The Formula (1980)

Director:

John G. Avildsen

Writers:

Steve Shagan (novel)
Steve Shagan (screenplay)

Release Date:

19 December 1980 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Thriller

Tagline:

In a world starved for energy, no secret is more valuable.

Plot:

A detective uncovers a formula that was devised by the Nazis in WW II to make gasoline from synthetic products...

Plot Keywords:

Oil Company | Oil | Gasoline | Assassination Attempt | Snow

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar. Another 4 nominations

Cast

George C. Scott	...	Lt. Barney Caine LAPD
Marlon Brando	...	Adam Steiffel, Chairman Titan Oil
Marthe Keller	...	Lisa Spangler
John Gielgud	...	Dr. Abraham Esau, Director Reich Energy
G.D. Spradlin	...	Arthur Clements
Beatrice Straight	...	Kay Neeley
Richard Lynch	...	General Helmut Kladen / Frank Tedesco
John Van Dreelen	...	Hans Lehman, Prefect of Police Berlin
Robin Clarke	...	Major Tom Neeley
Ike Eisenmann	...	Tony
Marshall Thompson	...	Geologist #1
Dieter Schidor	...	Assassin
Werner Kreindl	...	Schellenberg
Jan Niklas	...	Gestapo Captain
Wolfgang Preiss	...	Franz Tauber, Swiss businessman
Calvin Jung	...	Sergeant Louis Yosuta LAPD Tactical Squad
Alan North	...	John Nolan, Chief of Tactical Squad LAPD
David Byrd	...	Paul Obermann, Chief Engineer Berlin Power & Light Co.
Ferdy Mayne	...	Professor Siebold
Gerard Murphy	...	Herbert Glenn, Clement's Chauffeur (as Gerry Murphy)
Francisco Prado	...	Mendosa
Louis Basile	...	Sgt. Vince Rizzo - LAPD Metro Homicide
Ric Mancini	...	Printman
Weston Gavin	...	U.S. Army Captain
Craig T. Nelson	...	Geologist #2
Herb Voland	...	Geologist #3
Diane Tyler	...	Telex Operator
Jim Brewer	...	Security Guard
Lavelle Roby	...	Secretary
Albert Carrier	...	Butler
Ernie Fuentes	...	Pool Man
Stephanie Edwards	...	Reporter
Nathan Roberts	...	Reporter
Tom Hall	...	Reporter
Reinhard Vom Bauer	...	Dr. Esau (young)
János Gönczöl	...	Dr. Karl Saur, Director Reich Armaments (as Janos Genczol)
Heinz Kammer	...	Dr. Hans Luschen, Director of Reich Research
Reinhard Kolldehoff	...	Reimeck (as Rene Kolldehoff)
Martin Brandt	...	Concierge (German)
Paul Glawion	...	Concierge (Swiss)
Emil Steinberger	...	Postal Clerk
Emily Jensen	...	Dancer
Sandie Lawrence	...	Dancer
Ursula Warel	...	Dancer
Jane Faithe	...	Dancer
Wendy Baldock	...	Dancer
Ursula Hamann	...	Pan-Am Lady
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Hammam Shafie	...	Assassin (uncredited)

Directed by
John G. Avildsen

Writing credits (in alphabetical order)
Steve Shagan		novel
Steve Shagan		screenplay

Produced by
Steve Shagan	....	producer
Ken Swor	....	associate producer

Original Music by
Bill Conti

Cinematography by
James Crabe		(director of photography)

Film Editing by
John Carter

Casting by
Caro Jones

Production Design by
Herman A. Blumenthal		(production designer: US)

Set Decoration by
Lee Poll

Costume Design by
Bill Thomas

Makeup Department
Del Acevedo	....	makeup artist
Evelyn Döhring	....	hair stylist: Marthe Keller: Europe
Evelyn Döhring	....	makeup artist: Marthe Keller: Europe
Jo McCarthy	....	hair stylist
Hasso von Hugo	....	makeup artist: Europe

Production Management
Dieter Meyer	....	production manager: Europe
Karl W. Schaper	....	production manager: Europe
Ken Swor	....	unit production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Candace Allen	....	second assistant director
Don French	....	first assistant director: Europe
Dan Malmuth	....	assistant director
Eva-Maria Schönecker	....	second assistant director: Europe (as Eva Marie Schönecker)
Dwight Williams	....	first assistant director

Art Department
Herman A. Blumenthal	....	production designer: USA
Russell Goble	....	property master
Hans Jürgen Kiebach	....	art director: Europe (as Hans-Jürgen Kiebach)
Tom Jung	....	poster artist (uncredited)
Tom Jung	....	poster designer (uncredited)

Sound Department
Charles Grenzbach	....	sound re-recording mixer (as Bud Grenzbach)
Jay M. Harding	....	sound re-recording mixer
Michael J. Kohut	....	sound re-recording mixer
Al Overton	....	sound
John Riordan	....	sound editor

