. Beginning her career as a child actor, Kensit gained attention when she acted in a string of commercials for Bir ...

appears in a small role.

Critical reception

The film was described by one reviewer as a "prize catastrophe". He was critical of Price's performance and described the idea of making him a leading man as "misbegotten". ''

Time Out Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to: Time * Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team * Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken * Timeout (computing), an engine ...

'' called the film "an advert with no product to sell". The ''

Monthly Film Bulletin ''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with ...

'' criticised the film's "coarse triviality." Derek Malcolm in ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers '' The Observer'' and '' The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the ...

'' wrote that the film was "pitched... on the level of '' Confessions of a Window Cleaner''."Of human bondage Malcolm, Derek. The Guardian (1959-2003); London (UK) ondon (UK)6 Mar 1975: 10. ''Filmink'' said it "suffers very, very, very badly in comparison to the original, which turned Michael Caine into a star (you may feel differently if you like Alan Price)."

References

External links

* *
Alfie Darling
at Reel Streets
Alfie Darling
at BFI {{Ken Hughes 1975 films 1975 comedy-drama films Adultery in films British comedy-drama films British sequel films British sex comedy films Casual sex in films 1970s English-language films Films shot at EMI-Elstree Studios Films based on British novels Films directed by Ken Hughes Films set in London 1970s sex comedy films 1970s British films