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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Aug 29, 2017 19:41:21 GMT
Admin note: Post moved from Italian Job Location Report Thread in order to start a separate discussion thread.
What can I say??!! Huge thanks Gene, for the hard work locating these scenes from one of my favourite ever films too! Must have taken you ages, I'll have to give the Italian Job another watch too one night! Great idea for a thread!!
Couple of small points regarding vehicles too if I may; :-)
The original Aston DB4 Volante convertible owned by Charley Croker does still survive, so that was interesting that a real substitute Aston was destroyed in the first take (I never knew that actually) before the lookylike Lancia convertible was used. (Bit of an argument in car circles whether it was an Appia or a Flaminia!) I agree that local body shop did an incredible job of making a double of the car but as it goes over the edge of the cliff, the font on the number plate looks different and an obvious substitute and the "Aston" going over the cliff also has a Left hand drive instrument binnacle visible through the windscreen which of course the real DB4 didn't have. Also.... the first Aston which is being pushed at the start of the scene, has missing bumper over riders which Charley's car did have when seen in earlier scenes (and retains to this day) and they also reappear on the Lancia lookalike except they look a little slimmer.....
Pictures exist on the net of 163ELT in beautifully kept condition so I'm glad it wasn't really pushed over the edge!
I quote this clip someone posted on the "Internet movie car database";
"No Aston was sacrificed for the film. Originally a rough DB4 was scheduled to go over the cliff, but it caught fire whilst on storage and was too badly damaged to be used, (really??) hence the hasty 'conversion' of the Lancia. 163ELT appeared on television during 1973/74(?) in an episode of the Benny Hill show, with Benny playing his loveable, lecherous self, accompanied by the wonderful Patrica Hayes playing a somewhat elderly prostitute".
Not sure how much of the above is true........ although a tenuous link there with Mr Hill.........
Also the orange Lambo Miura that is also pushed over after it crashes in the tunnel, I understood was apparently a body shell and no engine is visible when it shatters in pieces. I believe the engine of the damaged car was removed so it was easier to push over the cliff by the bulldozer.
Both of the E type Jaguars are believed to be still with us as well from what IMCDB says. Both early series 1 cars, so those and the Aston were cheaper second hand cars at the time. I think tatty lookalikes got trashed too.
Also the Gold Security van which looked excellent as a convincing security van but was in fact a second hand OM Leoncino van, possibly an ex parcels or Post Office van which was transformed for the film.
I've often dreamt and its on my bucket list to visit Turin one day to see the Italian job locations which still exist but when that will be I don't know. Perhaps there's a plan.........
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Post by Gene Hunt on Aug 29, 2017 20:48:35 GMT
What can I say??!! Huge thanks Gene, for the hard work locating these scenes from one of my favourite ever films too! Must have taken you ages, I'll have to give the Italian Job another watch too one night! Great idea for a thread!!
Couple of small points regarding vehicles too if I may; :-)
The original Aston DB4 Volante convertible owned by Charley Croker does still survive, so that was interesting that a real substitute Aston was destroyed in the first take (I never knew that actually) before the lookylike Lancia convertible was used. (Bit of an argument in car circles whether it was an Appia or a Flaminia!) I agree that local body shop did an incredible job of making a double of the car but as it goes over the edge of the cliff, the font on the number plate looks different and an obvious substitute and the "Aston" going over the cliff also has a Left hand drive instrument binnacle visible through the windscreen which of course the real DB4 didn't have. Also.... the first Aston which is being pushed at the start of the scene, has missing bumper over riders which Charley's car did have when seen in earlier scenes (and retains to this day) and they also reappear on the Lancia lookalike except they look a little slimmer.....
Pictures exist on the net of 163ELT in beautifully kept condition so I'm glad it wasn't really pushed over the edge!
I quote this clip someone posted on the "Internet movie car database";
"No Aston was sacrificed for the film. Originally a rough DB4 was scheduled to go over the cliff, but it caught fire whilst on storage and was too badly damaged to be used, (really??) hence the hasty 'conversion' of the Lancia.
Not sure how much of the above is true........
Thanks for this info Gerry Some of the quoted info from other sources doesn't ring quite true though. The "No Aston was sacrificed for the film" quote for one. I quote this clip from "The Making Of The Italian Job" by Matthew Field " The shot of the Aston Martin DB4 disappearing down the gorge did not entirely go to plan first time around. Philip Wrestler recalls..Just before before they began to shoot, Peter Collinson said to Pat Moore (Special effects), when it goes over the edge, he wanted the Aston to burst into flames, which was fine. Peter shouted "ACTION" and the bulldozer proceeded to push the car over the edge. Pat was halfway down the cliff and suddenly there was the car hanging over his head. Before he could run, he had to press the button, but he just ran for his life" So it had to be shot again. Unfortunately, the Aston Martin was in a terrible state when it was recovered from the gorge." I've also read reports about the car being fully restored since, and indeed, Michael Caine was reunited with the car a few years back for a photo session.
