The Italian Job

The Italian Job. 1969 Paramount Pictures.
Starring: Michael Caine, Noël Coward, Benny Hill, Raf Vallone, Tony Beckley, Rossano Brazzi
Music by Quincy Jones
Director: Peter Collinson
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The film begins with a thief named Roger Beckermann (Brazzi) speeding in a Lamborghini Miura through the Italian Alps. After entering a tunnel, the car explodes.

Charlie Croker (Caine) is released from prison some time later, and meets up with a woman (Lelia Goldoni) who was Beckermann's wife. She gives Croker plans for a daring robbery that her late husband was in the midst of planning, which attracted the attention of the local Mafia, with explosive results. The plans detail a way to steal four million dollars worth of gold from China to banks in Turin, which is a payment to Fiat for licensing their car designs for production in China. Despite the risks involved, Croker decides to finish what Beckermann started, putting together a large gang to help him out. He breaks into jail to meet a Mr. Bridger (Coward), who runs a large criminal empire while still incarcerated, and who gives Croker the funding he needs to pull off "The Italian Job".

Croker recruits computer expert Professor Simon Peach (Hill), an electronics handler named Birkinshaw (Fred Emney), and several getaway drivers. The plans call for Peach to disrupt Turin's computerized traffic control system to create a traffic jam which would prevent the police from recapturing the gold after it's stolen. Planning and training for the "Job" takes up the first half of the movie. After that, Croker's gang sets out to capture the gold, with the local Mafia and its boss Atabani (Vallone) well aware that the British will make another attempt. Despite the Mafia's sabotage efforts the night before, Croker and his men are still able to throw Turin into chaos, using that as a cover to grab the gold. The infamous chase scene follows, climaxing with the getaway vehicle hanging on the edge of the cliff.

"Hang on a minute, lads, I've got a great idea!"

Recommended movie.