The Formula (1980 film)
| The Formula | |
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Theatrical release poster by Tom Jung
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| Directed by | John G. Avildsen |
| Produced by | Steve Shagan |
| Screenplay by | Steve Shagan |
| Based on |
The Formula by Steve Shagan |
| Starring |
Marlon Brando George C. Scott Marthe Keller John Gielgud G.D. Spradlin Beatrice Straight Richard Lynch John van Dreelen Robin Clarke Ike Eisenmann Marshall Thompson Dieter Schidor Werner Kreindl Jan Niklas Wolfgang Preiss |
| Music by | Bill Conti |
| Cinematography | James Crabe |
| Edited by | John Carter |
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Production
company |
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| Distributed by | United Artists |
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Release date
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Running time
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117 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Box office | $8.9 million |
The Formula is a 1980 American mystery film directed by John G. Avildsen and released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It features a preeminent cast including Marlon Brando, George C. Scott, John Gielgud, and Marthe Keller. Craig T. Nelson also makes a brief appearance as a geologist.
The film opens in the final days of World War II as the Russians are on the outskirts of Berlin. A German army Panzer Korps general (Richard Lynch) is dispatched to the Swiss border with top secret materials, with orders to hide them from the Allies.
In contemporary Los Angeles, Lt. Barney Caine (George C. Scott) is assigned to solve the murder of his former boss and friend Tom Neeley, which presumably occurred during a drug deal gone wrong. However, Neeley has written 'Gene' on a newspaper in his own blood, and Caine finds a map of Germany with the name 'Obermann' on it. Caine is surprised to learn that Neeley provided drugs at parties hosted by the tycoon Adam Steiffel (Marlon Brando). When he interviews Neeley's ex-wife (Beatrice Straight), he quickly catches her in several lies, and when he returns to interview her a second time, he finds her shot dead in her hot tub.
Steiffel reveals in his interview that Neeley was working for him as a bagman, executing all the bribes (Baksheesh) that are required of an American energy firm to operate in the Middle East. Neeley was sent overseas by him frequently to distribute money to business partners. Steiffel then makes reference to a formula for a catalyst that converts coal into petroleum and claimed that the Nazis had relied heavily on their coal reserves and the formula to fuel their war efforts, given their lack of petroleum resources. Steiffel asserts that the formula has been kept secret by the powerful oil cartel, which would lose power if coal-rich countries like the United States could simply rely on their natural resources. Caine becomes convinced he must go to Germany to solve Neeley's murder, and after he convinces his Chief (Alan North) to allow him to pursue the investigation in Europe, the Chief is seen phoning one of Steiffel's cronies (G. D. Spradlin) to tell him that Caine has taken the bait.
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