Alfie (1966 film)

Alfie
original movie poster
Directed by	Lewis Gilbert
Produced by	Lewis Gilbert
Written by	Bill Naughton
Starring	Michael Caine Shelley Winters Millicent Martin Vivien Merchant Jane Asher Julia Foster
Music by	Sonny Rollins
Cinematography	Otto Heller
Editing by	Thelma Connell
Distributed by	Paramount Pictures
Release date(s)	March, 1966 (UK release)
Running time	114 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Budget	$800,000 (estimated)
Box office	$8,500,000 (USA only)

Alfie is a 1966 British film directed by Lewis Gilbert, starring Michael Caine. It is an adaptation by Bill Naughton of his own novel and play of the same name. The film was released by Paramount Pictures.

Alfie tells the story of a young man (Caine) who leads a self-centered life, purely for his own enjoyment, until events force him to question his uncaring behavior and his aloneness. Alfie frequently breaks the fourth wall by speaking directly to the camera narrating and justifying his actions. His words often contrast with or totally contradict his actions.

The film was followed by Alfie Darling in 1975, with Alan Price replacing Caine in the title role.

Synopsis

The film begins with Alfie Elkins (Caine) ending a relationship with a married woman (Millicent Martin) and getting the woman from another of his affairs, Gilda (Julia Foster), pregnant. The film then follows his life for a few years, documenting events that lead to the character's emotional growth, starting with the birth of his son.

Watching his child grow brings out a more caring side of Alfie, including his having a health check in case of hereditary diseases, but his inability to commit to the child's mother leads to her marrying a bus conductor (Graham Stark). The health check reveals Alfie has shadows on his lungs, and this, combined with being banned from seeing his son, leads him to have a small breakdown.

Alfie then spends some time in a convalescent home. Here he meets Harry (Alfie Bass), who confronts him about his delusion that he is doing no harm, and Harry's wife (Vivien Merchant), whom he gets pregnant in a one-night stand. Later on in the film, the ensuing abortion is a turning point for the character, and the only time other than his passing out/breakdown where he exhibits real emotion - breaking down in tears at the sight of the aborted fetus.

In the meantime, he meets Ruby (Shelley Winters), who is an older, voluptuous, affluent and promiscuous American, while freelancing taking holiday photos of tourists near the Tower of London. Later, as a cabby, he picks up a young hitchhiker, Annie (Jane Asher) from Sheffield, looking to make a fresh start in London, who moves in with him and is prepared to do anything to earn her keep, scrubbing his floor, doing his laundry, and preparing his meals. He soon grows resentful of the relationship and drives her out after an angry outburst, too late regretting what he has just done.

At the film's climax, Alfie decides to change his non-committal ways and settle down. Unfortunately, the day he chooses to suggest this to Ruby, he finds a younger man in her bed, leaving him disheartened at the film's end and wondering “What's it all about? You know what I mean.”

The film is unusual in that it has no opening credits and the end credits features photos of the principal actors, as well as of the main technical crew, including director Lewis Gilbert and cameraman Otto Heller.

Music

Main article: Alfie (album)

The original British film soundtrack featured jazz saxophonist Sonny Rollins with local musicians. The released album featured Rollins, but with other musicians. The title song, "Alfie", was written by Burt Bacharach, and was a hit for Cilla Black, Cher and Dionne Warwick.

Awards and recognition

The film won the Special Jury Prize at the 1966 Cannes Film Festival. It was also nominated for several Academy Awards including Best Actor in a Leading Role (Michael Caine), Best Actress in a Supporting Role (Vivien Merchant), Best Song (Burt Bacharach and Hal David for "Alfie") (a UK hit record for Cilla Black, but performed by Millicent Martin in the original UK release and Dionne Warwick in the American print of the movie), Best Picture and Best Writing (Screenplay Based on Material from Another Medium).

In 2004 the magazine Total Film named it the 48th greatest British film of all time.

Cast

• Michael Caine as Alfred "Alfie" Elkins
• Shelley Winters as Ruby
• Millicent Martin as Siddie
• Julia Foster as Gilda
• Jane Asher as Annie
• Shirley Anne Field as Carla
• Vivien Merchant as Lily
• Eleanor Bron as The Doctor
• Denholm Elliott as The Abortionist
• Alfie Bass as Harry Clamacraft
• Graham Stark as Humphrey
• Murray Melvin as Nat
• Sydney Tafler as Frank

Remake

Main article: Alfie (2004 film)

The film was remade in 2004 in an updated version starring Jude Law.

References in popular culture

• Much dialogue from the film was sampled by the band Carter USM for their 1991 album 30 Something.

• The LP, "Nino Tempo's Rock 'N Roll Beach Party" (1956 Liberty Records … LRP3023) can be seen hanging in Alfie's apartment in several key scenes.

• New York post-hardcore band Polar Bear Club references "Alfie Elkins '66" in their song "Drifting Thing" off their 2009 release Chasing Hamburg.

• The soundtrack to Austin Powers in Goldmember (in which Michael Caine appears) contains a song entitled "Alfie (What's it All About Austin)". This song is a cover of the title song of the movie, with all occurrences of "Alfie" replaced with "Austin".

• The film inspired The Divine Comedy's Becoming More Like Alfie, which samples its opening dialogue in its introduction.

See also

• BFI Top 100 British films

External links

• Alfie at the Internet Movie Database
• Alfie at AllRovi
• "Michael Caine's Russian Home" (in Russian language). caine-home.narod.ru. http://caine-home.narod.ru/60-16/60-16.html. Retrieved 2008-03-31. , Screenshots from the film

Awards
Preceded by Kwaidan	Special Jury Prize, Cannes 1966	Succeeded by No award 1967-8 Z (1969)