Till Death Us Do Part

Before Carroll O'Connor's Archie Bunker there was Warren Mitchell's Alf Garnett, the bigoted protagonist of the British TV show that Norman Lear transformed into All in the Family. But this DVD doesn't offer episodes of the series. It's a spin-off feature, part prequel and part summing up. The first half depicts the early years of the Garnett marriage (Dandy Nichols plays Alf's unfortunate wife Else), centering on the problems imposed by World War II and the birth of a child. The second section skips ahead 20 years to show Alf wreaking havoc on the wedding of their daughter Rita (Una Stubbs) to liberal son-in-law Mike (Anthony Booth), while the final segment involves Alf's typically bumptious effort to save the family homestead from government demolition. Though the disc will doubtlessly attract fans of the series, it's unlikely to appeal to newcomers. Till Death Us Do Part was a far harsher show than the American adaptation--Alf and Else have little of the warmth of Archie and Edith, and the younger couple is also less fully characterized--and much of the humor is of a provincial type that doesn't survive the Atlantic crossing. The DVD offers no extras beyond the theatrical trailer. Not recommended. (F. Swietek)