The Italian Job is a 1969 British caper film, written by Troy Kennedy Martin, produced by Michael Deeley and directed by Peter Collinson. Subsequent television showings and releases on video have established it as an institution in the United Kingdom.
Its soundtrack was composed by Quincy Jones, and includes "On Days Like These" sung by Matt Monro over the opening credits, and "Getta Bloomin' Move On" (usually referred to as "The Self Preservation Society", after its chorus) during the climactic car chase. Lead actor Michael Caine is among its singers.
In November 2004, Total Film named The Italian Job the 27th greatest British film of all time. The line "You were only supposed to blow the bloody doors off!" by Caine was voted favourite film one-liner in a 2003 poll of 1,000 film fans. The popularity of the film has led to parodies and allusions in other films and productions.
A Lamborghini Miura drives through the Italian Alps, enters a tunnel, crashes and explodes. A bulldozer pulls the remains from the tunnel and dumps them down a steep alpine gorge. Some time later dapper mobster Charlie Croker (Caine) is released from prison. He soon meets with the widow (Goldoni) of his friend and fellow thief Roger Beckermann (Brazzi), victim of the Miura crash. She gives Croker her husband's plans for the robbery that attracted the attention of the Italian Mafia. The plans outline a way to rob the payroll of Turin-based automaker Fiat, and spirit it out of Italy.