The Italian Job is a British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. It was released in 1969 and was very popular in Britain; subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as something of a national institution in the UK, with a cult following elsewhere. Image File history File links Italian_job69_cover. ... Peter Collinson (April 1, 1936 – December 16, 1980) was a British film director probably best known for directing the 1969 cult movie The Italian Job. ... Michael Deeley (born August 6, 1932) is a film producer who has helped create notable films such as The Italian Job, Blade Runner and The Deer Hunter. ... Troy Kennedy Martin (born 1932; sometimes credited as Troy Kennedy-Martin) is a British film and television scripwriter. ... Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Noel Coward Sir Noel Peirce Coward (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ... Alfred Hawthorn Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992), better known as Benny Hill, was a prolific English comic, actor and singer, best known for his television programme, The Benny Hill Show. ... Raffaele Vallone, known as Raf, (17 February 1916-31 October 2002), was an Italian actor and an international film star. ... Tony Beckley (born 7 October 1927 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, died 19 April 1980 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an actor. ... Rossano Brazzi (September 18, 1916 – December 24, 1994) was an Italian actor. ... Quincy Delight Jones Jr. ... Douglas Slocombe is a British cinematographer who has enjoyed a long career in the British film industry. ... Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... June 2 is the 153rd day of the year (154th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... For the Stargate SG-1 episode, see 1969 (Stargate SG-1). ... September 10 is the 253rd day of the Gregorian calendar (254th in leap years). ... Year 1999 (MCMXCIX) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1999 Gregorian calendar). ... Motto (French) God and my right Anthem No official anthem - the  United Kingdom anthem God Save the Queen is commonly used England() – on the European continent() – in the United Kingdom() Capital (and largest city) London (de facto) Official languages English (de facto) Unified  -  by Athelstan 927 AD  Area  -  Total 130... The caper story is a subgenre of crime fiction. ... Film is a term that encompasses individual motion pictures, the field of film as an art form, and the motion picture industry. ... Troy Kennedy Martin (born 1932; sometimes credited as Troy Kennedy-Martin) is a British film and television scripwriter. ... Michael Deeley (born August 6, 1932) is a film producer who has helped create notable films such as The Italian Job, Blade Runner and The Deer Hunter. ... Peter Collinson (April 1, 1936 – December 16, 1980) was a British film director probably best known for directing the 1969 cult movie The Italian Job. ... // Cannes Film Festival opens, but closes in support of a French general strike without awarding any prizes. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ...

Its distinctive soundtrack was composed by Quincy Jones, and includes two songs, "On Days Like These" sung by Matt Monro over the opening credits, and "Getta Bloomin' Move-On" (usually referred to as "The Self Preservation Society", after its chorus) during the film's climactic car chase. Quincy Delight Jones Jr. ... Matt Monro (December 1, 1932- February 7, 1985) was a ballad singer of the 1960s and one of great international postwar entertainers. ...

In November 2004^[1] the magazine Total Film named The Italian Job the 27th greatest British film of all time. The line "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!", said by Michael Caine in the film, was voted the favourite movie one-liner in a 2003 poll of 1000 movie fans.^[2] This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Total Film, published by Future Publishing, is the United Kingdoms second best-selling film magazine, after the longer-established Empire from Emap. ...

Plot summary

The film stars Michael Caine as dapper mobster Charlie Croker, with Noel Coward as Mr Bridger, an incarcerated criminal mastermind who nonetheless runs a gangland empire from within jail. The plot revolves around Croker's attempt to stage a gold bullion robbery in Turin, to be achieved by sabotaging the city's traffic-control computer and escaping, in spite of the resulting traffic jam, in nippy Mini getaway cars along a carefully planned route. The person who originally devised the job, Roger Beckermann (Brazzi), is murdered by the Mafia while out on a drive in the Alps. His wife hands Croker the plans. Sir Maurice Joseph Micklewhite CBE (born March 14, 1933), known professionally as Michael Caine, is a two-time Academy Award-winning British film actor. ... Charlie Croker is a fictional character in the movie The Italian Job. ... Noel Coward Sir Noel Peirce Coward (December 16, 1899 – March 26, 1973) was an English actor, playwright, and composer of popular music. ... GOLD refers to one of the following: GOLD (IEEE) is an IEEE program designed to garner more student members at the university level (Graduates of the Last Decade). ... “Torino” redirects here. ... For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ... Rossano Brazzi (September 18, 1916 – December 24, 1994) was an Italian actor. ... The Mafia (also known as Cosa Nostra), is a criminal secret society which first developed in the mid-19th century in Sicily. ...

