About 30 years ago, I was watching a TV movie or film where a bunch of
British (or Irish) convicts kept singing the following phrase over and
over again.

"We are a self regulatin' society"

I can't find this online.  Any one know what movie this was in?

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Request for Question Clarification by pinkfreud-ga on 14 Nov 2002 17:27 PST

Mickey,

Now that we've identified your movie as "The Italian Job," I would be
glad to help you find a copy, if you'd like.

~pinkfreud

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Clarification of Question by mickeysimple-ga on 14 Nov 2002 17:34 PST

The internet is amazing.  I've already downloaded a copy of the
trailer and found out they're making a remake of the movie next year
starring Mark Wahlberg.  Part of my wandering wondering mind can rest
easy, now.

If you want to help me get a copy, fine.  Still, I'll probably just
rent it.

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Clarification of Question by mickeysimple-ga on 14 Nov 2002 17:38 PST

BTW - I originally didn't know you were a Google Researcher.  Clearly
I AM giving you the $5 and, of course, the highest rating possible!

Amazingly quick answer.  Very well done!

Here's a bit more info for you.

I have located the lyrics to "The Self Preservation Society," complete
with translations of the Cockney slang:

Animinichicks.com
http://www.animinichicks.com/thecars/ijcars.html

This song was written by Quincy Jones. An alternate title is "Get a
Bloomin' Move On."

A VHS tape of "The Italian Job" is available from Amazon for less than
ten bucks. This is a very, very funny movie, and is well worth the
price.

Amazon.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/6302491940/qid=1037326856/sr=8-1/ref=sr_8_1/103-6563336-1197417?v=glance&s=video&n=507846

My Google search strategy:

"self preservation society" + "the italian job"
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&q=%22self+preservation+society%22+%22italian+job

I'm glad we were able to identify your movie! Hope you enjoy
re-viewing it after all these years.

Best regards,
pinkfreud

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Clarification of Answer by pinkfreud-ga on 14 Nov 2002 21:36 PST

Thank you very much for the five-star rating! It's always fun to be
able to answer a really good movie trivia question, particularly one
like this that involves a really good movie!

~pinkfreud

Amazingly quick answer.  Very well done. Thanks for everything!

Here's a remote possibility.

There is a song from the 1969 movie "The Italian Job" that goes like
this:

We are the Self Preservation Society 
The Self Preservation Society 
Put on your almond rocks and daisy roots 
Brush your Hampstead Heath, wear your whistle-and-flute 
Lots of la-de-dahs and Cockneys here 
Look alive and get out of here... 

Although the movie involves the criminal shenanigans of some convicts,
I don't recall whether the convicts sang the song.

Bravo!  I'd give you the $5 and the 5 stars if I could.  You've done
it.

Guess 30 years later I mangled the words a bit.  I'll rent that movie
if I can find it now.