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This movie from 1975 is a sequel to the very successful original ‘Alfie’ which was released in 1966. That film starred Michael Caine as the Cockney wide-boy ‘bedding birds’ around 1960’s London. In this follow-up that character Alfie Elkins is now played by Alan Price and he is now a long-distance trans-European HGV driver. The setting is now 1970’s London and France. This film is nowhere near as good as the original, the real problem lies with the fact that Alan Price is a far better musician than he is an actor. His acting was passable in ‘Oh Lucky Man’ but here – in the lead role – his monotonous Geordie monotone begins to grate over the course of the 90-minute film. However he is still chasing the women and a number of faces crop up in this film who went on to achieve greater fame elsewhere. That’s the real fun in this movie – watching out for them - I’m sure many of them regretted their appearance here in retrospect! First his cab-mate/co-driver is played by Paul Copley, seen here as a slim and long-haired 20-something. And despite the genre of this film he keeps his clothes on throughout – interesting as U.K. viewers saw him recently in an episode of the TV series ‘Shameless’ in an extended full-frontal scene. Paul is now of course middle-aged with considerably less hair but more lard around his stomach! Not a pretty sight. Also appearing as one of Alfies’s birds is Vicki Michelle (her appearance spans the opening titles). Her topless scene here features her as an English teacher in France. She later became famous of course as Yvette in the BBC’s ‘Allo Allo’ comedy series, playing a French waitress trying to speak English! Another of Alfie’s girls is played by Joan Collins, again another topless scene several years before her Stud/Bitch ‘disco’ movie money-spinners. And then there is Rula Lenska in another topless scene , she is a star of many movies and TV plays shown here in U.K. And Sheila White, a couple of years before her supporting role as Rosie Noggett in the ‘Confessions’ movies. Also the lovely Hannah Gordon – sadly fully clothed here throughout though! Her daughter is played by Patsy Kensit making a VERY young (and dentally-challenged) appearance here. Brian Wilde crops up as a doctor, before his many years playing Foggy in the long-running BBC comedy series ‘Last of the Summer Wine’. Annie Ross also appears as yet another girlfriend – again topless. However the main attention of Alfie’s desires throughout this film is Abby Summers, played by Jill Townsend, who went on to play Elizabeth in the ‘Poldark’ TV series. Alfie pursues her in France, in her London office and eventually via a car-chase which features jumps and speeded-up film – like something out of ‘Dukes of Hazzard’ in fact. As she is driving a compact Triumph Spitfire and he is driving a large American V8 convertible (I believe it’s a Pontiac Firebird - could any U.S reviewer please confirm) he does of course catch up with her. They begin a relationship but there is a twist at the end which I won’t reveal here as no spoilers! In summary, this is an average film, quite watchable, but ultimately a sad sequel to its far superior predecessor.Read full review
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