History Film / TheItalianJob1969

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Dominic, Tony and Chris are initially presented as this, as they trash several Minis in the practice sessions; this is later subverted when the job itself happens, though, as they turn out to be [[BadassDriver excellent getaway drivers]].

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Bridger clearly approves of Charlie's plan for a heist and is impressed with how he managed to break into the prison he'd just been released from, ''[[RefugeInAudacity without anyone noticing]]''. Nevertheless, he has him beaten up, because one simply does '''[[SeriousBusiness not]]''' barge into another man's private ''toilet''!

* MultiTrackDrifting: During the chase, the cars can be seen driving over the roof of the local Fiat factory.

* NeverBareheaded: Arthur is seen wearing either flatcap or a driving helmet.

* ProductPlacement: Subverted. Fiat offered "hero" cars for the chase scenes, but the producers went with (purchased) Minis instead for patriotic reasons. In fact, Charlie's gang uses exclusively British vehicles - an Aston Martin, two E-types, a Land Rover and a Bedford coach in addition to the Minis which are, of course, painted red, white and blue. Fiats still pop up everywhere (part of the chase actually takes place on the Fiat factory's roof-top test-track) since they're in Italy and stealing Fiat's gold.

* SharpDressedMan: The first thing Charlie does upon getting released from jail? Visiting his tailor and his shirtmaker.

* SpiritualAntithesis: Often considered as one to ''Film/{{Get Carter|1971}}'', which is a way grittier gangster film that also starred Michael Caine.

* StealTheSurroundings: A minor example (though similar to the 2003 film). Rather than attempt to steal the gold in the street surrounded by guards, the first part of the raid has the crew tow the van carrying the gold inside a building.

* TeeteringOnTheEdge: After the gang successfully pull off their heist, some shoddy driving leaves their getaway bus precariously balanced on a cliff edge--with the front half of the bus (and all of Charlie's gang) on terra firma, while the back half (and all their stolen gold) dangles in the air. Charlie and several others try to reach for the gold, but anytime anyone moves towards the back of the bus, the whole vehicle tips further and threatens to fall. How do they get out of it? We'll never know, the film pretty much ends there.

* AThreesomeIsHot: Once Charlie is let out of prison, he finds an entire roomful of women waiting for him, and that's only meant to warm him up for Lorna. Who gets annoyed when she later catches him with ''three more'' girls.

** Although an Italy v England football match in Turin is used as a cover for a bunch of English criminals to travel there (with the implication that travelling English fans will help them if required), the outcome of the match is not mentioned (indeed, we are not even told whether it has actually taken place by the time of the heist and subsequent escape).

* DiabolusExMachina: All that work to get away with the gold, and they're done in by the coach driver's recklessness on a twisty mountain road.

* DrivesLikeCrazy: Dominic, Tony and Chris are initially presented as this, as they trash several Minis in the practice sessions; this is later subverted when the job itself happens, though, as they turn out to be [[BadassDriver excellent getaway drivers]]. Big William, on the other hand, plays this trope straight, which leads to the coach dangling over the cliff at the end.

* NoLongerWithUs: Used word-for-word by Peach's sister, although it doesn't take long for Charlie and Camp Freddie to figure out that he's just been institutionalized.

It's a highly popular film that's often repeated on British TV. Years later an episode of ''Series/MacGyver1985'', "Thief of Budapest", lifted most of the film's iconic car chase, using creative editing to transpose it from Turin to UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}}! Years after that, a ''VideoGame/{{Driver}}''-style driving action game based on the movie was released on the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation.

''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 crime film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a gangster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin and Creator/BennyHill of all people as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison, and immediately starts planning to go to Italy to rob a van full of gold. The film involves one of the best car chases in the history of cinema (with Mini Coopers), one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill slightly]]'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]], and its CliffhangerEnding.

