440:, Lt. Barney Caine 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 eventually learns that Neeley provided drugs at parties hosted by the tycoon Adam Steiffel. While interviewing Neeley's ex-wife, he catches her in several lies. Returning to interview her a second time, he finds her shot dead in her hot tub.
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25:
447:. Neeley was sent overseas by the company to deliver money to business partners. Caine decides he must be in Germany to solve Neeley's murder and convinces his Chief to allow him to go there to continue the investigation. Later, the Chief phones one of Steiffel's cronies to say that Caine has taken the bait.
694:
says- "Dull, contrived, and ploddingly directed by John G. Avildsen, this film is a never-ending series of repetitive interviews in which Barney asks questions of a recalcitrant informant. Ultimately, the trail leads back to Brando's corpulent oil magnate. Brando, who appears in only three scenes and
450:
Caine meets Paul
Obermann at the Berlin Zoo. Obermann explains operation "Genesis" - a synthetic fuel formula that the Nazis had produced - could wreck the current oil-economy. Neeley was killed over Genesis. Obermann is then murdered outside the zoo. At his apartment, his niece Lisa shows up to be
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After exchanging the formula for Yosuta's release, Caine demands answers from
Steiffel. Steiffel then outlines the cartel's plan since the end of the war, to keep the formula secret. They had managed to keep it secret until Swiss businessman, Tauber, began searching for the members of the original
462:
and a Swiss energy company. Caine also hides two copies from Lisa, depositing them in the hotel's safe. Subsequently, he reveals that he has deduced that she is not
Obermann's niece at all, but a spy sent to keep tabs on him. Lisa admits it, but claims she did not sleep with him because of her
478:
Genesis team, hoping to recreate the formula. Tauber's actions made the members of the
Genesis team a liability to the cartel, so Steiffel had pulled strings to get Caine sent on a trip to Germany, which would serve as a cover for the cartel's plot to eliminate the remaining members.
458:, is still alive. After they leave his apartment, Siebold is shot in the head through a window. They meet up with Esau, who writes down the formula for Caine after making him promise to make it public. Lisa and Caine make photocopies and send them to the
451:
interviewed by the police. At
Obermann's memorial service, Caine asks Lisa to accompany him to act as his interpreter. Lisa agrees and they follow up on a lead that Obermann gave him regarding Professor Siebold who worked on the formula.
466:
At the border with East Berlin, Caine confronts
Tadesco who relates how he knew Neeley, and what transpired after his capture by the Americans. As Tadesco walks towards his car, Lisa kills Tadesco, then walks towards
471:. At the airport before flying home to Los Angeles, Caine realizes the two copies of the formula in the hotel safe were replaced with fakes by Lisa, and that the only real copies are with the LAPD and the Swiss.
400:
The film follows the attempts by different groups who wish to either secure or destroy a synthetic fuel formula invented by the Nazis at the end of World War II which would end reliance on the supply of oil.
481:
Before leaving, Caine reveals that he sent the formula to Tauber. After their meeting, Steiffel calls Tauber, asking him to keep the formula secret for another ten years in exchange for a 25% share of his
474:
After landing in Los
Angeles, he heads straight to Steiffel's office. Steiffel has kidnapped Yosuta, Caine's partner, and is holding him to exchange for the copy of the formula.
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with secret documents to be used as a bargaining chip with the Allies to save
Germany from the Soviets. He is subsequently intercepted by the
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walked off with $ 3 million for his performance, is the only spark of life in the entire film, albeit a highly bizarre one".
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During their interview with
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1980 American-West German mystery film by John G. Avildsen
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690:, the film holds a 30% rating based on 10 reviews.
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603:Gerry Murphy as Herbert Glenn, Clements' Chauffeur
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665:. The remainder of the film was shot at the
51:introducing citations to additional sources
737:. Unsourced material may be challenged and
421:General Helmut Kladen is dispatched to the
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757:Learn how and when to remove this message
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41:Relevant discussion may be found on the
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1089:Guess What We Learned in School Today?