In the first half of the film Croker is released from prison and begins to assemble his gang, which includes computer expert Professor Peach (Benny Hill), and a very minor character played by Robert Powell. John Clive (various Pink Panther/Carry On films) makes an appearance as the garage owner that Charlie deals with to get his car out of storage. Alfred Hawthorn Hill (21 January 1924 – 20 April 1992), better known as Benny Hill, was a prolific English comic, actor and singer, best known for his television programme, The Benny Hill Show. ... Robert Powell (born June 1, 1944), is a well-known English television and film actor, known for the title role in Jesus of Nazareth and as the fictional secret agent Richard Hannay. ... John Clive (born 6 January 1938 in London, England) is a British actor. ...

Set in London and Turin and filmed with vivid colours in anamorphic format, the film remains an iconic evocation of the swinging sixties, although its rose-tinted view of London's criminal underworld was in sharp contrast to the brutal reality. In fact, Caine has stated^{[citation needed]} that he took the lead role in Get Carter (which portrays the same underworld with brutal realism) largely in order to correct the overly romantic picture of organized crime painted in The Italian Job. One of the most entertainingly absurd aspects of the film is that Mr Bridger's gang is run by an effeminate dandyman named Camp Freddie (played by Tony Beckley). This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Anamorphic format is a term which can be used either for the cinematography technique of capturing a widescreen picture on standard 35 mm film, or other visual recording media with a non-widescreen native aspect ratio, or a photographic projection format in which the original image requires an optical anamorphic... Woodstock: the iconic Sixties event The Sixties in its most obvious sense refers to the decade between 1960 and 1969 (see: 1960s), but the expression has taken on a wider meaning over the past 20 years. ... For the 2000 remake with Sylvester Stallone see Get Carter (2000 film) Get Carter is a 1971 British crime film, directed by Mike Hodges and starring Michael Caine as Jack Carter, a gangster who sets out to avenge the death of his brother. ... Tony Beckley (born 7 October 1927 in Southampton, Hampshire, England, died 19 April 1980 in Los Angeles, California, United States) was an actor. ...

Apart from the colourful vision of a certain time and place, the film is also notable for its inventive and exciting car chases and stunts, arranged by Rémy Julienne. The film's cars were almost as much part of the cast as the people: the ill-fated Lamborghini Miura in the opening sequence, various Aston Martin and Jaguar sports cars, a Land Rover, and an array of police Alfa Romeos which are out-driven by the heroic British Minis. Remy Julienne (sometimes spelled Rèmy or Rèmi) (born April 17, 1930) is a pioneering French driving stunt performer, stunt coordinator, assistant director and occasional actor. ... A Lamborghini Miura S. Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Lamborghini Miura Miuras in Los Angeles. ... Aston Martin Lagonda Limited is a manufacturer of luxury performance cars, whose headquarters are at Gaydon, Warwickshire, England in the United Kingdom. ... Jaguar Cars Limited is a British luxury car manufacturer, with headquarters in Browns Lane, Coventry, England. ... 1963 Jaguar E-Type, a classic sports car A sports car is an automobile designed for performance driving. ... Land Rover was the name of one of the first British civilian all-terrain utility vehicles, first produced by Rover in 1947. ... Alfa Romeo is an Italian automobile manufacturing company, founded as Darracq Italiana by Cavaliere Ugo Stella, an aristocrat from Milan in partnership with the French automobile firm of Alexandre Darracq. ...

The stunning Alpine setting through which some of the chases passed was another memorable aspect of the film. This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

The Getaway

The getaway sequence is the film's highlight, however. It was arranged to take in as many sights of Turin as possible, thus it makes no sense in terms of the city's geographical layout. After the heist, the gang transfer the gold to the Minis in the entrance hall of the Museo Egizio. The three Minis then race through the stylish shopping arcades of the Via Roma, up the sail-like roof of the Palazzo Vela, around the rooftop test track of the famous Fiat Lingotto factory building and even down the steps of the Gran Madre di Dio church while a wedding is in progress. The gang finally escapes the city by driving through large sewer pipes, throwing off the police in the process. Image File history File links Plans-40325. ... Image File history File links Plans-40325. ... Egyptian statues in the museum. ... Fiat Group, or Fiat S.p. ... Lingotto is a district of Turin, Italy, but the name is most associated with the Lingotto building on the Via Nizza, which once was a huge car factory, constructed by Fiat. ... A sewer is an artificial conduit or system of conduits used to remove sewage (human liquid waste) and to provide drainage. ...

