Caine reveals Italian Job ending

Sir Michael Caine has solved the mystery of what happens at the end of the cult 1960s film, The Italian Job, when the gang, led by Caine's character Charlie Croker, find themselves and their getaway coach full of gold teetering over a precipice. The last words in the film, spoken by Caine of course, were: "Hang on a minute, lads. I've got a great idea."

Om Thursday night, speaking at the 2008 Visit London Awards held at the Royal Albert Hall, Caine revealed what happened, or at least would have happened if the producers hadn't wisely decided to end the movie with a cliffhanger.

Said Caine: "In the coach I crawl up, switch on the engine, stay there for four hours until all the petrol runs out. The van bounces back up so we can all get out, but then the gold goes over.

"There are a load of Corsican Mafi  at the bottom watching the whole thing with binoculars. They grab the gold, and then the sequel is us chasing it."

Not a lot of people knew that. ·