''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 crime film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a gangster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin and Creator/BennyHill of all people as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison, and immediately starts planning to go to Italy to rob a van full of gold. The film involves one of the best car chases in the history of cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill slightly]]'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The Mafia gangsters are last seen trying to find out how Charlie's gang planned to get out of the traffic jam. They're left as {{Karma Houdini}}s.

''The Italian Job'' is a 1969 crime film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a gangster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin and Creator/BennyHill of all people as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately starts planning to go to Italy rob a van full of gold. The film involves one of the best car chases in the history of cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill slightly]]'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

* StalkerShrine: Mr. Bridger's LuxuryPrisonSuite is one of these towards Queen Elizabeth II. Keats buys him a copy of the ''Illustrated London News'' (a paper he doesn't read) simply because there's a picture of the Queen in it.

''For the 2003 film, see [[Film/TheItalianJob2003 here]].''

A 1969 film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a gangster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin and Creator/BennyHill of all people as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately starts planning to go to Italy rob a van full of gold. The film involves one of the best car chases in the history of cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill slightly]]'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

It’s a highly popular film and is often repeated on British TV. Years later an episode of ''Series/MacGyver1985'', "Thief of Budapest", lifted most of the film's iconic car chase, using creative editing to transpose it from Turin to UsefulNotes/{{Hungary}}! Years after that, a ''VideoGame/{{Driver}}''-style driving action game based on the movie was released on the original UsefulNotes/PlayStation.

* TheChick: Lorna, the only woman in Charlie's team. After the Aston and the Jags get destroyed by the Mafia, he decides it's too dangerous for her and puts her on a plane home.

* RefrainFromAssuming: There's a song performed by the cast that plays over the end of the final chase. But while you might think it's titled "Self-Preservation Society" (as some do), it's actually titled "Getta Bloomin' Move On".

* TheChick: Lorna, the only woman in Charlie's team. After the Aston and the Jags get destroyed by the mafia, he decides it's too dangerous for her and puts her on a plane home.

* DontLookBack: Charlie Crocker fears that Lorna's involvement in the heist is putting her at unacceptable risk, so he buys her a plane ticket back to England. He tells her to walk straight to the plane, "Look neither to the right nor to the left," to avoid attracting attention. She, [[IdiotHero of course]], turns around and shouts "Bye, Charlie!" the entire way to the plane even when the Mafia leader is somewhere nearby. [[SubvertedTrope Nothing bad comes of this]] by the time the movie ends (but the Mafia leader [[DoubleSubverted asks a subordinate to check all flights that left shortly before the heist]] because he suspects something, so [[LeftHanging had a continuation been made]]...)

* JustGotOutOfJail: Charlie is first spotted being released from prison and is promptly given the plan for the titular job.

* MyDeathIsJustTheBeginning: Knowing that he may be killed by TheMafia, Beckermann arranges for Charlie to receive his VideoWill detailing the plan so that they will still know exactly how to carry out the robbery and his murder will only further motivate his fellow criminals.

* NoEnding: The films ends with the robbers in a LiteralCliffhanger, with their bus hanging halfway over a cliff. Croker then says, "Hang on, lads. I've got a great idea." Then the film ends before we find out what the idea is, if it works, and if anyone survives, much less gets the gold. This was in deference to the production codes of the time, which still would not allow criminals get happy endings. Rather than show them punished, the film simply lets you imagine what happens. Many theories have been floated around as to exactly how they are supposed to get out of their situation and possible theories as to how the plot would continue.

* NoLongerWithUs: Used word-for-word by Peach's sister, although Charlie and Camp Freddie eventually figure out that he's just been institutionalized.

* OutOfTheFryingPan: Within minutes of being released from prison at the start of the movie, Charlie finds himself in a stolen car. The ''Pakistani Ambassador's'' car, no less [[note]] technically, Pakistan has a high commission in Britain rather than an embassy as it's a member of the Commonwealth, but Charlie - and most of the audience for that matter - wouldn’t be expected to make that distinction [[/note]].