The gang make their final getaway on a six-wheeled Bedford VAL coach (actually used to transport the crew)—driving up a ramp on the back whilst the coach is still travelling at speed. The getaway Minis are then pushed out of the still-moving coach as it negotiates hairpin bends in the Italian Alps. Bedford was the first to use the Griffin logo Bedford Six WLG 2. ...

Successfully on their way to Switzerland along a winding mountain road, the gang celebrate in the back of the bus. A mistake by the driver sends the coach into a skid, with the back end of the bus teetering over the edge of the cliff, the gold slipping towards the rear doors. As Croker attempts to reach the gold, it slips further, and the audience is left not knowing whether the coach, its contents, and its occupants survive—a literal cliff-hanger ending. Croker's last line is "Hang on a minute lads, I've got a great idea! Err..." Cliff Hanger is the name of two different 1983 comic strips, one published in the United Kingdom and the other in the United States. ...

Audio sample

Image File history File links Matt_Monro_-_On_Days_Like_These_excerpt. ... Software development stages In computer programming, development stage terminology expresses how the development of a piece of software has progressed and how much further development it may require. ...

Sequels and remakes

Original US film poster

Although it received a Golden Globe nomination (for "Best Foreign Film in the English Language") the film was not a success in America. Michael Caine blamed its failure there on an unattractive and misleading advertising campaign.^[3] As a result, plans for a sequel were shelved. Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (502x755, 56 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (502x755, 56 KB) This image is of a movie poster, and the copyright for it is most likely owned by either the publisher of the movie or the studio which produced the movie in question. ... The Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Awards are American awards for motion pictures and television programs, given out each year during a formal dinner. ...

According to a "Making Of" documentary,^[4] the film's ending was the brainchild of producer Deeley. He was unsatisfied with any of the four endings written at the time. He conceived of the film's current ending as a cliff-hanger appropriate to an action film which also left open an opportunity for a sequel. The documentary describes how Deeley envisioned a sequel would begin: helicopters would be used to save the bus seen teetering on the edge of a cliff at the end of the first film. The grateful gang would soon discover that it is the Mafia that has saved them, and the sequel would have been about stealing the gold bullion from them.

In subsequent interviews Michael Caine has suggested^{[citation needed]} a different ending: Croker simply ran the engine until the fuel tank—located in the back of the bus—ran down.

A 2003 remake of the movie, also called The Italian Job, was set in Los Angeles and stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie Croker. It featured Donald Sutherland as John Bridger, played as more of a father-figure to Croker. It made many changes to the original story, replacing the British characters with a primarily American cast, moving the action from Turin to Venice and Los Angeles, adding a new villain, and replacing the ambiguous ending with one that is completely positive. The Minis of the original film were replaced by the new BMW-built MINI Cooper and MINI Cooper S with the classic Mini making only a cameo appearance. There is also a sequel to this version, slated for release in 2008, entitled The Brazilian Job. The Italian Job is a 2003 action-adventure film, directed by F. Gary Gray. ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... Mark Robert Michael Wahlberg (born June 5, 1971) is an Academy Award-nominated American actor, television producer and former rapper. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Venice (Italian: Venezia, Venetian: Venezsia, Latin: Venetia) is a city in northern Italy, the capital of region Veneto, and has a population of 271,663 (census estimate January 1, 2004). ... Nickname: Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates: , State California County Los Angeles County Settled 1781 Incorporated April 4, 1850 Government  - Type Mayor-Council  - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa  - City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo  - Governing body City Council Area  - City  498. ... The world-wide recognized term, BMW, abbreviated for Bayerische Motoren Werke or in English Bavarian Motor Works, is an independent German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... The BMW or New MINI is a car produced by BMW since 2001. ... The BMW or New MINI is a car produced by BMW since 2001. ... Martin Scorsese appears briefly in an uncredited role in this scene from his feature film Taxi Driver. ... The Brazilian Job is a sequel to the 2003 film The Italian Job. ...

