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Interesting Questions, Facts and Information
- There are a total of 65 general entries. We are selecting 30 for display.
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 Interesting Questions, Facts, and Information
 Italian Job, The
| An easy one to end with: in the remake of "The Italian Job", released in 2003, who plays Charlie Croker? | The Italian Job
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Mark Wahlberg. Set in Los Angeles (but still called "The Italian Job", for some reason), it stars Mark Wahlberg as Charlie Croker. Charlize Theron plays Stella, the daughter of John Bridger (Donald Sutherland). Seth Green is the Professor Peach-type computer geek. In a role which does not exist in the original, Edward Norton plays Charlie's former partner. (sources: imdb.com, countingdown.com)
| What is written on the side of the bus that transports the Minis and the gold? | The Italian Job
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Croker's Coach Tours. Following "The Italian Job", Harry Baird (Big William the driver) worked mainly in spaghetti westerns (source: imdb.com)
| There is a sporting event taking place which has made the traffic even worse than it would be normally. What is it? | The Italian Job
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an international football (soccer) match. The members of the gang who do not escape in the Minis drive away in a van decked out with slogans of support for England. The 1968 Olympics were held in Mexico City and famously featured black American athletes Tommie Smith and John Carlos making a silent protest against civil rights abuses at the men's 200m ceremony (source: http://www.teachervision.com/lesson-plans/lesson-2336.html).
| When the UK's Channel 4 made a TV documentary in 1998 about "The Italian Job", focusing on the stunt driving team of Remy Jullienne, they uncovered a scene that had been cut from the original chase. It is also on the 30th anniversary UK DVD. In it, the Minis waltz around a ballroom. Which piece of classical music is featured in this scene? | The Italian Job
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The Blue Danube Waltz. The scene had to be cut because it affected the pacing of the chase, but it is included on the recent DVD release in both the UK and the US.
| Just before the job takes place, Charlie and the gang run through the details. When one gang member inadvertently uses the word "square" (as in town square), Charlie corrects him. What word should he have used? | The Italian Job
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piazza. Piazza is, of course, Italian for town square. You can still see most of the locations used in the film. According to the official Italian Job Rally site (http://www.italianjob.com/), the church steps the Minis descend is directly in front of the weir they drive across, although it does not appear this way in the film. One site you cannot visit is the sewer pipe, which is the Birmingham-Coventry Main Sewer. Not complete at the time, it is now fully functioning.
red, white and blue. Michael Caine states in his 1993 autobiography "What's It All About?" that the makers (BMC) were short-sighted in seeing the marketing opportunity and would not give the production any Minis for free - only at cost.
Turin. Turin (Torino) was chosen because it had one of the world's most sophisticated traffic systems at the time. According to the City of Turin website (http://www.comune.torino.it/english/), it was the first capital of Italy from 1861 to 1864. It is also home to two of the best football (soccer) sides in the world: Juventus and Torino.
| Professor Peach, the computer expert, helps the gang crash the traffic system. Charlie Croker and Camp Freddie exploit his one weakness to persuade him to join their gang. What is he addicted to? | The Italian Job
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larger ladies. Professor Peach is, indeed, addicted to ladies of ample proportions. In fact, when we first meet him, he's already in a sanatorium because he's been trying to force his advances on his sister's frightening maid, Greta.
| When the gang travel through the Alps, they are stopped by the Mafia, who threaten them by trashing their cars. Which Italian star of the 1950s and 1960s plays the Mafia leader, Altabani? | The Italian Job
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Raf Vallone. Raf Vallone had a fifty year career in both Europe and America, featuring in films such as "El Cid" (1961) and "The Godfather Part III" (1990). He retired from the movies in 1990 and died at home in Calabria, Italy, in October 2002, aged 86. Vallone and Rossano Brazzi (who played Beckerman) were hired to give the film appeal in continental Europe. (sources: imdb.com, Italian Job DVD).
| And which gang member is played by Michael Caine's brother, Stanley? | The Italian Job
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Coco. Stanley Caine, who played Coco, also appeared with his brother in "Billion Dollar Brain" (1967), the third of the Harry Palmer movies, and "Play Dirty" (1968). In "Brain", Stanley plays a postman who delivers a box of eggs to Michael (a key plot point, but a tiny role) and in "Play Dirty", he is a Gestapo Officer.
| When Charlie introduces the gang to each other, he describes one gang member thus: "he's just done three years in Parkhurst, and is as honest as the day is long." But which gang member? | The Italian Job
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Bill. According to the documentary on the 40th anniversary DVD, the office used in this scene was in the same building as the home of disgraced British novellist and politician Jeffrey Archer.
| Car makers, Fiat, are due to make a payment in gold bullion to the Chinese government in order to fund a new car plant in China. Charlie's plan is to steal this gold, but how much is it worth? | The Italian Job
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4 million US dollars. When Charlie mentions the amount of 4 milion to Mr Bridger, Bridger is delighted, assuming it is in pounds (UKP). In 1969, 4m UKP would have been about 9.6m dollars (USD), as the exchange rate was 2.41USD to the pound (source: http://www.miketodd.net/encyc/). In fact, it's 4m USD, which would have been about 1.66m UKP, still a considerable amount back then.
