Brass Target

Last updated
Brass Target
Brass Target FilmPoster.jpeg
Theatrical release poster
Directed by John Hough
Screenplay by Alvin Boretz
Based onThe Algonquin Project
1974 novel
by Frederick Nolan
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography Tony Imi
Edited byDavid Lane
Music by Laurence Rosenthal
Color process Metrocolor
Production
company
Distributed by United Artists
Release date
  • December 22, 1978 (1978-12-22)
Running time
111 minutes
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Box office$5,111,000 (domestic) or $2.5 million (US rentals) [1]

Brass Target is a 1978 American suspense war film based on the 1974 novel The Algonquin Project by Frederick Nolan. [2] The film was produced by Berle Adams and Arthur Lewis and directed by John Hough. [3] It stars Sophia Loren, John Cassavetes, Robert Vaughn, George Kennedy, Patrick McGoohan and Max von Sydow. [4]

Contents

The film's plot concerns General George S. Patton's fatal automobile crash and suggests that the crash was not an accident but the result of a conspiracy.

Plot

In Europe, days after V-E Day, General Patton orders that hoarded Nazi gold be transported to the Reichsbank in Frankfurt. But before the shipment arrives in the city, the gold train is robbed and 59 U.S. Army military policemen are killed with poison gas in a railroad tunnel. A group of corrupt American officers, led by a colonel, is behind the crime. Patton launches an investigation that initially leads to OSS major Joe De Luca, from whom the thieves took a plan from his wartime operations to steal the gold.

De Luca begins his own investigation. He first visits his old wartime commander, Colonel Mike McCauley, who is now living in a requisitioned German castle. Meanwhile, as the investigation gets closer, the corrupt American officers hire a professional assassin named Webber to kill Patton and halt the inquiry.

Soon De Luca meets Mara, a former girlfriend, who can help him find the culprits. But they first discover that Webber is on their trail and is also planning to kill Patton. They race against time across war-ravaged Europe to save the general and catch the villainous officers.

Webber, posing as an American soldier, kills General Patton in a staged traffic accident. At the precise moment when a military truck collides with Patton's car, Webber fires a rubber bullet, striking Patton and breaking his neck. De Luca tracks down the assassin and kills him with his own weapon.

Cast

Production

Development

The film is based on the 1974 historical novel The Algonquin Project by British writer Frederick W. Nolan in which a fictional protagonist tries to stop the assassination of Patton in a staged car accident. [2] For more than thirty years, the death of Patton had been regarded as an unfortunate accident; however, it was noted at the time that the release of this 1978 film had created fresh speculation and dubious interest into the general's death. [5] MGM was accused of hyping the conspiracy theory in order to market the film. [6] Numerous books have since been published on the subject culminating in the "sensationalist" but "widely read" 2008 best-seller Target: Patton, The Plot to Assassinate General George S. Patton. [7] [8]

Although approximately $2.5 billion in German gold, most of which is still missing, was determined to have been pilfered in several separate thefts, no train robbery occurred as depicted in the film. Brass Target, despite a lukewarm reception upon its release, is noted for its attention to historical detail in an early post-war Europe. The Cold War had not started but relations with the Russians are shown to have already become frosty.

Casting

Many American soldiers from the 66th MI Group who were stationed in Munich appear as extras in the film. [9] [5]

Filming

Brass Target was shot on location in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany and Switzerland. [9]

Release

Brass Target was released in theaters on December 22, 1978 in the United States [9] and March 2, 1979 in the United Kingdom.[ citation needed ]

The film was released on DVD on August 30, 2012 by the Warner Archive Collection. [10] MGM Home Entertainment (under license from WB) released Brass Target on DVD as part of its Sophia Loren Collection. [11]

Reception

Vincent Canby of The New York Times wrote in his review: "It is the dubious premise of The Brass Target, a film full of dubiety, that Gen. George S. Patton was assassinated in Germany in 1945 by a motley crew of United States Army officers in an attempt to hide their theft of $250 million in Nazi gold. History says that General Patton died in Germany in 1945 following an automobile accident, but Frederick Nolan, who wrote The Algonquin Project, this film's source material, has connected various unsolved mysteries to make a wobbly case for his conspiracy theory. As historical speculation goes, it's less interesting than wondering where we might be today if Ford's Theater had been playing Uncle Tom's Cabin that fateful night in 1865, instead of Our American Cousin . Would Lincoln have attended, or might he have said, "Mary, I just can't sit through it again"? You may elect not to sit through international claptrap like this film, which doesn't measure up even to The Cassandra Crossing ... The Brass Target, which has been rated PG ("Parental Guidance Suggested"), contains a lot of violence, all of it simulated but random in the way of simple-minded movie-making." [5]

Related Research Articles

<i>The Prisoner</i> British science fiction television series (1967–1968)

The Prisoner is a British television series created by Patrick McGoohan, with possible contributions from George Markstein. McGoohan portrays Number Six, an unnamed British intelligence agent who is abducted and imprisoned in a mysterious coastal village after resigning from his position. The allegorical plotlines of the series contain elements of science fiction, psychological drama, and spy fiction. It was produced by Everyman Films for distribution by Lew Grade's ITC Entertainment.

