Decision Before Dawn
"A woman's kiss . . . A lighted cigarette - Each had Its meaning! An exciting and realistic story of war . . . of German Prisoners Sent Back Behind Their Own Lines as Agents of the Allies!"
Originally released in 1951. Decision Before Dawn is a war/action film. directed by Anatole Litvak.
Starring Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, and Oskar Werner
Synopsis
WWII is entering its last phase: Germany is in ruins, but does not yield. The US army lacks crucial knowledge about the German units operating on the opposite side of the Rhine, and decides to send two German prisoners to gather information. The scheme is risky: the Gestapo retains a terribly efficient network to identify and capture spies and deserters. Moreover, it is not clear that "Tiger", who does not mind any dirty work as long as the price is right, and war-weary "Happy", who might be easily betrayed by his feelings, are dependable agents. After Tiger and another American agent are successfully infiltrated, Happy is parachuted in Bavaria. His duty: find out the whereabouts of a powerful German armored unit moving towards the western front.
Quick Facts
Release Date
December 21, 1951
74 years ago
Runtime
1h 59m
119 minutes total
User Rating
6.7/10
Good (47 votes)
Language
English
Original language
Country
United States of America
+ 1 more
Director
Top Cast
Richard Basehart
as Lt. Dick Rennick
Gary Merrill
as Col. Devlin
Oskar Werner
as Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy
Hildegard Knef
as Hilde
Dominique Blanchar
as Monique
O.E. Hasse
as Col. Oberst von Ecker
Wilfried Seyferth
as Heinz Scholtz, SS-Mann
Hans Christian Blech
as Sgt. Rudolf Barth - aka Tiger
Helene Thimig
as Fräulein Schneide
George Tyne
as Sgt. Griffin
Production Details
- Status
- Released
- Original Language
- EN
Production Companies
- 20th Century Fox
- Bavaria Film
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Decision Before Dawn about?
WWII is entering its last phase: Germany is in ruins, but does not yield. The US army lacks crucial knowledge about the German units operating on the opposite side of the Rhine, and decides to send...
Who directed Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn was directed by Anatole Litvak.
How long is Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn has a runtime of 1 hours and 59 minutes (119 minutes total).
When was Decision Before Dawn released?
Decision Before Dawn was released on December 21, 1951 in theaters.
Who are the main actors in Decision Before Dawn?
The main cast of Decision Before Dawn includes Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, Oskar Werner, Hildegard Knef, Dominique Blanchar.