History Film / TheItalianJob1969

A 1969 film starring Creator/MichaelCaine as a ganster, Creator/NoelCoward as a criminal kingpin, and, of all people, Creator/BennyHill as a computer expert. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately gathers a gang of bank robbers together to rob a van full of gold. Involves one of the best car chases in 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!"]]

A highly popular British film and often repeated on 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.

* BadassDriver: A number of characters.
* BedFullOfWomen: Taken UpToEleven. Charlie gets out of prison to find an entire ''room'' full of women waiting for him, courtesy of his organised crime friends.

* BlatantLies: Charlie and the Garage Owner who maintain the illusion that Charlie's been on holiday, knowing full well that he's just gotten out of the nick.

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Prof. Peach (Benny Hill) has some varied interests. Some benign, like picking flowers (which slows the gang down), some more [[ChubbyChaser aggressive]] (which got him put in a home). But because he's the best computer expert, these foibles are overlooked.

* 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 Cooper S's which out-drive them all (along with a minibus full of crooks disguised as England football team supporters.)
* CoversAlwaysLie: The iconic film poster features a naked woman, money, and a gun as a means of attracting the audience (albeit they do appear later on in the film), and also implies more romance and violence than the film actually has. This would be the American poster, however. The iconic ''British'' poster features the three [[CoolCar Mini's]]. ''Which are much sexier''.
* CreatorCameo: That lunatic hanging on the back of the bus when the Minis drive on board is the director, Peter Collinson.
* TheCrimeJob

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

* {{Gayngster}}: Camp Freddy [[GangOfHats and his gang]], and arguably Mr. Bridger too, given Noel Coward's real life sexual preference. Mr. Bridger's 'assistant' was Coward's real life partner. Because Coward had started his descent into dementia by this point, his partner was there to help him, and provide a familiar face.

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

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

* 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. Fiat still pops up everywhere since they're in Italy and stealing Fiat's gold.

** The entire Italian Job heist itself is this.

A 1969 film starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/NoelCoward, and, for some reason, Creator/BennyHill. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately gathers a gang of bank robbers together to rob a van full of gold. Involves one of the best car chases in 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!"]]

* PrecisionFStrike: This happens to be the only G-rated motion picture to drop an F-bomb through a single, barely audible "motherfucker" (keep in mind that at the time, the G rating was used on a lot of stuff that could be considered more adult today, though under the circumstances it's more a case of GettingCrapPastTheRadar than anything even by the G rating's standards in the early days).

* HackTheTrafficLights: By switching the computer's big tape reel with a phony one made by Professor Peach, they make Turin's traffic system go haywire, creating a massive traffic jam which the gold-heisting crew can then escape in their small and super-maneuverable Mini Coopers.

* WatchThePaintJob: Charlie Croker's Aston-Martin [[=DB4=]] is established early on in the film as a prized possession which Croker maintains meticulously. Needless to say, once the Mafia ambush Croker and his gang on an Alpine pass, the [[=DB4=]] is destroyed in short order by being pushed off the edge of a cliff - though not before one mobster remarks what a "pretty car" it is.

* ArmedBlag: The action takes place in Italy, but it's still a bunch of English crooks, robbing an armed car.

-->'''Manager:''' You must have shot an ''awful'' lot of tigers, sir.\\

* ThanatosGambit: Roger Beckermann is killed off by the mafia to stop him from stealing the fiat gold but he has his widow take all his plans to Croker, a fellow thief, to complete it despite his passing, leading to the events of the film.

* WatchThePaintJob: Charlie Croker's Aston-Martin DB4 is established early on in the film as a prized possession which Croker maintains meticulously. Needless to say, once the Mafia ambush Croker and his gang on an Alpine pass, the DB4 is destroyed in short order by being pushed off the edge of a cliff - though not before one mobster remarks what a "pretty car" it is.

[[caption-width-right:350:The original theatrical poster.]]

->''Jump in the jam jar, gotta get straight''
->''Hurry up mate, don't want to be late''
->''How's your father?''
->''Tickety-boo''
->''Tickety-boo''
->''Gotta get a bloomin' move on''
->''Da da da-da-da, da-da-da-da''
->''ENGLAND!''''

----

A 1969 film starring Creator/MichaelCaine, Creator/NoelCoward, and, for some reason, Creator/BennyHill. Caine is Charlie Croker, who is let out of prison and immediately gathers a gang of bank robbers together to rob a van full of gold. Involves one of the best car chases in cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''slightly'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

* TeetringOnTheEdge: 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.

-->'''Manager:''' You must have shot an ''awful'' lot of tigers, sir.\

A highly popular British film and often repeated on TV. Years later an episode of ''Series/MacGyver'', "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.

* 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, of course, turns around and shouts "Bye, Charlie!" the entire way to the plane. Nothing bad comes of this.

-->'''Manager:''' You must have shot an ''awful'' lot of tigers, sir.

* NoKillLikeOverkill: The van in question.

