Brass Target

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

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 ordered the hoarded Nazi gold to be sent to the Reichsbank in Frankfurt. But, before the gold shipment could arrive, a daring robbery was executed and 59 U.S. Army military policemen were killed with poison gas in a railway tunnel. Further investigation revealed that a group of corrupt American officers, led by a colonel, orchestrated the crime. General Patton launch a full-scale investigation and the clues seemed to be pointing to OSS Major Joe De Luca from whom the thieves had acquired a plan from his wartime operations that enabled them to rob the gold. The General immediately placed the OSS Major under arrest and saw to it that the criminals responsible for the crime were brought to justice. But the mastermind behind the heist continued to evade detection and justice for years.

De Luca began his own investigation in order to prove General Patton's murder was not an accident. His first stop was a visit to his old wartime commander, Colonel Mike McCauley, who was now living in a requisitioned German castle. Behind the closed doors of Colonel McCauley's quarters, De Luca got leads on names and key events that were part of the unfolding conspiracy. He went on to investigate some of the other men closely associated to Patton. He discovered evidence of some American officers who were involved in a shady business venture with some Germans. He also came across strong indications that these men had hired a professional assassin to kill Patton and halt the ongoing investigation. At this point, De Luca was certain that General Patton’s death was a political move orchestrated by the corrupt officers. He was determined to find the evidence he needed to prove his theory and bring justice to the man who had inspired him and many other to serve their country with honor. De Luca knew this meant placing himself directly in harm's way, but it was a risk he was willing to take in order to bring justice.

Soon De Luca is sent on a dangerous mission with the secret service in WWII-torn Europe. He must hunt down a group of mutinous officers who falsely accused General Patton of being a traitor. As De Luca begins his mission, he is met with a number of unexpected challenges and setbacks. One such challenge comes in the form of Mara, a former lover of De Luca's who can provide valuable assistance in his mission. Before they can inquire further however, the duo discovers that a former secret service agent, Webber, is also on their trail. Not only is he looking to capture the mutineers, he is also planning on assassinating General Patton. With the time ticking, De Luca and Mara must race against time to save the general and apprehend the mutineers. De Luca is of course hesitant, but Mara's bravery and dexterous overtures prevail. She successfully guides De Luca, helping him identify the culprits and foiling Webber's plans in the nick of time.

In what could be one of the most shocking events of the war, Webber, a hired assassin, posed as an American soldier to take the life of General Patton. It was an elaborate scheme that required extensive planning and execution. Webber had set up a traffic accident that would take place at the precise moment to facilitate the killing. The military truck collided with Patton's car, and, at the same time, Webber fired a rubber bullet that struck Patton and broke his neck. De Luca, an FBI agent, eventually tracked down Webber and killed him with his own pistol, ensuring his fate. This incredible tragedy wrought much sorrow throughout the military as the loss of such a great leader could not easily be diminished.

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. 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. MGM was accused of hyping the conspiracy theory in order to market the film. 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.

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.

Filming
Brass Target was shot on location in Munich, Bavaria, West Germany and Switzerland.

Release
Brass Target was released in theaters on December 22, 1978 in the United States and March 2, 1979 in the United Kingdom.

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

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." Brass Target has a "plot so plausible that we have to remind ourselves it is fiction. The movie earns it's strips and they never have found the murder weapon." From "Brass Target" Classy Thriller by Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times, Dec. 26 1978.