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Michael Caine Learned to Drive on the Set of the Original Italian Job Film

In movies, not everything is what it seems. Michael Caine, who starred in the now-iconic 1969 film “The Italian Job” admitted in a recent interview he didn’t even have a driver’s license when it was shot.
Michael Caine learned to drive on the set of the 1969 "The Italian Job" 12 photos
Photo: Paramount Pictures
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In fact, he learned to drive while working on it, taking advantage of the fact that most scenes were shot on closed sets. When traffic is shut down for a closed set, you didn’t (and still don’t) need a valid driver’s license to be able to enjoy a ride, and Caine made the most of it.

Speaking of the famous car chase in and under Turin during an event in Oxford, U.K., marking the film’s 50th anniversary, Caine recalls his infatuation with the 3 Minis featured in it. He also recalls having to ride shotgun because he was just getting the hang of driving in between takes, according to The Sun.

“There’s a special thing about this film, personally, because I didn’t have a license and I couldn’t drive,” Caine said. “But we had such big areas for the Minis to move, you didn’t need a license because they were closed to ordinary traffic. So for me it was incredible because I learned to drive on the movie.”

The 50th anniversary of the film coincides with the 60th anniversary of the Mini. To this day, Caine admits that the real star of the film wasn’t his or any other character, but the cars featured. Just like it happened in the 2003 remake with Charlize Theron, Mark Wahlberg, Jason Statham and Edward Norton.

“Of course, the great star of the movie, which we didn’t know, was the Mini. We just used Minis because it was a new car out and it became a worldwide success,” Caine said at the same event.

The film’s milestone anniversary was preceded by the announcement that the Lamborghini Miura featured in the opening scene – and thought to have been destroyed while shooting it – was discovered and authenticated.

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About the author: Elena Gorgan
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Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends.
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