Alfie (Burt Bacharach song) Alfie (Burt Bacharach song) "Alfie" is a song written by Burt Bacharach and Hal David to promote the 1966 film "Alfie". The song was a major hit for Cilla Black (UK) and Dionne Warwick (US). Although Bacharach has cited "Alfie" as his personal favorite of his compositions, he and Hal David were not eager to write a song to promote the film "Alfie" (a release from Paramount Pictures, which owned Famous Music) when approached by Ed Wolpin of the Composers' Guild. David thought the title character's name pedestrian: "Writing a song about a man called 'Alfie' didn't seem too exciting
Lewis Gilbert Sky" (1956) (based on the life of air ace Douglas Bader), "Carve Her Name with Pride" (1958) (the story of SOE agent Violette Szabo) and "Sink the Bismarck!" (1960). Gilbert directed "Alfie" (1966) starring Michael Caine. Gilbert's wife Hylda discovered the play by Bill Naughton when she visited the hair salon and sat next to an actress who was in a production. Upon seeing the play, Hylda urged Gilbert to make it into a film. Gilbert used the technique of having the lead character speak directly to the viewer, a technique he later also used in "Shirley Valentine" (1989). Gilbert