* ProductPlacement: Subverted. Fiat offered "hero" cars for the chase scenes, but the producers went with (purchased) Minis instead for patriotic reasons. In fact, Charlie's gang uses exclusively British vehicles - an Aston Martin, two E-types, a Land Rover and a Bedford coach in addition to the Minis which are, of course, painted red, white and blue. Fiats still pop up everywhere (part of the chase actually takes place on the Fiat factory’s roof-top test-track) since they're in Italy and stealing Fiat's gold.

* PutOnAPrisonBus: The Professor gets pinched by the Polizia for harassing a "BIG Woman!" on a tram, then disappears from the rest of the film and we never find out what happened to him. No doubt however, it was probably hilarious.

** Charlie ''breaks into the prison he's just been released from'', armed only with a crowbar and grappling hook ([[ICallItVera "Hazel"]]), and somehow manages to get inside Bridger's locked private toilet, simply to tell him his plan... and then leaves, with ''no-one ever the wiser.''

* AThreesomeIsHot: Once Charlie is let out of prison, he finds an entire roomful of women waiting for him, and that's only meant to warm him up for Lorna. Who gets annoyed when she later catches him with three more girls.

** The cliffhanger would have been resolved in a sequel: helicopters would be used to save the bus, and 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 back from them. Unfortunately, the sequel was never made.
** Michael Caine in an interview said something similar, except the "great idea" was to run the coach's engine until its gas tank - in the dangling end of the bus — ran empty, making that side lighter so the bus tips the other way.

* ChubbyChaser: Professor Peach is very very interested in big women. In fact, he only agrees to do the job after Camp Freddie tells him that Italian women are "enormous".

* CoversAlwaysLie: The American poster (see above) features a scantily-clad woman and a machine-gun - implying more romance and violence than the film actually has. Michael Caine was not impressed and suggested that the misleading advertising was a key reason for why the film did badly in the USA. Much less misleading is the iconic ''British'' poster features the [[CoolCar red, white and blue Minis]]. ''Which are much sexier''.

* BedFullOfWomen: Taken UpToEleven. Charlie gets out of prison to find ''an entire room'' full of scantily-clad women waiting for him, courtesy of Lorna - his ''girlfriend''. She's livid when she catches him in his flat with three ''other'' women not long afterwards, mind you.

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse:
** The Professor gets pinched by the Polizia for harassing a "BIG Woman!" on a tram, then disappears from the rest of the film and we never find out what happened to him. No doubt however, it was probably hilarious.
** The Mafia gangsters are last seen trying to find out how Charlie's gang planned to get out of the traffic jam. They're left as {{Karma Houdini}}s.

* TheChick: Lorna, the only woman in Charlie's team.

* CrazyPrepared: The original plan involves having three additional cars on standby to provide backup and screening for the Mini Coopers carrying the gold, although the local mobsters destroy those cars before the heist.

* WhyDontYouJustShootHim: Subverted. Mr. Altabani knows that his enemies are skilled enough that the only way to take them out is to intercept them on the road and just shoot them rather than warn them off or kill them in a more convoluted way. He only lets them go when Charlie tells him that Bridger will retaliate against Britain's Italian community, and is well aware that this act will make things more complicated and difficult for him.

* BadassDriver: Dominic, Tony and Chris - the three [[UpperClassTwit 'chinless wonders']] who drive the Minis.

* TokenMinority: Big William, the coach driver.

A 1969 film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a ganster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin and Creator/BennyHill of all people as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately starts planning to go to Italy rob a van full of gold. The film involves one of the best car chases in the history of cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''[[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill slightly]]'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

->''"[[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8g_GeQR8fJo You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!]]"''

* ArtisticLicensePhysics: Not immediately clear what pushes the bus back up after the gold keeps sliding to the back.

* BadassBoast: Charlie tells the Mafia boss that if he kills them, Bridger will have every Italian establishment in major cities across England smashed and every Italian driven into the sea. And the scary thing is, ''he's probably not lying.''