* HackTheTrafficLights: A pre-Internet example; the computer tape reel that controls Turin's traffic system is swapped out for an altered one.

* TheCaper
* CantGetAwayWithNuthin: Charlie, who gets caught "on the job" with 3 naked women, by his girlfriend. 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 one guy says Italian women are huge.
* CliffHanger: Literally, as their bus teeters on the edge of a cliff.

* DeadHatShot: The Mafia victim at the start of the film leaves behind his sunglasses and cigarette.

* NeverBareheaded: Arthur.
* NoEnding: See SequelHook below. The film ends with Charlie and his gang teetering on the edge of a cliff.

* QuintessentialBritishGentleman: Mr Bridger, in spite of being a criminal. Played by Noel Coward, no less.

* SharpDressedMan : Charlie in spades.

* StalkerShrine: Mr. Bridger is a ''very'' loyal subject of Queen Elizabeth II.

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

----
[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italian_job_9408.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Get your skates on, mate.]]

[[quoteright:350:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/italian_job_9408.jpg]]
[[caption-width-right:350:Get your skates on, mate]]

->'' Hurry up mate, don't want to be late''
->'' How's your father?''
->'' Tickety-boo''
->'' Tickety-boo''
->'' Gotta get a bloomin' move on''
->'' Da da da-da-da, da-da-da-da''
->'' ENGLAND!''

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

* 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 Sequel Hook 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 the Hays Code, which forbade criminal characters from profiting from their crimes, the ending is also a product of its time.

* ThanatosGambit: Roger Beckermann is killed off by the mafia to stop him from stealing the fiat gold but he has his widow take all his plans to Croker a fellow thief to complete it despite his passing leading to the events of the film.

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

* SnicketWarningLabel

* LeitMotif: Bridger has "Rule Britannia" on harpsichord.

* CliffHanger: Literally, as their bus teeters on the edge of a cliff.

* TheCrimeJob

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

* ProductPlacement: Subverted. Fiat offered "hero" cars for the chase scenes, but the producers went with (purchased) Minis instead for [[UsefulNotesOnBritain patriotic reasons]]. In fact, Croker's Gang uses exclusively British vehicles. Fiat still pops up everywhere since they're in Italy and stealing Fiat's gold.

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

-->--'''Charlie Croker''', after Arthur blows up the panel truck they've been practicing with

* EveryCarIsAPinto: Numerous cars get pushed over cliffs. While the wrecks are spectacular, none of them explode except for the very last one, which goes up massively and rather spontaneously.

A 1969 film starring MichaelCaine, involving him being let out of prison and gathering a gang of bank robbers together to rob a van full of gold. Involves one of the best car chases in cinema (with Mini Coopers) and one of the most famous lines in cinema, when someone uses ''slightly'' too much explosive on a van during a test and is reminded [[MemeticMutation "You're only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!"]]

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

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Prof. Peach has some varied interests. Some benign, like picking flowers (which slows the gang down), some more [[ChubbyChaser aggressive]] (which got him put in a home). But because he's the best computer expert, these foibles are overlooked.

* CliffHanger: [[spoiler:Literally.]]

* {{Gayngster}}: Camp Freddy [[GangOfHats and his gang]], and arguably Mr. Bridger too, given NoelCoward's real life sexual preference. Mr. Bridger's 'assistant' was Coward's real life partner. Because Coward had started his descent into dementia by this point, his partner was there to help him, and provide a familiar face.

* NoEnding: The Hayes Code at the time forbade criminals from getting happy endings. The production team opted for this rather than have them get caught.

* NoodleImplements: Subverted. Charlie and Freddy share a look when they mishear that Peach was caught doing something obscene "with a net". It was actually with ''Annette''.

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

** Mr Bridger, an QuintessentialBritishGentleman who is also a crimelord.

* SympatheticCriminal

* BunnyEarsLawyer: Prof. Peach has some varied interests. Some benign like picking flowers which slows the gang down, some more [[ChubbyChaser aggressive]] which got him put in a home. But because he's the best computer expert, these foibles are overlooked.

--> '''Arthur''' But Charlie, me in the back with my asthma?!

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

* CoversAlwaysLie: The iconic film poster features a naked woman, money, and a gun as a means of attracting the audience (albeit they do appear later on in the film.), and also implies more romance and violence than the film actually has. This would be the American poster, however. The iconic ''British'' poster features the three [[CoolCar Mini's]]. ''Which are much sexier''.
* CreatorCameo: That lunatic hanging on the back of the bus when the Minis drive on board is the director Peter Collinson.

* {{Gayngster}}: Camp Freddy [[GangOfHats and his gang]], and arguably Mr. Bridger too, given NoelCoward's real life sexual preference. Mr Bridger's 'assistant' was Coward's real life partner. Because Coward had started his descent into dementia by this point, his partner was there to help him, and provide a familiar face.

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

* ShameIfSomethingHappened: "This your car? Pretty car." ''* crunch* ''

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