Alf 'n' Family

I gave this a 6, cinemawise. For those of you who saw the series, it was a 3 or 4. I got 12 episodes of later years from Canada. The earlier years were a scream on the BBC, but then I was younger. This movie had little of its zip.

In the 1960s and 1970s It was customary for British sitcoms to make the leap from the small screen to film and the Garnet family were one of BBC one's successful sitcoms so a film adaptation was inevitable.

Released in 1968 the film is about the early years of Alf and Elsie's marriage during the Blitz in world war two as well as the arrival of their first born child Rita played by Una Stubbs.

The film is pleasant and charming albeit less aggressive in it's interpretation of the politically motivated themes which were scattered throughout the series, the recreation of the period detail of Whopping in world war two is inspired.

The performances are very good Warren Mitchell as Alf slips back into the role he made famous in the British BBC one sitcom ( 1965- 1975) with ease. Dandy Nichols lights up the screen as his wife Elsie, whereas the burgeoning relationship between his daughter Rita once she grows up and her future husband Mike played by Anthony Booth is poignant and charming as can be.

Overall: A worthy big screen adaptation of the popular BBC One series, better than the awful and dreadful sequel which followed in 1972 that started two different actors playing the roles of Mike and Rita as Anthony Booth and Una Stubbs has other work commitments.

The Seventies would see the boom of the sitcom spin off film a very mixed bag but for my generation the first examples of many series' we'd see.

Alf Garnett remains a classic TV character much misunderstood but you can find commentators who can write more eloquently then myself on that.

The film is an interesting mix of Alf in wartime and in the sixties (including the 1966 World cup final) - It's a well made lovingly shot film (the exact opposite of the 2nd film - the truly awful 'The Alf Garnett Saga).

Times have changed and thankfully so - The trailer for the film even uses the racist language Alf spewed - But this film gives an excellent view of the changing times in both eras.

Cast wise all of the main TV cast are here and are as good as ever - One problem for Alf is that Warren Mitchell was such a good actor and managed to make us like the old sod!

A time capsule and well worth seeking out (Network DVD have released the ultimate version).

The Film of the Successful TV series "Till Death us do part" undoubtedly is one of the better TV to Film adaptations. Norman Cohen as mentioned has directed this superbly. (In comparison to Carry On Engalnd you can believe the war situation!) The Whole cast is present from the TV Series which is a bonus in itself. (Of which let down films such as Rising Damp - easier to not do it at all) Warren Mitchell & Dandy Nichols really do play up to expectations.

Usual errors within TV-Film adaptations is Recycled Material and/or weak plot lines/jokes. Till death us do part exceeds all these pitfalls and comes out trumps.

As Alf would say "bloody marvellous innit!" - and i would attribute that to this film!

The life and times of the bigoted East End docker Alf Garnett (WARREN MITCHELL) from the second world war up until the late 1960's. Events include the birth of Alf's daughter Rita, Alf being called up for war service, the 1966 UK general election and Rita's (UNA STUBBS) wedding to Mike(ANTHONY BOOTH).

In the late sixties and early seventies, practically every popular British sitcom had it's own big-screen spin-off and the result was quite often disastrous with the exception of ON THE BUSES (1971), which proved to be the most popular British film of that year and MAN ABOUT THE HOUSE was a sizeable hit on its release in 1974. The first spin-off from the popular yet highly controversial BBC sitcom TILL DEATH US DO PART is far from being bad, but it seems comparatively tame with the TV series. There are moments such as Alf at the 1966 World Cup and during the year's general election where the British Labour party was returned with a landslide; but they fail to pack the same punch that has made the TV original become a milestone in the history of British television as it changed the way TV said things and how it said it. However, the original cast performs cheerfully and the film has a nice sense of place and period thanks to the photography of veteran British cinematographer Harry Waxman whose credits include BRIGHTON ROCK (1947) and THE WICKER MAN (1973). Very few movies of this nature were fortunate to have such a distinguished veteran of the industry behind the camera and another thing that works in the film's favour is that it opens up the story of the Garnett family (although it occasionally conflicts with how the TV series sometimes depicted the beginning) rather than just being an extended episode

Followed by a sequel entitled THE ALF GARNETT SAGA (1972), which was even more crude and out of character.