The Italian Job (1969)

Comic caper movie about a plan to steal a gold shipment from the streets of Turin by creating a traffic jam.

Director:

Peter Collinson

Writer:

Troy Kennedy-Martin (as Troy Kennedy Martin)

Stars:

Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill

Nominated for 1 Golden Globe.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Michael Caine	...	Charlie Croker
Noël Coward	...	Mr. Bridger
Benny Hill	...	Professor Simon Peach
Raf Vallone	...	Altabani
Tony Beckley	...	Freddie
Rossano Brazzi	...	Beckerman
Margaret Blye	...	Lorna (as Maggie Blye)
Irene Handl	...	Miss Peach
John Le Mesurier	...	Governor
Fred Emney	...	Birkinshaw
John Clive	...	Garage Manager
Graham Payn	...	Keats
Michael Standing	...	Arthur
Stanley Caine	...	Coco
Barry Cox	...	Chris

Storyline

Charlie has a "job" to do. Having just left prison, he finds one of his friends has attempted a high risk job in Italy right under the nose of the Mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far, so Charlie takes over the "job". Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars, and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal the gold, and escape.

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Plot Keywords:

car chase | cliffhanger | caper | mafia | ambiguous ending | 

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Taglines:

This is the self preservation society

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Genres:

Action | Comedy | Crime | Thriller

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Certificate:

PG

Did You Know?

Trivia

The road used for the climactic cliffhanger sequence led only to a restaurant. The first day of shooting was a Saturday, brilliantly sunny, and the shoot went off without a hitch. On the next day, however, a huge line of cars appeared at the bottom of the road. The restaurant was hugely popular on Sundays. Some disgruntled drivers eventually broke through the police cordon and the shoot had to be aborted. Over the next two weeks it rained steadily, and the snowline came down the mountain by approximately 250 feet (76 meters). By the time the shot was completed, the crew had to sweep snow from the road.

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Goofs

During the introductory sequence, the car is seen driving up the Italian side of the Grand St. Bernard pass and then driving down the same side again, whereas it's evidently intended that it crosses the pass.

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Quotes

Charlie Croker: You'll be making a grave error if you kill us.
Charlie Croker: There are a quarter of a million Italians in Britain and they'll be made to suffer. Every restaurant, cafe, ice-cream parlor, gambling den and nightclub in London, Liverpool and Glasgow will be smashed.

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Alternate Versions

When the first E-Type is crushed on the mountain road, Charlie says, "You just cost him his no claims bonus." For the American release this was dubbed to, "...his insurance bonus."

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Connections

Spoofed in The Big Bus (1976)

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Soundtracks

God Save the Queen
(uncredited)
Music & Lyrics by Henry Carey

User Reviews

Absolutely perfect, flawed, stupid, evening's entertainment

So who can NOT like The Italian Job? Well, I can't speak for those who are not Anglophiles, but I suspect everybody who has ever called themselves British will love it. Sure, it has holes the size of Matron's stockings in it's plot and there are any number of errors apparant in the script and screenplay (Well, we all know that Mini's don't have a rear differential) and the true fanatics (such as myself) are all too aware of the continuity on-screen (that was a heavily disguised Lancia Flaminia that went off the cliff- Well, did you really think it was a REAL Aston DB4? See "Hammer House" for where that turned up). I could go on, as I usually do, about inconsitencies and so forth, but, by God, I have seen the Italian Job in just about every format it was ever shown and I love it all the same. There are no slow parts, every bit is important to the plot, the soundtrack is legendary (only available now after many, many years on CD. Got it before it was on CD and cost a lot; typical!) and is so quotable ("You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!") as to haunt Michael Caine forever more. You'll love it, wherever you come from!

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Italian

Release Date:

25 July 1969 (UK)

Also Known As:

L'or se barre

Filming Locations:

Chiesa della Gran Madre di Dio, Piazza Gran Madre di Dio 4, Turin, Piedmont, Italy

Box Office

Budget:

$3,000,000 (estimated)

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$113,867

Company Credits

Production Co:

Oakhurst Productions, Paramount Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

99 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1