There is no known antidote for a Michael Caine anecdote. They are profligate, relentless, and entertainingly infectious.

And they colonise and spread through his new book, BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS OFF.

This book grew out of a master-class for film actors and was only completed when Michael broke his bloody ankle.
The venerable 85 year old has a simple refrain for all actors – learn your bloody lines. Basically, this means be prepared, and that is sage advice for any walk of life as Michael keeps advising.

There’s lots of common sense in BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS OFF, but also a lot of wisdom, from a life led in the heddy atmosphere of Hollywood, to be sure, but a bloke who has managed to keep his feet firmly on the ground -well at least since marrying his wife of 45 years, Shakira.

But let’s face it, you wouldn’t buy the bloody book if you didn’t want the inside dope of the myriad movies – hits and misses – that Michael Caine has starred in, and thankfully BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS OFF is chock full of tasty recollections and reminiscences, with hardly a recrimination or regret in sight.

The title of course comes from an immortal line uttered by Caine in an early hit film, The Italian Job, and takes on an aptness as you garner the meticulous preparation the actor applies to his performance.

From Zulu to King of Thieves – that’s how up to date it is – BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS OFF is an anaconda of anecdotes, coiled around a life and career that has spanned six decades and over a hundred films.

Reading it, you’ll discover new and surprising confessions about directors, co stars, and what constitutes his favourite movies – either finished products or the process of their making.

Who would have thought that the man who became famous for portraying Alfie on screen failed his audition for the stage production previously? And not many people know that some of his so called flops are pictures that he holds in high regard for the good time had during filming.

Choosing projects comes with a caveat. Script and director of course, but location is just as important. If Shakira won’t go it’s a deal breaker.

Caine quotes John Guilgud as a guiding light when it comes to talk of retirement. Guilgud died at age ninety-six and was still working. “Why would I retire when I keep getting paid doing something I love?”

BLOWING THE BLOODY DOORS by Michael Caine is published by Hodder & Stoughton