Till Death Us Do Part (film)

Till Death Us Do Part

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	1968
Founder	Norman Cohen (director), Johnny Speight (writer)
Products	Comedy film

Till Death Us Do Part—also referred to as Alf'n' Family'—is a 1968 British comedy film directed by Norman Cohen, scripted by Johnny Speight, and featuring performances by Warren Mitchell and Dandy Nichols. This movie adapts the BBC television series of the same title, created by Speight. A follow-up film, The Alf Garnett Saga, was released in 1972.

Plot

Set in September 1939, just prior to the outbreak of World War II, the story centers on Alf Garnett, a dockworker, and his wife Else during the early days of their marriage. Although Alf is called up for military service, his reserved occupation exempts him. The narrative tracks their experiences throughout the London Blitz, highlighting Else’s pregnancy and the birth of their daughter Rita in 1942. The war concludes in 1945 with a street celebration where Alf becomes intoxicated.

The timeline then advances to the 1966 General Election. Rita is engaged to Mike Rawlins, a Liverpool-born layabout and Labour supporter whom Alf dislikes intensely. Their marriage takes place in a Catholic church, igniting tensions within the family. Despite disagreements at the wedding reception, Alf and Mike develop a tentative rapport during the 1966 FIFA World Cup final.

The film ends in 1968 as the family moves to a newly constructed tower block in Essex following the demolition of their East End street.

Cast

• Warren Mitchell as Alf Garnett
• Dandy Nichols as Else Garnett
• Una Stubbs as Rita Rawlins
• Antony Booth as Mike Rawlins
• Liam Redmond as Mr. Rawlins
• Bill Maynard as Bert
• Brian Blessed as sergeant
• Sam Kydd as Fred
• Frank Thornton as valuation officer
• Ann Lancaster as woman at the flats
• Michael Robbins as pub landlord
• Pat Coombs as neighbour
• Kate Williams as sergeant's girlfriend
• Shelagh Fraser as Mrs. Rawlins
• 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

Initially, Don Sharp was attached to direct but was replaced following disagreements with Johnny Speight over the script. Funding was secured from the Robert Stigwood Organisation. Despite exceeding its initial budget, the film managed to recover costs through a successful run in cinemas. Filming locations included areas within the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. The closing credits feature a theme composed by Ray Davies of the Kinks, performed by Chas Mills.

This film operates within its own continuity separate from the television series, notably portraying the Garnett family’s relocation from Wapping, an event not depicted in either the TV show or its sequel.

Critical

The Monthly Film Bulletin critiqued the movie for losing much of the sharpness found in its television counterpart, describing it as "formless and uneven" with weakened satire and uninspired direction that leaned heavily on crude humor. The review highlighted how the original’s instructive tone was diminished, resulting in audiences laughing alongside Alf rather than at him.

Conversely, Time Out commended the film for maintaining authentic character portrayals without merely piecing together episodes from the TV series.

Critic Leslie Halliwell considered it an "unremarkable and frequently misguided" adaptation of a popular television program but acknowledged that the cast delivered dedicated performances.

Box office performance

In 1969, Till Death Us Do Part achieved the position of the third highest-grossing movie at the United Kingdom box office.