1426:English-language crime thriller films
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735:adding citations to reliable sources
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534:as Gen. Helmut Kladen/Frank Tedesco
415:close in on the outskirts of Berlin
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1331:Films directed by John G. Avildsen
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1316:American political thriller films
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369:, who adapted his own 1979 novel
365:. It was produced and written by
885:Most Annoying Fake Accent: Male
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600:Louis Basile as Sgt. Vince Rizzo
597:Calvin Jung as Sgt. Louis Yosuta
277:Cinema International Corporation
34:relies largely or entirely on a
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1356:American police detective films
1311:American mystery thriller films
543:Robin Clarke as Maj. Tom Neeley
1326:Films based on American novels
976:The Formula review at TV Guide
969:
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1391:English-language German films
1386:German mystery thriller films
1346:Films shot at Spandau Studios
1306:American crime thriller films
1145:W.W. and the Dixie Dancekings
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637:
128:Theatrical release poster by
1411:1980s English-language films
1161:Slow Dancing in the Big City
1031:AFI Catalog of Feature Films
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62:"The Formula" 1980 film
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1396:German crime thriller films
582:David Byrd as Paul Obermann
292:December 19, 1980
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1321:Films scored by Bill Conti
1351:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer films
1341:Films set in West Germany
1301:1980 crime thriller films
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874:Worst Supporting Actor
671:Culver City, California
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1209:The Karate Kid Part II
842:Worst Supporting Actor
699:Awards and nominations
1401:Films shot in Hamburg
686:On review aggregator
409:In the final days of
1416:1980s American films
1406:Films shot in Berlin
953:"The Formula (1980)"
909:"The Formula (1980)"
731:improve this section
47:improve this article
1336:Films set in Berlin
1185:Traveling Hopefully
792:Best Cinematography
667:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
594:as Chief John Nolan
516:as Dr. Abraham Esau
504:as Lt. Barney Caine
429:and turned over to
259:Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
1421:1980s German films
1067:Films directed by
1019:TCM Movie Database
573:as Gestapo Captain
522:as Arthur Clements
262:CIP Filmproduktion
1381:West German films
1371:Films set in 1980
1366:Films set in 1945
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682:Critical response
655:location shooting
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553:Marshall Thompson
526:Beatrice Straight
431:Army Intelligence
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1069:John G. Avildsen
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832:John G. Avildsen
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588:as Prof. Siebold
538:John van Dreelen
510:as Lisa Spangler
498:as Adam Steiffel
436:In contemporary
413:, Soviet forces
363:John G. Avildsen
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609:as Geologist #2
607:Craig T. Nelson
579:as Franz Tauber
577:Wolfgang Preiss
567:as Schellenberg
555:as Geologist #1
502:George C. Scott
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166:by Steve Shagan
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747:November 2022
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346:$ 8.9 million
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36:single source
32:This article
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918:. Retrieved
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817:Steve Shagan
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729:Please help
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514:John Gielgud
480:
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456:Abraham Esau
453:
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419:Panzer Korps
411:World War II
408:
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387:John Gielgud
370:
367:Steve Shagan
361:directed by
359:mystery film
353:
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320:West Germany
308:Running time
285:Release date
201:John Gielgud
174:Steve Shagan
160:
151:Steve Shagan
103:October 2020
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1169:The Formula
1121:The Stoolie
1025:The Formula
1014:The Formula
1003:The Formula
992:The Formula
936:The Formula
797:James Crabe
669:studios in
643:The Formula
633:as Printman
631:Ric Mancini
621:as Reporter
613:Herb Voland
586:Ferdy Mayne
561:as Assassin
469:East Berlin
438:Los Angeles
373:. It stars
371:The Formula
354:The Formula
312:117 minutes
234:John Carter
224:James Crabe
171:Produced by
161:The Formula
137:Directed by
117:The Formula
1296:1980 films
1290:Categories
1233:Lean on Me
1105:Cry Uncle!
895:References
888:Nominated
880:Nominated
864:Nominated
851:Nominated
836:Nominated
821:Nominated
801:Nominated
659:St. Moritz
638:Production
592:Alan North
571:Jan Niklas
484:anthracite
357:is a 1980
343:Box office
296:1980-12-19
251:Production
244:Bill Conti
164:1979 novel
73:newspapers
1265:8 Seconds
1225:For Keeps
1177:Neighbors
1137:Fore Play
1113:Okay Bill
778:Nominees
775:Category
718:does not
677:Reception
627:as Butler
427:U.S. Army
317:Countries
253:companies
230:Edited by
43:talk page
1008:AllMovie
692:TV Guide
463:orders.
327:Language
240:Music by
179:Starring
157:Based on
130:Tom Jung
1273:Inferno
1249:Rocky V
1028:at the
1017:at the
920:July 4,
781:Result
739:removed
724:sources
663:Hamburg
653:, with
549:as Tony
330:English
294: (
87:scholar
1276:(1999)
1268:(1994)
1260:(1992)
1252:(1990)
1244:(1989)
1236:(1989)
1228:(1988)
1220:(1987)
1212:(1986)
1204:(1984)
1196:(1983)
1188:(1982)
1180:(1981)
1172:(1980)
1164:(1978)
1156:(1976)
1148:(1975)
1140:(1975)
1132:(1973)
1124:(1972)
1116:(1971)
1108:(1971)
1100:(1970)
1092:(1970)
1084:(1969)
772:Award
651:Berlin
445:bagman
393:, and
335:Budget
89:
82:
75:
68:
60:
1153:Rocky
94:JSTOR
80:books
997:IMDb
922:2023
722:any
720:cite
661:and
490:Cast
460:LAPD
405:Plot
66:news
1097:Joe
1006:at
995:at
939:at
914:AFI
733:by
657:in
649:in
49:by
1292::
961:.
955:.
911:.
673:.
433:.
417:.
397:.
389:,
385:,
381:,
377:,
1060:e
1053:t
1046:v
965:.
924:.
760:)
754:(
749:)
745:(
741:.
727:.
298:)
105:)
101:(
91:·
84:·
77:·
70:·
53:.
39:.
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