It prompted one of the most famous lines in British cinema with Michael Caine’s dead-pan delivery, but it wasn’t just the doors that got blown off when filming a scene from the Italian job in south London.
While preparing for the audacious bank robbery in The Italian Job, Charlie Croker, played by Sir Michael, and his gang test fire some explosives in a van. When the bomb explodes with more energy than anticipated, the London-born actor delivers the classic line: ‘You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off.’
Michael Deeley who produced the classic caper movie revealed in a new book that the size of the bomb also took the film crew by surprise as the pressure wave from the explosion destroyed windows on the far side of the common where the scene was shot.
Part of the Italian Job was shot in Sydenham Common in south London, including the famous scene where the gang of bank robbers test out an explosive device to great effect
Just like the fictional characters, the film crew under-estimated the size of the explosion, according to producer Michael Deeley, the blast destroyed several nearby windows
Michael Caine, right, as Charlie Croker, delivers one of the most iconic lines in British Cinema History: ‘You’re only supposed to blow the bloody doors off’
He said: ‘We purchased an old Post Office van and sprayed it grey. I later heard when the unit returned to the studio that the rushes would be far more exciting than planned.
‘Pat Moore, the special effects supervisor, created an explosion that was slightly larger than the crew was anticipating. When the van exploded it was so big that it broke windows on the other side of the common. Peter [Collinson] was shouting, “Wrap! Wrap! Wrap!” and people were flying in all directions, jumping into cars and getting out as quickly as they could because the police were on their way.’
In an interview with The Times, Mr Deeley said the film cost $3.5 million to make. He said the film’s distributor Paramount suggested the movie made a loss of almost $8.9 million after it flopped in the United States.
The film, which became a cult classic is most memorable for a car chase through Turin with the gang using three Mini Coopers.
The 1969 film also featured the iconic theme tune ‘Self Preservation Society’ by the wonderfully named Earthling Scum.
In 2003 Paramount pictures released a remake of the movie featuring Mark Wahlberg, with the robbery moving to Venice rather than Turin.
Producer Michael Deeley made the revelation about the explosion in his new book
The Italian Job featured an iconic car chase featuring three Mini Coopers
The movie featuring Michael Caine as Charlie Croker soon became a cult classic