The Italian Job (1969)
WMG's for a Cliff—hanger resolution!
Any resolution that involves Charlie’s great idea should go under the header below.Prof. Peach managed to pull a girlfriend whilst in Turin. He chases after the gang knowing where the rendez—vous point is and knowing that they are heading for Geneva. When he comes across the coach he and his new girlfriend climb aboard and change the tipping point of the vehicle allowing for the bullion to be passed back.
They reduce the weight at the rear end by running the fuel tank dry and smashing the windows outwards, in addition to counter-balancing the coach by getting as many people as will fit to stand in the driver's compartment with Big William. Charlie is then able to pass the gold, bar by bar, to the front of the coach. This does not, however, explain how they'll get the gold to Geneva once they've rescued themselves (although the Sequel Hook idea was for the Mafia to come and relieve them of the gold, leading them to plot how to steal it back).
“Hang on a minute lads – I’ve got a great idea…”
Er… Errr…Charlie decides to sacrifice the gold as he figures there's no way to escape the vehicle. which leads to the next WMG
More or less the same events happen but with the newer cast of characters. Charlie abandons the gold as mentioned in the previous WMG. It's recovered by criminals sometime later. The opening of the movie takes place some time later where the gang has tracked down gold to Venice and take it back.
The Funeral Wreath wasn't for Beckerman
Note that the car Beckerman was driving when he got killed was a Lamborghini Muira, an Italian supercar. The wreath wasn't out of respect for Beckerman, but for the beautiful Italian car that they were forced to destroy. Also note that the wreath's bow had the colours of the Italian flag. When Charlie and his group (driving English-made sports cars) were ambushed by the Italian mafia, there were no flowers or wreaths.
- On the other hand, Beckerman was played by an Italian actor and his accent was Italian. So perhaps the Mafia were showing him some respect.
One of Charlie's crew, Frank, is played by John Forgeham, who went on to play Sykes in
Mean Machine some 32 years later. It would be plausible for a minor criminal gang member from the late 1960s to become a crime boss by the early 2000s, by which time he is basically the equivalent of Mr. Bridger — despite being incarcerated, he still manages to run his criminal empire more or less unchecked and has a hold over the prison governor. The main difference is that Sykes's undoubted patriotism is expressed through a strong loyalty to the England football team rather than collecting pictures of the Queen. The football link makes it all the more feasible; Charlie uses an Italy v England friendly in Turin as a cover for the heist, and
Mean Machine centres around a former England football captain who gets sent to prison and ends up playing in a guards v prisoners football match.
