Adaptation Displacement: The film is much better known than either the play or the novel it's based on.
And You Thought It Would Fail: Terence Stamp had starred in a stage version in America which was unsuccessful. He was offered the lead role in the film, but felt that if it didn't work on the stage, it wouldn't work as a film.
Award Snub: It received five Academy Award nominations and went home empty-handed. Lewis Gilbert was nominated for Best Picture, but not Best Director.
Values Dissonance: The portrayal of Lily's abortion has a very pre-Roe v. Wade attitude toward the subject, to the point of the story stopping dead in its tracks so Alfie can give a big speech about his guilt over it.
What Do You Mean, It's Not for Kids?: The film is rated PG in the USA, but it is NOT for kids. It's about a playboy who can't stop having casual sexual relations with women and slowly finds emptiness through this pattern. He has extremely sexist attitudes and frequently refers to several of his many partners as "it" rather than "she" — hardly something children should be watching. It also deals with very mature themes like abortion, emptiness in relations, and the mental and physical consequences of such themes. When it was released in 1966, the subject matter initially warranted a "mature audience" advisory — however, in 1972 it was re-rated at PG note back when that meant "parental guidance suggested - some material may not be suitable for pre-teenagers" and before the PG-13 rating was adopted in 1984 . In most countries it has a Category 4 rating (in the UK, for example, it's nowadays rated 15), but the US still retains the PG rating.
For the 2004 film:
Tough Act to Follow: The 1966 film is considered a classic; this one is not.