<i>The Day of the Jackal</i> 1971 thriller novel by Frederick Forsyth

The Day of the Jackal (1971) is a political thriller novel by English author Frederick Forsyth about a professional assassin who is contracted by the OAS, a French dissident paramilitary organisation, to kill Charles de Gaulle, the President of France.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Patrick McGoohan</span> Irish American actor (1928–2009)

Patrick Joseph McGoohan was an Irish-American actor of film, television, and theatre. Born in New York City to Irish parents, he was raised in Ireland and England. He began his career in England during the 1950s and became well known for the titular role of secret agent John Drake in the ITC espionage programme Danger Man (1960–1968). He then created, produced, and starred as former British intelligence agent Number Six in the surrealistic ITV series The Prisoner (1967–1968).

<i>Alex Rider</i> Spy novel series by Anthony Horowitz

Alex Rider is a series of spy novels by the English author Anthony Horowitz. The novels revolve around a teenaged spy named Alex Rider and are primarily aimed towards young adults. The series currently comprises 14 novels, as well as seven graphic novels, seven short stories, and a supplementary book.

Frederick William Nolan was an English editor and writer, mostly known as Frederick Nolan; he also used the pen names Donald Severn, Daniel Rockfern, Christine McGuire, and Frederick H. Christian.

<i>Harum Scarum</i> (film) 1965 film by Gene Nelson

Harum Scarum is a 1965 American musical comedy film starring Elvis Presley. It was shot on the original Cecil B. DeMille set from the film The King of Kings, with additional footage shot on location at the Iverson Movie Ranch in Chatsworth, Los Angeles. Some of the film was based on Rudolph Valentino's 1921 movie The Sheik.

Jackal (<i>The Day of the Jackal</i>) Fictional character, introduced in 1971

The Jackal is a fictional character, the principal antagonist of the novel The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth. He is an assassin who is contracted by the OAS French terrorist group of the early 1960s to kill Charles de Gaulle, then President of France. The book was published on 7 June 1971, in the year following de Gaulle's death, and became an instant bestseller. In the 1973 original film adaptation, he is portrayed by Edward Fox. A revised version of the character was portrayed by Bruce Willis in the 1997 remake adaptation of the original film, having a divergent storyline and set in the U.S., with a fictional First Lady of the United States as the target of the assassination. In the 2024 TV series, he is portrayed by Eddie Redmayne.

<i>Operation Crossbow</i> (film) 1965 film by Michael Anderson

Operation Crossbow is a 1965 British espionage thriller set during the Second World War. This movie concerns an actual series of events where British undercover operatives targeted the German manufacturing facilities for experimental rocket-bombs.

<i>Ice Station Zebra</i> 1968 film by John Sturges based on the 1963 novel

Ice Station Zebra is a 1968 American espionage thriller film directed by John Sturges and starring Rock Hudson, Patrick McGoohan, Ernest Borgnine, and Jim Brown. The screenplay is by Douglas Heyes, Harry Julian Fink, and W. R. Burnett, loosely based on Alistair MacLean's 1963 novel. Both have parallels to real-life events that took place in 1959. The film concerns a US nuclear submarine that must rush to the North Pole to rescue the members of the Ice Station Zebra.

<i>The Day of the Jackal</i> (film) 1973 thriller film directed by Fred Zinnemann

The Day of the Jackal is a 1973 political thriller film directed by Fred Zinnemann and starring Edward Fox and Michael Lonsdale. Based on the 1971 novel of the same name by Frederick Forsyth, the film is about a professional assassin known only as the "Jackal" who is hired to assassinate French president Charles de Gaulle in the summer of 1963.

<i>Firepower</i> (film) 1979 British film by Michael Winner

Firepower is a 1979 British action-thriller film directed by Michael Winner and starring Sophia Loren, James Coburn, O. J. Simpson and Eli Wallach. It was the final film in the career of actor Victor Mature. The film was poorly reviewed by critics who objected to its convoluted plot, though the lead performances and filming locations were generally praised.