* BolivianArmyEnding: The film ends with the thieves stuck in a bus balancing precariously over a cliff. Despite the famous "really good idea," their ultimate fate is left unresolved. The ending was supposed to be a SequelHook for a sequel that was never made: the gold goes over the cliff, the French Mafia pick it up, and Charlie's crew spend the rest of the film getting it back. Having been released only a year after the end of UsefulNotes/TheHaysCode, which forbade criminal characters from profiting from their crimes, the ending is also a product of its time.

* CoolCar: This movie has a Lamborghini Miura, an Aston Martin [=DB4=], two Jaguar E-types, several Alfa Romeo police cars, a Bedford VAL coach, and of course, the three Mini Coopers which out-drive them all (along with a minibus full of crooks disguised as England football team supporters). Most of these end up getting trashed.
* CoversAlwaysLie: The American poster (see above) features a naked woman and a machine-gun - implying more romance and violence than the film actually has. Michael Caine was not impressed and suggested that the advertising was a key reason for why the film did badly in the USA. Less misleading is the iconic ''British'' poster features the [[CoolCar red, white and blue Minis]]. ''Which are much sexier''.
* CreatorCameo: That lunatic hanging on the back of the bus when the Minis drive onto the coach is the director, Peter Collinson.

* DrivingIntoATruck: The three Mini Coopers make their getaway by driving up into the back of a converted bus.

* FelonyMisdemeanor: Bridger clearly approves of Charlie's plan for a heist and is impressed how he managed to break into the prison he'd just been released from, ''[[RefugeInAudacity without anyone noticing!]]'' Nonetheless, he has him beaten up, because one simply does '''[[SeriousBusiness not]]''' barge into another man's private ''toilet!''
* FirstNameBasis: While everyone is on this with each other, only [[WickedCultured Chris]] refers to everyone by their full Christian names.
* {{Gayngster}}: Camp Freddy [[GangOfHats and his gang]], and arguably Mr. Bridger too, given Noel Coward's real life sexual preference. Keats, Mr. Bridger's 'assistant', was played by Graham Payn - Coward's real-life partner. Because Coward had started his descent into dementia by this point, Graham was deliberately cast in order to help him and provide a familiar face.
* GoneHorriblyRight: "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"

* LuxuryPrisonSuite: Done for comedy. Mr. Bridger, criminal kingpin, lives the life of a proper gentleman within his prison cell. It seems to be merely formality that he's there at all.

* NoEnding: The films ends with the robbers in a LiteralCliffhanger, with their bus hanging halfway over a cliff. Croker then says, "Hang on, lads. I've got an idea." Then the film ends before we find out what the idea is, if it works, and if anyone survives, much less gets the gold. This was in deference to the production codes of the time, which still would not allow criminals get happy endings. Rather than show them punished, the film simply lets you imagine what happens. Many theories have been floated around as to exactly how they are supposed to get out of their situation and possible theories as to how the plot would continue.
* NoKillLikeOverkill: The rehearsal van in question.

* {{Novelisation}}: A novelisation of the film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin and Ken Wlaschin, was published by Sphere Books in 1969. The book contains numerous differences to the film: for example there is a rival group of German gangsters called the Hamburg Syndicate who try to obtain Beckerman's plans for the robbery, Croker and the three minis travel to Italy by yacht, and Professor Peach is rescued by the gang after he is arrested. The ending of the novel is also significantly different. The bus successfully crosses the border into Switzerland and two days later the gang and the gold arrive on a beach near Dover in a landing craft where they are met by Mr. Bridger and Luigi Altabani. Mr. Bridger tells Charlie Croker that they have come to an agreement to "divide Europe" and that the gold must be given back to the Italians.
* OffscreenInertia: Are still they hanging over the cliff in that bus? Plans for an unfilmed sequel state that it would have started with them easing their way out of the bus, only to have the gold stolen from them and chase after it, but again, unfilmed sequel.