| Which British TV comedy actor has a cameo as the prison governor? | The Italian Job
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John Le Mesurier. John Le Mesurier's best known role is Sgt. Wilson in the British TV Comedy "Dad's Army". Arthur Lowe was, of course, his commanding officer, Captain Mainwairing.
| When Charlie Croker is released from prison, his girlfriend Lorna picks him up in a stolen diplomatic car (not a good start on his first day out of jail). But from which ambassador did she "borrow" it? | The Italian Job
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Pakistani. Despite being outraged that Lorna might have been unfaithful to him with the Pakistani ambassador, Charlie doesn't seem to mind when her coming home present to him is a room full of girls.
| Right, onto the film itself... The opening song ("On Days Like These") features which singer? | The Italian Job
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Matt Monro. Although Quincy Jones wrote the score, it was Matt Monro who recorded the atmospheric tune we hear as Beckerman drives his Lamborghini Miura through the Italian Alps. Monro also recorded the title track for "From Russia With Love". Jack Jones, of course, sang the tune to TV's "The Love Boat". Tom Jones recorded the title track to Bond movie "Thunderball", starring Caine's good friend, Sean Connery.
| Although it is one of his defining roles, Michael Caine was not Paramount's first choice for Charlie Croker. When they heard from the British producers that Caine was proposed for the role, Paramount's US bosses suggested that he be replaced by which other star? | The Italian Job
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Robert Redford. Despite pressure from Paramount to replace Caine with Redford and make the film more friendly to the US market, producer Michael Deeley (who also went on to produce the Deer Hunter) stood firm.
| The original story idea for "The Italian Job" came from which writer? | The Italian Job
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Ian Kennedy Martin. Tough one to start with. Ian Kennedy Martin, brother of "The Italian Job" screenwriter Troy, came up with the original story idea. In various interviews for the 40th anniversary re-release on DVD, Troy Kennedy Martin admitted that he had bought the script idea from his brother Ian, a successful TV scriptwriter. Ian's version was set in London and featured a jewelry heist.
Michael Caine . Michael Caine was in films "Austin Powers in Goldmember" and "Miss Congeniality".
Steve. Edward also was in the movies "Red Dragon" and "Fight Club". Steve is the villain in the movie. He does everything he can to keep the gold away from Charlie and his team.
Mos Def. Mos Def can also be seen in "Brown Sugar" and "Monster's Ball". Left Ear is the man who takes care of the explosives. His nickname comes from an accident as a child, concerning explosives.
Seth Green . Seth is best know as being Scotty Evil in "Austin Powers" and Daniel Osbourne in "Buffy the Vampire Slayer". Lyle plays a big part in the team as the hacker, opening up spots for the team on their way to gold.
Handsome Rob. Jason was also in the movies "Ghosts of Mars" and "The One". Handsome Rob is the driver of the team. He knows how to drive a Mini very well.
John. Donald is also known for movies such as "Six Degrees of Separation". Stella's father, John, led the first group in the search for gold until a tragic incident happens, involving him.
Charlize Theron . Theron is also known for movies like "Reindeer Games" and "Sweet November". After a tragic incident involving her father, Stella joins the team as the brilliant safe-cracker, helping the team on its way to gold.
Mark Wahlberg . Wahlberg is known for other movies such as "Planet of the Apes" and "Rock Star". Charlie Croker is the master-mind of the movie and lead character; he leads the group searching for the gold.
the blue one. Charlie Croker, played by Mark Wahlberg, mastermind of the group is driving this mini. He is not injured in the accident and manages to escape. I hope you enjoyed this quiz as much as the film!
at the train station. We see Lyle being dropped off here beforehand and also hear the train announcements in the background. Lyle manipulates the traffic signals with his laptop computer to enable the minis to travel more easily, and causes a fair amount of chaos in the process! When he loudly exclaims that the gang has been successful, the nearby passengers are startled.
128. Steve hires three drivers to create a diversion so the gang will not know which one to follow. We are shown the vans going in different directions from the view of the helicopter in which Steve is travelling and the number is clearly displayed on the roof of the vehicle. The gang identify which is the loaded van by calculating the tyre pressure to see which one has the heaviest load.
Bridger. Stella is John Bridger's daughter. Croker is Charlie's surname while Fruselli is similar to the assumed name of Steve the traitor.
his putting. Skinny Pete is practising his putting with a female partner who responds extremely positively to every shot that he plays. He is hitting the ball so hard that the shots are going nowhere near the hole!
stare.. 'Skinny Pete' is something of a misnomer and his appearance shocks Left Ear (played by Mos Def) so Charlie's advice was spot on! Left Ear is so called because during a childhood experiment, he caused an explosion which left him deaf in his right ear. We see this in a flashback.
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