Also the orange Lambo Miura that is also pushed over after it crashes in the tunnel, I understood was apparently a body shell and no engine is visible when it shatters in pieces. I believe the engine of the damaged car was removed so it was easier to push over the cliff by the bulldozer.
Partly true. It was a shell. I believe the engine had been removed before the crew got hold of it. As I mentioned in the locations report, the car had been involved in a big accident with it's original owner in the middle east, and was a right off. It was then used as the wreck we see pushed over the cliff. The wrecked Miura was resprayed orange (actually Arancio Miura) to match the colour of working car. The main Miura (Chassis #3586) actually survives in near mint condition. With just 19,000 on the clock, the present owners state that is has only had one respray and an engine block replacement. The wrecked Miura, as again mentioned in the locations thread, was meant to be recovered from the gorge the following day, but when the crew arrived the next morning, someone had beaten them to it! Gene.
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Post by Arthur Pringle on Aug 30, 2017 17:18:51 GMT
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Villain
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Post by Villain on Sept 4, 2017 11:13:46 GMT
Fantastic thread Gene, absolutely tip top! The chassis number of the Miura is #3586, it had been built to order for a customer but was loaned to the production company for three days in July '68, as soon as the scenes featuring the car were finished it went straight back to the factory in Santa Agata to be prepped for its new owner. The other Miura was a slightly earlier car which had already been in a crash, it was returned to the factory where they repainted it Lamborghini Orancio to match #3586 for the filming and ended up at the bottom of the mountainside. When the crew returned to the spot the following morning the remains had vanished, rumour has it that the locals purloined during the night so they could break it and sell the parts! Someone I know spoke to Ian Tyrell of Cheshire Classic Cars at Goodwood about #3586, he asked him how much and the price is in the region of £1.5m (for now). Rod Stewart's '71 Miura SV recently sold for around £900k, so it's no surprise the Italian Job car is more expensive. Incidentally the Aston DB4 also survives, it currently lives in London and appeared in 'Vantage' magazine a while back. The 30 extra Minis they used were all bog standard 850 models rather than Cooper S's, when they get tossed down the mountain from the back of the coach you can see the lack of Cooper S trim and different colour paintwork inside the bootlids. Must say the quality of the screens grabs is effin' wonderful! Villain Edit : I've got some b&w shots of the three Cooper S's being lowered into the sewer, I can't load them on the forum myself at the moment so will email them to you Gene... Edit 2! Just realised you've already mention some of the above in the main posts!
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Post by Sam Tyler on Aug 9, 2020 21:00:16 GMT
Just spotted on Youtube, the Italian Job Miura has been run back up the Italian Alps. Although the video clip was only uploaded yesterday, the drive took place back in September 2016. There is a lot of chat before you get to see the drive but that section starts at 6:24 into the clip. There is also a second-rate cover of "On Days Like These" sung over the top of the video which we could have done without but the sales from that are going to charity so best not complain too much.
Sam.
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Post by Gene Hunt on Aug 9, 2020 21:33:49 GMT
Brilliant find Sam! Stunning. The car looks absolutely amazing doesn't it? I'd love to have been there to see it. The music though... Thanks for posting Gene.
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Post by The Saint on Aug 10, 2020 9:20:54 GMT
A great find Sam, thanks for sharing It’s always great to see film/TV cars taken back to recreate famous scenes decades later. The Saint
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Villain
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Post by Villain on Aug 10, 2020 9:58:23 GMT
Nice one Sam, really enjoyed that and the bonus is the short interview with design genius Marcello Gandini, to think he was barely 26 years old when he sketched that beautiful shape is astonishing when you think about it. A master at work and such a nice man too. His assistant in the Bertone design office at the time was 20 year old Piero Stroppa who came up with the design of the alloy wheels for the Miura, once the design had been approved by boss Nuccio Bertone Stroppo then hand made a quarter scale version of the wheel in wood for the pattern maker at Campagnolo to make the full sized version. An incredible thing about the Miura (which would never happen these days) is that the chassis was built with no thought about what any potential bodywork would look like, it was designed as the basis for a GT40 style racer, but the wheelbase and proportions were so right that when Gandini came to 'dress' the chassis, it fitted like a glove. Gandini, Stroppo and Nuccio worked late into the night to come up with the interior design by cutting pieces of cardboard and trying out different shapes to see what would work and what wouldn't, once they were satisfied with the layout it was signed off and the patterns were sent downstairs in the Bertone factory for work to start. They just wouldn't make a car like that today....! Villain
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Post by D.C. Burtonshaw on Aug 13, 2020 15:01:33 GMT
Terrific! Thanks for the upload Sam and didn't realise the car had survived and recently restored. Pleased that it was and I agree with Villaim, a masterpiece of design the Miura. A fitting tribute to take it round the route it drove round in the film too!
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Post by Villain on Aug 17, 2020 15:11:24 GMT
If anyone has a nice orange Miura of their own and fancies recreating that fantastic opening sequence, you can now complete the illusion by buying the re-introduced Renauld sunglasses worn by Rossano Brazzi...... if you're minted.....! renauld.co.uk/Villain, looking down the back of the sofa for some spare schrapnel....
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