Alfie (1966)
Director:
Lewis Gilbert
Tagline:
« Michael Caine is Alfie is Wicked ! »
Actors:
Alfie
Ruby
Siddie
Gilda
Annie
Carla
Lily Clamacraft
The Doctor
The Abortionist
Harry Clamacraft
Genres:Comedy, Drama
Writer:
screenplay, based on the play: "Alfie"
Trailer:
Alfie (1966)
Keywords:swinging london, womanizer, infidelity, breaking the fourth wall, character name as title, british sex comedy, sex comedy, england, united kingdom, ladies' man
Trivias:
uncategorized: For her few scenes with Sir Michael Caine, Shelley Winters couldn't understand his dialogue at all, due to his strong Cockney accent, and had to wait until her leading man stopped moving his lips before responding with her lines.
uncategorized: This film cost only £500,000, about which director Lewis Gilbert famously quipped that the sum was "the sort of money studio executives spend on cigar bills."
uncategorized: On its original release, the film had an all-instrumental soundtrack, by Sonny Rollins. The Oscar®-nominated song, by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was added for the American release, and to a U.K. re-release. For the U.K. re-release, the song was sung by Cilla Black over the end credits, which went to number nine on the British charts. For the U.S. release, the song was originally to be sung by Dionne Warwick over the end credits, but was replaced at the last minute by the version sung by Cher. Ironically, Warwick's version outperformed Cher's on the Billboard charts. Burt Bacharach produced Black's version, although Sir George Martin insisted his be the only name to be credited.
uncategorized: For her few scenes with Sir Michael Caine, Shelley Winters couldn't understand his dialogue at all, due to his strong Cockney accent, and had to wait until her leading man stopped moving his lips before responding with her lines.
uncategorized: This film cost only £500,000, about which director Lewis Gilbert famously quipped that the sum was "the sort of money studio executives spend on cigar bills."
uncategorized: On its original release, the film had an all-instrumental soundtrack, by Sonny Rollins. The Oscar®-nominated song, by Burt Bacharach and Hal David, was added for the American release, and to a U.K. re-release. For the U.K. re-release, the song was sung by Cilla Black over the end credits, which went to number nine on the British charts. For the U.S. release, the song was originally to be sung by Dionne Warwick over the end credits, but was replaced at the last minute by the version sung by Cher. Ironically, Warwick's version outperformed Cher's on the Billboard charts. Burt Bacharach produced Black's version, although Sir George Martin insisted his be the only name to be credited.
Goofs:
continuity: When Alfie is in the doctor's office and looks out of the window at the funeral, the window frame is of a different sort from the one of the interior.
continuity: When Alfie speaks with Siddie in the final scene, the ambient light level varies between twilight and dark night.
continuity: In Alfie's final monologue to camera, the backdrop changes between cuts, from a view of the South Bank/Royal Festival Hall indicating Alfie is on the North Bank, to a view of the Houses of Parliament that would be visible from the South Bank only.
revealing mistake: Alfie's seduction of Lilly takes place in midsummer. The next time she is seen, it is said that three months have elapsed. However, the foliage still indicates it to be midsummer.
revealing mistake: When Alfie encounters the church where he sees Malcolm, the church bell chimes the top of the hour. But the clock in the steeple shows not quite half past the hour.
continuity: When Alfie is in the doctor's office and looks out of the window at the funeral, the window frame is of a different sort from the one of the interior.
continuity: When Alfie speaks with Siddie in the final scene, the ambient light level varies between twilight and dark night.
continuity: In Alfie's final monologue to camera, the backdrop changes between cuts, from a view of the South Bank/Royal Festival Hall indicating Alfie is on the North Bank, to a view of the Houses of Parliament that would be visible from the South Bank only.
revealing mistake: Alfie's seduction of Lilly takes place in midsummer. The next time she is seen, it is said that three months have elapsed. However, the foliage still indicates it to be midsummer.
revealing mistake: When Alfie encounters the church where he sees Malcolm, the church bell chimes the top of the hour. But the clock in the steeple shows not quite half past the hour.
Plots:
Unrepentant ladies' man Alfie Elkins gradually begins to understand the consequences of his lifestyle in 1960s London.
For Alfie, the only real life is sex life. Only then, can he kid himself he is living. Sex is not used as the working-class boy's way to "the top". Executive status has no appeal for Alfie. Nor has class mobility. He is quite content to stay where he is, as long as the "birds" are in "beautiful condition", as he assures us they are in one of the candid, over-the-shoulder asides to the camera which this movie carries over from Tom Jones (1963). This movie shows how much of the "swinging 60s" quality of London life was a male creation, and through the dominance of the fashion photographers, a male prerogative.
Alfie is a young man from the working classes of London. He is confident, charming, totally self-centered and very successful with the ladies; using them for his immediate pleasure without emotional involvement and leaving a trail of emotional devastation. His callousness toward these women contrasts with the delusion that he causes no harm; he is just teaching life's lessons.
For Alfie, the only real life is sex life. Only then, can he kid himself he is living. Sex is not used as the working-class boy's way to "the top". Executive status has no appeal for Alfie. Nor has class mobility. He is quite content to stay where he is, as long as the "birds" are in "beautiful condition", as he assures us they are in one of the candid, over-the-shoulder asides to the camera which this movie carries over from Tom Jones (1963). This movie shows how much of the "swinging 60s" quality of London life was a male creation, and through the dominance of the fashion photographers, a male prerogative.
Alfie is a young man from the working classes of London. He is confident, charming, totally self-centered and very successful with the ladies; using them for his immediate pleasure without emotional involvement and leaving a trail of emotional devastation. His callousness toward these women contrasts with the delusion that he causes no harm; he is just teaching life's lessons.
Related movies:
Featured in: Paramount Presents (Clip shown in a montage.) , Northern Lights (Clip shown.) , Making It in London (Clips shown and film discussed.)
Followed by: Alfie Darling
Featured in: Paramount Presents (Clip shown in a montage.) , Northern Lights (Clip shown.) , Making It in London (Clips shown and film discussed.)
Followed by: Alfie Darling
Official websites:
AllMovie,
BigScreen.com,
CinemaClock.com,
Film Dope,
IMCDb.org,
Indiemoviez,
Movie Dude's Pictorial Filmography of Screen Actors,
MovieMeter
Alfie 1966 Part 1
bettyfelon1 19 April 2009 22:33