Special Effects by
Richard Richtsfeld	....	special effects department: Europe

Visual Effects by
Theo Nischwitz	....	optical effects consultant: Europe

Stunts
Charlie Picerni	....	stunts

Camera and Electrical Department
Mike Benson	....	camera operator (as Michael A. Benson)
David E. Diano	....	assistant camera (as David Diano)
Ted Harrison	....	key grip
Ross A. Maehl	....	gaffer (as Ross Maehl)
Elliott Marks	....	still photographer: USA
Bob Whitaker	....	still photographer: Europe
George Whitear	....	still photographer: Europe
Garrett Brown	....	Steadicam operator (uncredited)
Adam Glick	....	set lighting technician (uncredited)

Casting Department
Renate Arbes	....	casting: Europe
Shirley Rich	....	casting consultant

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Frédéric Castet	....	designer: Christian Dior furs (as Frederic Castet)
Uta Freiwald	....	costume assistant: Europe
Catherine Leterrier	....	wardrobe coordinator: Miss Keller
Catherine Leterrier	....	wardrobe designer: Miss Keller
Helmut Preuss	....	wardrobe: Europe
G. Tony Scarano	....	wardrobe (as Tony Scarano)

Editorial Department
David Bretherton	....	supervising editor
Don Dittmar	....	color timer
Jane Kurson	....	associate editor
Richard Lane	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles (as Dick Lane)
Bob Ramae	....	assistant editor: Los Angeles
Joe Zaidman	....	assistant editor: New York

Music Department
Harry V. Lojewski	....	music supervisor
Joe Tuley	....	music editor
Dan Wallin	....	score mixer

Transportation Department
Randy Peters	....	transportation co-captain

Other crew
Willy Egger	....	production executive: Germany
Norbert Finck	....	location manager: Berlin
Sandy Lawrence	....	production secretary: USA
Bill Millie	....	choreographer: Europe
Don Morgan	....	unit publicist
Ana Maria Quintana	....	script supervisor
Ursula Schlieper	....	production accountant: Europe (as Uschi Schlieper)
Ilse Schwarzwald	....	production assistant: Europe
Stefan Zürcher	....	location manager: Switzerland

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (presents)
• CIP Filmproduktion GmbH (copyright holder) (as CIP Filmproduktions GmbH) (as a CIP feature also)

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1980) (USA) (theatrical)
• Cinema International Corporation (CIC) (198?) (France) (theatrical)
• Audio Visual Enterprises (1985) (Greece) (VHS)
• MGM/CBS Home Video (1981) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1997) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Vídeo Arte (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)

Other Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  sound re-recording
• Nina Ricci  evening dresses
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios  photographed at (as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, Culver City, California)
• CCC Film Studio  photographed at (as CCC Studios, Berlin, Germany)
• Metrocolor  color (as Metrocolor®)
• Panavision  camera equipment: Panaflex® camera and lenses (as Panavision®)
• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)  titles and opticals (as MGM)
• International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE)  this picture made under the jurisdiction of (as I.A.T.S.E.)
• Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA)  approved by

Also Known As:

Runtime:

117 min

Country:

USA | West Germany

Language:

English | Spanish | German

Color:

Color (Metrocolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | USA:R | Iceland:L | Australia:PG | Argentina:13 | Peru:14

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Reportedly, director John G. Avildsen distanced himself from the picture after it was completed. Apparently, Avildsen wanted to have his name removed from the credits as both editor and director. This request was unsuccessful and Avildsen's credits remained. Avildsen complained that after his final edit, writer-producer Steve Shagan allegedly re-edited the picture differently to Avildsen's final cut.

Goofs:

Errors in geography: At the beginning of The Formula, a Nazi General is given the task of driving a truck to the Swiss border. In the next scene the truck has been captured by the US Army. The scene is shot in the snow. This is supposed to take place in the first week of May 1945. There is nowhere that would be covered in snow between Berlin and the Swiss border in May, even if he went the long way i.e. via Austria.

Quotes:

Barney Caine:You're not in the oil business; you're in the oil shortage business!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Video Nasties: Moral Panic, Censorship & Videotape (2010) (V)

Enjoyable hokum

I give this a high rating simply because of George C. Scott and Marlon Brando, who rise above muddled material and breathe life into an otherwise clunky TV movie. The plot is basically oil/greed ripping off the nation, and if I didn't know better I'd say Brando was channelling Dick Cheney, but the music and the script and the camera work (zooms, anyone?) are so cheesy that it's hard to stay with this movie.

However. The performances are fresh and fun and strangely lively, all the actors are magnificent, and true or not- it's a nice little commentary on modern greed in America (and the world).

A fun watch if you've nothing better to do than watch great actors go head to head.