Trivia

• American distributors Paramount wanted Robert Redford to play the lead role.
• The part of Caine's girlfriend (played by Maggie Blye) was originally offered to British pop singer Cilla Black.
• A great deal of the chase sequence was used in the MacGyver episode "The Thief of Budapest", as one might expect set in Budapest rather than Turin.
• The scene where the robbers' Minis are chased through a sewer tunnel were filmed in the Sowe Valley Sewer Duplication system in the English city of Coventry.^[4]
• The person on the far side that closes the gate at the end of sewer tunnel is the director, Peter Collinson. Collinson was also the person that clung to the back door of the coach as the Minis entered it at high speed.^[4]
• Charlie Croker picks up an Aston Martin from a garage after his release from prison. The Aston Martin scene in the original film was mostly improvised by the two actors, which caused slightly visible lighting problems in the scene as the crew didn't know where the actors would be.^[4]
• The jail used in the film that held Mr. Bridger was Kilmainham Jail in Dublin, Ireland.
• A portion of the car chase, a surreal 'dance' between the Minis and the police cars, was filmed inside Pier Luigi Nervi's distinctive Exhibition Building with a full orchestra playing 'The Blue Danube'.^[4] It was cut from the final version of the film and appears as an 'extra' on the DVD of the movie.
• Gold cost about $39 per troy ounce in 1968^[5] so four million dollars in gold bars would have weighed about 3200 kg (7000 lb), requiring each of the three Minis to carry about 1070 kg (2300 lb) in addition to the driver and passenger. Since a 1968 Mini only weighs 630 kg (1400 lb),^[6] each of these diminutive vehicles would have had to carry over 1½ times its own weight in gold.
• The enthusiast's club for the Riley Elf (a variety of Mini) is called "The Elf Preservation Society" in honor of the theme song from the movie.^[7]
• As Croker walks through the garage where the Minis are being prepared for the robbery, we hear that "Rozzer's having trouble with his differential" and we clearly see that the back of the red Mini Cooper is jacked up and Rozzer is obviously working hard. This is probably an insider joke since the Mini is a front wheel drive car and does not have a rear differential. In the early 1960s, front wheel drive cars were exceedingly rare and as a result, asking a novice car mechanic to repair a Mini's rear differential was a popular snipe hunt.
• According to the director's commentary on the DVD, despite the huge publicity the film would give to the Mini, the car’s maker, BMC, were not completely committed to the project. BMC only provided a token fleet of Minis and the production company had to buy the remaining number needed for filming, albeit at trade price. Fiat by contrast grasped the commercial potential of the film and offered the production team as many turbo-charged Fiat cars as they needed, several sports cars for the Mafia confrontation scene, plus a cash lump sum, but the producers turned down the offer because it would have meant replacing the Minis with Fiats.
• Following the filming, the coach used at the end of the movie had its improvised rear doors welded up and was converted back to a bus. It was used on a Scottish school bus route until the mid 1980s and still survives somewhere in Scotland.
• Bridger's line, "Everybody in the world is bent" was sampled into the Spacehog song Never Coming Down (Part II) from the 1995 album "Resident Alien". The song also features the clapping rhythm used by the inmates.
• Noel Coward took the role of Mr. Bridger because he is the godfather of the director, Peter Collinson. Coincidentally, the character Mr. Bridger is obsessed with Queen Elizabeth, while Coward was a friend of several members of the British royal family.
• Many of the Mr Bridger scenes play the music The British Grenadiers.

Paramount Pictures Corporation is an American motion picture production and distribution company, based in Hollywood, California. ... Robert Redford (born Charles Robert Redford, Jr. ... Cover of Cilla Blacks 1966 album Cilla Sings a Rainbow. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Precinct in Coventry city centre. ... Victorian Wing Kilmainham Gaol, also known as Kilmainham Jail, is a former prison located in Kilmainham, Dublin, Ireland. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Pier Luigi Nervi (June 21, 1891 - January 9, 1979) was an Italian architect and engineer. ... The Blue Danube is the common English title of An der schönen blauen Donau op. ... DVD (Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc) is an optical disc storage media format that can be used for data storage, including movies with high video and sound quality. ... Troy weight is a system of units of mass customarily used for precious metals and gemstones. ... 1965 Riley 1. ... For the new MINI, see MINI (BMW). ... A snipe hunt, also known as a fools errand or wild goose chase, is one of a class of practical jokes that involves experienced people making fun of newcomers by giving them an impossible or imaginary task. ... BMC rosette logo old BMC share A preserved BMC ambulance. ... Spacehog was a glam rock band from the 1990s and 2000s, heavily influenced by David Bowie, Queen, and T. Rex. ... Elizabeth II (Elizabeth Alexandra Mary Windsor; born 21 April 1926) is Queen of sixteen sovereign states, holding each crown and title equally. ... British Grenadiers is a marching song for the grenadier units of the British military during from the 17th Century to the 19th Century. ...

References

The Internet Movie Database (IMDb) is an online database of information about movies, actors, television shows, production crew personnel, and video games. ...

External links

• Welcome The Italian Job.com

• The Italian Job at Rotten Tomatoes