The Biggest Bundle of Them All *** (1968, Robert Wagner, Raquel Welch, Godfrey Cambridge, Davy Kaye, Vittorio De Sica, Edward G Robinson) – Classic Movie Review 12,429

The 1968 crime film The Biggest Bundle of them All is set in Naples, and stars Robert Wagner, Raquel Welch and Edward G Robinson. A kidnapped mobster gets a novice gang of crooks to steal $5 million worth of platinum ingots from a train.

Director Ken Annakin’s 1968 American crime film The Biggest Bundle of them All is set in Naples, Italy, and stars Robert Wagner, Raquel Welch, Godfrey Cambridge, Davy Kaye, Vittorio De Sica and Edward G Robinson.

It is a vaguely suggestive title for a silly Raquel Welch-led globetrotting caper thriller about a novice gang of inept amateur crooks (Welch, Robert Wagner, Godfrey Cambridge, Francesco Mulé, Davy Kaye) trying to capture Italian mobster Cesare Celli (Vittorio De Sica) so that they can demand a huge ransom. When it turns out he is actually penniless and none of his friends or associates will pay to get him back, he offers to show them how to heist a $5 million trainload of platinum ingots from a train.

It is only a little bit engaging because the uncertain tone drops the film in a black hole between laughs and thrills – the actors look like they are enjoying it more than the audience. Robinson is appealing, but he could have had more to do, as Professor Samuels, the robbery mastermind brought in by Cesare to run the operation.

The screenplay by Sy Salkowitz is based on a story by the film’s producer Josef Shaftel, so he must be largely responsible.

There was a big screenplay problem. Ken Annakin recalled that an MGM story reader discovered an old script in its archives with the same story 10 days into pre-production of the film, originally called The Italian Caper. The script was being filmed as The Happening by producer Sam Spiegel so Josef Shaftel met him and agreed to give up his 15 per cent share of the profits. Also Spiegel could approve every page of their shooting script, and the film, retitled The Biggest Bundle of Them All, could not be released until six months after The Happening’s release.

The cast are Robert Wagner as Harry, Raquel Welch as Juliana, Godfrey Cambridge as Benny, Davy Kaye as Davey, Francesco Mulé as Antonio Tozzi, Vittorio De Sica as Cesare Celli, Edward G Robinson as Professor Samuels, Victor Spinetti as Captain Giglio, Yvonne Sanson as Teresa, Mickey Knox as Joe Ware, Femi Benussi as Uncle Carlo’s Wife, Paola Borboni as Miss Rosa, Aldo Bufi Landi as Captain Del Signore, Carlo Croccolo as Franco, Roberto De Simone as Uncle Carlo, Piero Gerlini as Captain Capuano, Giulio Marchetti as Lt. Naldi, Andrea Aureli as Carabiniere, Ermelinda De Felice as Emma, Milena Vukotic as Angelina Pedrone, Carlo Rizzo as Maitre d’Hotel, and Nino Vingelli as Restaurant Manager.

Filming began in April 1966.

Annakin recalled: ‘Welch tended to wing her lines a little bit and would keep us waiting, and I wasn’t going to stand for any of this, so we had a big showdown quite early in the picture. I just said to her “Unless you know your lines and come on time when you’re called, I’m going to make sure I use you for the absolute minimum of time. I shan’t do any closeups. I shall just do medium and long shots of you.” And, of course, being the woman she was, she was very co-operative after that!’

Edward G Robinson recalled: ‘I didn’t get to know Raquel Welch too well. We didn’t have too many scenes together. I must say she has quite a body. She has been the product of a good publicity campaign. I hope she lives up to it because a body will only take you so far.’

The interiors were filmed at the Cinecittà studios in Rome.

A Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber is hijacked to transport the platinum ingots after the train robbery. The B-17 airplane used was B-17G-85VE 44-8846 an actual World War Two combat veteranm aircraft.

The opening song ‘Most of All There’s You’, written by Riz Ortolani with lyrics by Norman Newell, is sung by Johnny Mathis.

The title song, written by Ritchie Cordell and Sal Trimachi, is sung by the Animals.

Jo Raquel Welch (née Tejada; September 5, 1940 – February 15, 2023).

© Derek Winnert 2023 – Classic Movie Review 12,429

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