Alf Garnett actor Warren Mitchell dies aged 89

[DU99]

Actor Warren Mitchell, best known for playing the outspoken Alf Garnett, has died aged 89.
Mitchell, who portrayed the Cockney dockyard worker in the 1960s BBC show Till Death Do Us Part, passed away in the early hours of today surrounded by his loved ones, his family said.
His great-nephew, Jerry Barnett, first revealed the tragic news on Twitter this morning.
Mr Barnett, a photographer, wrote: 'Just got the news my great uncle Warren Mitchell (aka Alf Garnett) died last night. The last of his generation, wonderful and funny man RIP.'
Mitchell's family later released a statement, saying the star 'cracked jokes' until the end.
'Sadly we can confirm Warren Mitchell died in the early hours of Saturday November 14 surrounded by his family,' the statement said.
'He has been in poor health for some time, but was cracking jokes to the last.'
The exact cause of the actor's death is unclear.
Born in in Stoke Newington, London, in January 1926, Mitchell scooped a Best TV Actor BAFTA Award in 1967 for his role as Garnett in Till Death Us Do Part, created by Johnny Speight.
He also starred as the character in spin-off series in the 1980s and '90s, including Till Death... and In Sickness and in Health, and in the chat show The Thoughts Of Chairman Alf.
But while he rose to fame for playing the loud-mouthed, chauvinistic, homophobic, sexist and racist Garnett, Mitchell was in reality a left-wing socialist, the antithesis of the character he immortalised.
Even 40 years after the BBC sitcom was running, Mitchell continued to be stopped in the street by people who really thought he was the working-class, anti-Semitic Tory bigot he portrayed.
Although the actor himself was Jewish, he once admitted he was 'a bit like' Garnett.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LwltHgRVVcw​

 

[real_beer]

Till Death Do Us Part was the show that first made me aware of bigotry and racism as a young boy. It was a very clever idea to use comedy to highlight such a bad problem, it helped me decide at a young age that I'd always try to treat all people equally, along the lines of Peter Ustinoff who classified himself as a World Citizen. You can't do much better than reach a ripe old age and pass away in bed with your loved ones around you. Although if you had no family a willing hot chick and dying on the job would be a great option! I had a root once and I wouldn't mind another one before my times up!

I think shows like 'Till Death Us Do Part' and 'Love Thy Neighbor' played a big part in making the world a better place. Yes, some comedy might look like ugly, politically incorrect and in your face, but it gets messages across very well indeed.

Thanks Alf (Warren) I know you made me a better person over my life, RIP :beer:

MASH also had the same impact on me about the stupidity of war, but alas the rest of the world mustn't have watched it

 

[malt and barley blues]

Little bit of trivia about Till Death Do Us Part, the character Alf Garnett was originally offered to Peter Sellers who turned it down,he would have been good playing the part but its hard to imagine Warren Mitchell not playing Alf, my favourite TV show, loved one episode where he was trying to sign up a young soccer player for West Ham and they were arguing whether there was 2 f's in"orffority"