Till Death Us Do Part (film)
Till Death Us Do Part is a 1969 film directed by Norman Cohen, written by Johnny Speight, and starring Warren Mitchell and Dandy Nichols. It was based on the BBC television series of the same name. Speight was the creator of the television version. The film was considered successful enough at the box office that a sequel, The Alf Garnett Saga, followed in 1972.[2]
| Till Death Us Do Part | |
|---|---|
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| Directed by | Norman Cohen |
| Produced by | Jon Penington |
| Written by | Johnny Speight |
| Starring | Warren Mitchell Dandy Nichols |
| Music by | Wilfred Burns |
| Cinematography | Harry Waxman |
| Edited by | Anthony Lenny |
| Distributed by | British Lion UK |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 min. |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Budget | £300,000[1] |
| Box office | £1 million[1] |
Plot
The film begins in September 1939 shortly before World War II begins. Alf Garnett, a dockyard worker, and his wife Else have been married for only a few weeks, and are already weary of one another. Alf gets called up for military duty but is turned down because he's in a reserved occupation. The film depicts their lives during the London Blitz. Else eventually gets pregnant to Alf and Else's shock, and they have a baby daughter, Rita, in 1942. The war ends in 1945 with a huge street party and Alf, characteristically, gets drunk.
Midway through the film it advances from the end of World War II to the 1966 General Election. Rita is now a young woman and engaged to Mike Rawlins, a long-haired layabout from Liverpool. Alf dislikes him because of his support for the Labour Party. Mike and Rita marry in a Catholic church, further angering Alf. At the wedding supper he fights with Mike's family. But Alf and Mike grow a bit closer, attending the 1966 FIFA World Cup Final together.
The film ends in 1968 with the family moving to a new tower block in Essex after their East End neighbourhood street is demolished.
Cast
- Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett
- Dandy Nichols as Else Garnett
- Una Stubbs as Rita (the daughter)
- Antony Booth as Mike (the boyfriend)
- Liam Redmond as Mike's Father
- Bill Maynard as Bert
- Brian Blessed as Sergeant
- Sam Kydd as Fred
- Frank Thornton as Valuation Officer
- Ann Lancaster as Woman at Block of Flats
- Michael Robbins as Pub Landlord
- Pat Coombs as Neighbour
- Kate Williams as Sergeant's Girlfriend
- Shelagh Fraser as Mike's Mother
- John D. Collins as RAF officer at Tube Station
- Geoffrey Hughes as Mike's brother
- Tommy Godfrey as Knowledgeable man in pub
- Bob Grant as Man in Pub
- Edward Evans as Jim (shopkeeper)
Production
The film had investment from the Robert Stigwood Organisation.[3]
The film went over budget but recovered its cost with a successful theatre run.[1]
Reception
Critical
Time Out wrote, "In its favour, it preserves the original characterisations at something like full strength and doesn't attempt to stitch three weekly episodes together and pass it off as a feature."[4]
Box office
Till Death Us Do Part was the third-most popular film at the UK box office in 1969.[5]
Notes
- The theme tune was composed by Ray Davies of the Kinks. Sung by Chas Mills, it is heard briefly at the end of the film over the closing credits.
- Location footage was filmed in Tower Hamlets.
- The movie operates in a separate continuity to that of the TV series, most notably the Garnetts moving out of Wapping which did not occur in the series or its continuation.
References
- Oakes, Philip (20 August 1972). "Digging for TV Treasure". Sunday Times (7784). p. 38.
- The Alf Garnett Saga
- City comment: Thanks to the pound Swan, Hunter; Stigwood, Robert. The Guardian 2 August 1972: 16.
- "Till Death Us Do Part | review, synopsis, book tickets, showtimes, movie release date | Time Out London". Timeout.com. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
- "The World's Top Twenty Films." Sunday Times [London, England] 27 September 1970: 27. The Sunday Times Digital Archive. accessed 5 April 2014