Alfie Darling
| Alfie Darling | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Directed by | Ken Hughes |
| Produced by | Dugald Rankin |
| Written by | Ken Hughes |
| Starring |
Alan Price Jill Townsend Paul Copley Joan Collins Sheila White |
| Music by | Alan Price |
| Cinematography | Ousama Rawi |
| Edited by | John Trumper |
| Distributed by | Cinema National |
Release dates | 1976 |
Running time | 102 minutes |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
Alfie Darling is a 1975 British comedy drama film directed by Ken Hughes. It is the sequel to the 1966 film Alfie, with Alan Price taking over Michael Caine's role of Alfie. Price also penned the movie title song,[1] performed and released as a single by Cilla Black who was also the first to record the title song based on the original movie, penned by Burt Bacharach and Hal David.
It based on the novel of the same name by Bill Naughton (who wrote the play upon which the first film was based).[2]
Plot
After experiencing a failure in the ending of the last film, Alfie - now working as a 1970s' cross London-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) in a sports car. They start racing until the police break it up. Alfie soon finds comfort by flirting with the married waitress Louise (Rula Lenska), 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 can't perform and leaves her apartment in anger.
This failure causes him to use his little black book to contact various 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), 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. He tells her what he never says to his lovers – that he loves her and wants her to marry him. She agrees. She then has to take a quick work-related flight.
When Abby leaves for the airport, Alfie is bed-ridden due to back pains. When his older neighbor, Claire (Annie Ross), 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
- Alan Price as Alfie Elkins
- Jill Townsend as Abby Summers
- Paul Copley as Bakey
- Joan Collins as Fay
- Sheila White as Norma
- Annie Ross as Claire
- Hannah Gordon as Dora
- Rula Lenska as Louise
- Minah Bird as Gloria
- Derek Smith as Harold
- Vicki Michelle as Bird
- Brian Wilde as Doctor
References
- ↑ "Alfie Darling". Retrieved 21 July 2013.
- ↑ Bill Naughton (1972-04-12). Alfie Darling. Ballantine Books. ISBN 0-345-22590-2.