The Italian Job (1969)

Recently, Michael Caine is known for playing the beloved and loyal Alfred in the recent Batman trilogy. A kind, gentle old man who just wants the best for Bruce Wayne and does everything in his power to make him happy. However, over 40 years ago he was known for playing the handsome, quick witted Charlie Croker in the 1969 film The Italian Job. Directed by Peter Collinson and starring Michael Caine, Benny Hill and Noel Coward comes a classic British gangster movie that avoids the typically violent stereotypes the genre holds. Outright it is a mobster movie, about a ‘job’ in Italy involving stealing $4 million worth of gold, but its much more than just that, it blends slapstick comedy and true British wit to create a hilarious account of a group of men attempting to outsmart Italian police and Mafia.

The story goes like this. A man called Roger is driving a very fancy Lamborghini around the Italian Alps to the tune of “On Days Like These” by Matt Monro. He looks very suave with a cigarette hanging from his mouth and sunglasses on. He them drives into a tunnel and crashes into a digger which then lifts his car up and throws it over the side of the road, and its tumbles down the mountainside like a discarded toy.  We learn that this man was going to be carrying out a job in Italy and the Mafia found out, thus being the ones that killed him. This job is then passed on to the fresh out of prison Charlie Croker, who undertakes it with a motley crew of fellow mobsters. They have to intervene a convoy of vehicles, one of which is carrying the $4 million worth of gold, they devise a plan of causing a traffic jam right around the time the England V Italy football match is happening, with the help of a bus, three souped up Mini’s and Camp Freddie they manage to pull it off. However, their celebrations in the bus go awry when the driver swerves and the bus ends up hanging half off the cliff. The balance being the men against the huge pile of gold. Left open for the possibility of a sequel, we don’t actually find out what happens next, all we hear is Michael Caine say ‘Hang on lads, I’ve got a great idea”.

As much as the story of The Italian Job is greatly executed and the writing is sharp and strong, I think that the real success of the film comes in the form of

Michael Caine’s, Charlie Croker. He is first introduced to us as he leaves prison. He makes passing remarks to guards as he leaves and his swagger demonstrates that his time in prison has not been of a bother to him at all. We are then shown Charlie’s lifestyle involving sports cars and lots of attractive women, the lifestyle of a notorious criminal. His authority is honored and adhered to, and his reputation isn’t exaggerated, he is an expert at what he does and he makes sure his mobsters know who is the boss. He’s a loveable character and when he is confronted by the Mafia bus upon arrival in Italy and his Aston Martin is pushed off a cliff, he doesn’t show sadness or anger, instead he smoothly tells the Mafia boss if anything happens to him, then every Italian living in England would suffer. Calmly he walks away, and you know that he isn’t afraid of anything, he’s Charlie Croker.  The definitive British Mobster.

It goes without saying that the rest of the cast, with the exception of Croker’s girlfriend Lorna played by Maggie Blye, were exceptional in supporting Caine. Benny Hill as the mad Professor Peach enabled you to laugh out loud and feel quite disgusted at the same time. His infatuation with large middle aged women and eating cigars made him an unforgettable character despite the small role he played.  Noel Coward was equally as impressive as Mr. Bridger, the big time Mobster lock up in prison. He speaks with perfect eloquence, is obsessed with The Queen and has high status amongst prisoners and civilians alike. If he ever needed to get out of prison to do some business, he would ‘arrange a funeral’ which would allow him his day release. Never lifting a finger and barely even raising his voice, he’s a man to be feared and his character is the perfect counterpoint to Caine’s Croker.  Little can be said however for Croker’s little madam Lorna, who’s character was annoying, badly acted and I couldn’t help but breathe a large sigh of relief when Croker packed her off to Geneva before the Job.

Nevertheless, The Italian Job was highly entertaining, and even though it was poorly received in the States and received only 1 award nomination it is widely regarded as one of Britain’s greatest films. I shall refrain from talking about the travesty that was the remake, but let me say one thing, it certainly proved America’s distaste for the original seeing as they completely butchered it and slapped Mark Wahlberg’s face all over it.  

 

There’s much more to Michael Caine than a kindly old man, Alfie, Get Carter, and even more recently Harry Brown proves that he is a classic British actor and playing a London Mobster is definitely his forte. All the while, no matter how many people he kills, how many illegal abortions he oversees and how much gold he may steel, he has a cheeky twinkle in his eye and a spring in his step. The Italian Job is a fantastic film, carried by an amazing lead proving that you don’t need a driving license to triumph in a film about cars.

Final Line:

“Hang on Lads, I’ve got a great idea” – Charlie Croker.