Alfie (1966) - Quotes

Exploring the Essence of Alfie

Taglines: What's it all about... Alfie.

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Is Every Man an Alfie?

Taglines: Is every man an Alfie? Ask any girl.

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Living for Yourself Beyond Relationships

Alfie: With a bird, you can never tell where it's been, nor what it's done.

Harry: Here, would you mind saying "she". You're talking about my wife.

Alfie: She or it, they're all birds. What you've got to do, Harry, is start living for yourself. Like I do.

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Tension Between Alfie and Ruby

Alfie: Here, don't you dig your nails in again like you did last Thursday night. I've got scratches all down me back.

Ruby: Here, I may do more than that to you today.

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The Impact of Choices on Relationships

Alfie: Harry, all I want is for you to see life, see what it is, and what it does to you. I never wanted to hurt you, Harry. I never want to hurt anybody.

Harry: No, I suppose not. But you do, Alfie. You do.

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Breaking the Rules of Sleep

Carla: You should be in bed.

Alfie: I couldn't sleep, so I come down and made meself a cup of tea.

Carla: You're not supposed to.

Alfie: I've been doing things all my life I'm not supposed to.

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Entitlement to Secret Thoughts in Relationships

Annie: Them's my secret thoughts.

Alfie: You ain't entitled to secret thoughts - not livin with me!

Annie: Everyone's entitled to secret thoughts.

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Starting Over in a Steamy Situation

Siddie: [inside a parked car] Here, are you starting all over again?

Alfie: What about if I am?

Siddie: Well, supposing the police was to come along?

Alfie: Let em come. The windows are steamed up, the doors are locked. It's like a Turkish bath in here.

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Searching for Meaning in Life's Pursuits

Alfie Elkins: You know what? When I look back on my little life and the birds I've known, and think of all the things they've done for me and the little I've done for them, you'd think I've had the best of it along the line. But what have I got out of it? I've got a bob or two, some decent clothes, a car, I've got me health back and I ain't attached. But I ain't got me peace of mind - and if you ain't got that, you ain't got nothing. I dunno. It seems to me if they ain't got you one way they've got you another. So what's the answer? That's what I keep asking myself - what's it all about? Know what I mean?

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The Persistence of Attraction

Alfie Elkins: If a bird ain't got you one way, she's got you another.

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Perception of Beauty Through the Heart

Alfie Elkins: Do you know, I'm beginning to think she was beautiful. After all, it ain't through the eyes that you feel beauty, it's how the heart hungers for something that makes it beautiful.

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Living for Yourself in a Selfish World

Alfie Elkins: You've got to live for yourself in this world, not for others.

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Independence in Life's Journey

Alfie Elkins: It don't do to get dependent on nobody in this life.

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Managing Temptation in Relationships

Alfie Elkins: When a married woman gets too hot on, it's time to cool off.

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Acceptance of Relationship Dynamics

Alfie Elkins: I told Gilda from the start that I ain't the marrying sort. And do you know what? She don't mind. She's a stand-by and she knows it. And any bird that knows its place in this world can be quite content.

The Value of Irreplaceable Relationships

Alfie Elkins: If you lose a bird you can always replace her. But with a child it's different.

Embracing Imperfections in Relationships

Alfie Elkins: She's got a little ginger moustache. But I find I'm quite willing to overlook the odd blemish in a woman, providing she's got something to make up for it. Well, that's what we're all here for, innit - to help each other out in this life.

Rejecting Respect and Its Implications

Alfie Elkins: I don't want no bird's respect - I wouldn't know what to do with it.

Perceptions of Beauty in Relationships

Alfie Elkins: [about Gilda's appearance while she is pregnant] Mind you, she came over quite beautified for a while, particularly during the early months. And I told her: I said "Blimey, girl, you ain't as ugly as I thought".

Love and Appearances in Alfie's Life

Alfie Elkins: I've never told her that I love her - except at those times when you've got to say something for appearance's sake.

Changing Nature of Love

Alfie Elkins: What I loved once and what I love now are two different things.

The Importance of Laughter in Relationships

Alfie Elkins: A married woman, see. Every one of em in need of a good laugh. It don't never strike their husbands. I always say, make a married woman laugh and you're halfway there with her. Of course, it don't work with the single bird. Start you off on the wrong foot. You get one of them laughing, you won't get nothing else.