<i>The Last Days of Patton</i> 1986 film directed by Delbert Mann

The Last Days of Patton is a 1986 American made-for-television biographical drama film and sequel to the 1970 film Patton, portraying the last few months of the general's life. George C. Scott reprises the role of General George S. Patton, and Eva Marie Saint portrays Beatrice Patton, the general's wife. It was directed by Delbert Mann.

<i>Where the Spies Are</i> 1965 British film by Val Guest

Where the Spies Are is a 1965 British comedy adventure film directed by Val Guest and starring David Niven, Françoise Dorléac, John Le Mesurier, Cyril Cusack and Richard Marner. It was based on the 1964 James Leasor book Passport to Oblivion, which was also the working title of the film. MGM intended to make a Jason Love film series, but the idea was shelved.

<i>The Liquidator</i> (1965 film) 1965 British film by Jack Cardiff

The Liquidator is a 1965 British thriller film directed by Jack Cardiff and starring Rod Taylor, Trevor Howard, and Jill St. John. It was based on The Liquidator (1964), the first of a series of Boysie Oakes novels by John Gardner.

<i>The Tall Target</i> 1951 film by Anthony Mann

The Tall Target is a 1951 American historical crime film directed by Anthony Mann and starring Dick Powell, Paula Raymond and Adolphe Menjou. Powell stars as a police sergeant who tries to stop the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at a train stop as Lincoln travels to his inauguration. It is based on the alleged Baltimore Plot.

<i>Target of an Assassin</i> 1978 film by Peter Collinson

Target of an Assassin is a 1977 South African thriller film directed by Peter Collinson and starring Anthony Quinn and John Phillip Law. It was completed in South Africa in 1976 as Tigers Don't Cry, but was not put into general American release for nearly nine years. Other alternate titles include African Rage, The Long Shot, and Fatal Assassin. Based on the novel Running Scared by Jon Burmeister.

<i>OSS 117 Mission for a Killer</i> 1965 French film

Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117 is a 1965 French/Italian international co-production Eurospy spy-fi film. It was the third OSS 117 film directed by André Hunebelle and produced by Paul Cadéac. Frederick Stafford made his film debut taking over the role of OSS 117 from Kerwin Mathews.

<i>The Greatest Battle</i> 1978 Euro War film by Umberto Lenzi

The Greatest Battle is a 1978 Euro War film co-written and directed by Umberto Lenzi and starring an all-star ensemble cast, including Giuliano Gemma, Helmut Berger, Stacy Keach, Ray Lovelock, Samantha Eggar, Henry Fonda, Ida Galli and John Huston. The Italian-West German-Yugoslavian co-production was produced by Mino Loy and Luciano Martino for Titanus.

<i>Red King, White Knight</i> 1989 television film directed by Geoff Murphy

Red King, White Knight is a 1989 American political thriller television film directed by Geoff Murphy and written by Ron Hutchinson. The film stars Tom Skerritt as Bill Stoner, a retired CIA operative who is sent to eastern Europe to determine the truth of a KGB plot to assassinate Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev. It also stars Helen Mirren as Stoner's former girlfriend Anna, Max von Sydow as his old retired KGB adversary Szaz, and Tom Bell as the KGB plot organiser Tulayev.

References

  1. ↑ THE BIG THUDS OF 1979--FILMS THAT FLOPPED, BADLY Epstein, Andrew. Los Angeles Times 27 Apr 1980: o6.
  2. 1 2 Nolan, Frederick W. (1974). The Algonquin Project (1st ed.). New York City: William Morrow and Company. ISBN   978-0688003197.
  3. ↑ "Brass Target". Turner Classic Movies . Atlanta: Turner Broadcasting System (Time Warner). Retrieved March 1, 2016.
  4. ↑ Variety film review; December 13, 1978.
  5. 1 2 3 Canby, Vincent (December 22, 1978). "Screen: Patton Plot:Historical Speculation". The New York Times . New York City . Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  6. ↑ Peter J. K. Hendrikx. "The Death of General George S. Patton" (PDF). www.osssociety.org. Retrieved 5 January 2022.
  7. ↑ "Was Patton Murdered?: What is the truth behind the death of America's greatest World War II battlefield commander?". www.historynet.com. November 30, 2022.
  8. ↑ Wilcox, Robert K. (2008). Target: Patton: The Plot to Assassinate General George S. Patton (1st ed.). Washington, D.C.: Regnery History. ISBN   978-1596985797.
  9. 1 2 3 "Brass Target". American Film Institute . Los Angeles . Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  10. ↑ "Brass Target". Warner Archive Collection . Burbank, California: Warner Home Video. August 30, 2012. ASIN   B008NNY8HW . Retrieved November 28, 2016.
  11. ↑ "Brass Target". MGM Home Entertainment . Burbank, California: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. ASIN   B0007655GG . Retrieved November 28, 2016.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.