* PosthumousCharacter: Beckerman, who had the whole job planned out before the Mafia killed him in the opening scene, and appears in video logs explaining it (intended for Mr. Bridger's benefit, but used as briefing materials for the new crew).

* ProductPlacement: Subverted. Fiat offered "hero" cars for the chase scenes, but the producers went with (purchased) Minis instead for patriotic reasons. In fact, Croker's Gang uses exclusively British vehicles. Fiats still pop up everywhere (part of the chase takes place on the Fiat factory’s roof-top test-track) since they're in Italy and stealing Fiat's gold.

** Charlie breaks back into the same prison he's just been released from, armed only with a crowbar and grappling hook ([[ICallItVera "Hazel"]]) and somehow manages to get inside Bridger's locked Private Bathroom, simply to tell him his plan... and then leaves, with ''no-one ever the wiser.''

* SharpDressedMan: The first thing Charlie Croker does upon getting released from jail? Visiting his tailor and his shirtmaker.

* StalkerShrine: Mr. Bridger's LuxuryPrisonSuite is one of these towards Queen Elizabeth II.

* TelevisionGeography: The car chase makes no sense geographically, it's just designed to [[SceneryPorn show off Turin]].

** Michael Caine in an interview said something similar, except the "great idea" was to run the bus' engine until its gas tank - in the dangling end of the bus — ran empty, making that side lighter so the bus tips the other way.

** Chris, one of the getaway drivers, gets the landing wrong.

* YesMan: Bill. Taking a [[DrinkingGame drink]] everytime he says "Yes, Charlie", is ''not'' recommended.

->''"Hang on a minute lads, I've got a great idea."''

* HaveAGayOldTime: "Camp Freddy, everybody in the ''world'' is bent!" 'Bent' in this case means 'crooked', not 'gay'. Mind you, didn’t help that the line was delivered by Creator/NoelCoward.

* IKnowWhatWeCanDoCut: Sadly, we never do get to find out what the brilliant idea was...

* BadassDriver: A number of characters, with special mention going to the three [[UpperClassTwit 'chinless wonders']] who drive the Minis.
* BedFullOfWomen: Taken UpToEleven. Charlie gets out of prison to find an entire ''room'' full of women waiting for him, courtesy of Lorna - his ''girlfriend''. She's livid when she catches him with several women not long afterwards, mind you.

* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Charlie, who gets caught "on the job" with 3 naked women, by Lorna. Ironically, as Charlie points out, the night before she let him sleep with several other women, including her, as his present for leaving prison.

* ChubbyChaser: Professor Peach is very very interested in big women. In fact, he agrees to do the job after Camp Freddie says Italian women are huge.

* CoversAlwaysLie: The American poster (see above) features a naked woman and a machine-gun - implying more romance and violence than the film actually has. Less misleading is the iconic ''British'' poster features the [[CoolCar red, white and blue Minis]]. ''Which are much sexier''.

* OutOfTheFryingPan: Within minutes of being released from prison at the start of the movie, Charlie finds himself in a stolen car. The ''Pakistani Ambassador's'' car, no less [[techically, Pakistan has a high commission in Britain rather than an embassy as it's a member of the Commonwealth, but Charlie - and most of the audience for that matter - wouldn’t be expected to make that distinction [[/note]].

* CoversAlwaysLie: The American poster (see above) features a naked woman, money and a gun - implying more romance and violence than the film actually has. Less misleading is the iconic ''British'' poster features the [[CoolCar red, white and blue Minis]]. ''Which are much sexier''.

* PutOnABus: Lorna. Nothing is heard of her after she gets put on the plane. Also Professor Peach, of whom nothing his heard after he gets arrested for trying to get lucky with a woman on a bus.

* UpperClassTwit: The three "[[http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/92000.html chinless wonders]]" are initially presented like this.