Alfie Darling

Nearly a decade after Michael Caine's womanizing "Alfie" (1966) took the English-speaking world by storm, the cocky Cockney returned in the form of animalistic Alan Price. This time he's a trucker, communing from woman to woman, with partner Paul Copley (as Bakey). As expected, "Alfie Darling" gets bitten by the commitment bug, this time in the form of Jill Townsend (as Abby Summers). This film has some similarities to the later "Alfie" (2004), starring Jude Law (eg Mr. Copley and his girlfriend).

Mr. Price, the rock musician who worked so memorably with Eric Burdon and "The Animals" (as well as on his own), hasn't the "fourth wall" cheekiness of Caine, but he and director Ken Hughes makes this "Alfie Darling" sexier than the other two, with a greater emphasis on female flesh. A version for television cut out all the naughty bits, so look around. Also missing is an ending which, while a real downer, makes the trimmed version inconsequential; originally, it felt like a castration. Take your pick.

***** Alfie Darling (1975) Ken Hughes ~ Alan Price, Jill Townsend, Paul Copley, Joan Collins

Alfie Darling, the sequel to the classic ALFIE, is a pleasant old fashioned romp, that keeps you interested, but is not in the class of the original. The very handsome lead looks like a young Joe Dallesandro (cult underground actor for Andy Warhol) and is quite adequate in making you believe he's a big 'ladies man'. He also shows a bit of sweetness to go with those boyish good looks.

I'm not condemning this film for being sexist, its more titillating, and typical of the type of films they were showing as the second feature at Drive-Ins at the time. Its also great to see Joan Collins, a few years before she did Dynasty, showing a lot more than expected, actually totally topless. She plays a sort of well to do lady who likes to be wined and dined with all the charms and graces, but is also very kinky in the sack. Her scenes are quite camp actually, and worth seeing this film for, if you liked her in The Stud and The Bitch. Joan Collins is a sweetheart in real life, whom I met once at a book signing, and is a living treasure to this day. Robert. Australia.

This film is a curiosity only, though quite entertaining and enjoyable in parts...it really doesn't compare with the original Alfie on any level. Still, great to see the wonderful Paul Copley with so much hair! Mainly I've written to challenge the ludicrous assertion by "reviewer" DC1977 that Alan Price is "a second rate musician". He wasn't much of an actor, sure, but as a founder member of The Animals, he's one of the greatest rock organists to come out of the sixties, right up there with Matthew Fisher from Procol Harum, Jon Lord from Deep Purple and Goldy McJohn from Steppenwolf. DC1977s comment is, quite simply, idiotic. Thankyou, and goodnight!

This is a pointless sequel to a classic sixties film. It features a leading man who can't act of a character who would today end up in jail for sexual harassment. Its cheap and nasty and leaves a bad taste in the mouth.

Not surprisingly this was Price's last feature film. He should have stuck to the music.

I bought this film for its curiosity value as a belated, little known sequel to the 60's classic that established Michael Caine as an international star.

As the film progressed, I found myself becoming curious about a number of other things:

If the film is close at all to the source material, then why did the author, Bill Naughton, have Alfie revert to his old tricks when he had obviously learnt a painful lesson and finally grown up at the end of the first story?

Was the character/personality of Alfie totally transformed in the new story by Naughton or by the bizarre casting of a third rate actor who should have stuck with being a second rate musician?

Why did those responsible for this decision choose a Geordie who can't act to take on a role that remains synonymous with probably the world's most famous Cockney? A Geordie who, in fact, was unproven having never before played a significant role on screen and had none of the charm or charisma that is an essential ingredient of the central character's appeal.

If Alfie is such a master of seduction, why does he constantly make childish sexual comments like a schoolboy trying to convince his friends that he's lost his virginity?

Why was the bizarre mating ritual car chase included when it seems so artificial and contrived? I'll attempt to answer this one. Maybe there was a preview screening and the unanimous feedback was 'Good film, well done! Stick in a car chase and you may have an Oscar contender on your hands...'

What was the thinking behind the unnecessary 'tragic' ending? Was it an attempt to match the gravitas of the first film or to establish Alfie as a man who behind the shallow exterior has feelings like the rest of us?

Does the quality of the film justify the time it would take to consider these points?

No.

Does it justify the few minutes I have spent writing about it?

Probably not, unless it persuades those that read this review not to make the same mistake I did i.e. allow their curiosity to get the better of them and end up buying a film they will watch once and never want to see again.

P.S. The kind of people (like scarecrow-14) who dismiss as 'idiotic' any comment they disagree with say far more about themselves than they will ever do about the people they are trying to criticise.

The argument for Alan Price NOT being a second rate musician is that he is right up there with Matthew Fisher of Procol Harum.

In their 43 year career, how many number 1's did Procol Harum have in the UK singles' charts?

The answer is...

The same as the number of times I will watch Alfie Darling.