E. A. Whitehead adapted the script of Alpha Beta from his own play. Albert Finney is cast as "The Man," while Rachel Roberts plays "The Woman." The rest of the film remains in this pretentious vein, as we watch Finney and Roberts' marriage crumble before our eyes. One suspects that they might have patched things up had they ignored Whitehead's florid prose. Alpha Beta is salvaged dramatically by the dynamic performances of its stars, who far outshine the material.