Decision Before Dawn (1951)
Decision Before Dawn (1951)
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!
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.

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Cast

Richard Basehart Richard Basehart As: Lt. Dick Rennick
Gary Merrill Gary Merrill As: Col. Devlin
Oskar Werner Oskar Werner As: Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy
Hildegard Knef Hildegard Knef As: Hilde
Dominique Blanchar Dominique Blanchar As: Monique
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Storyline

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.


Tagline: 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!
Certification: NR

Details

Genres: War, Action, Thriller

Language: Deutsch, English

Release Date: 21 December 1951

Country: US

Runtime: 119m

Company Credits

Company: 20th Century Fox

External Links

Cast

Richard Basehart

Richard Basehart

Lt. Dick Rennick

Gary Merrill

Gary Merrill

Col. Devlin

Oskar Werner

Oskar Werner

Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy

Hildegard Knef

Hildegard Knef

Hilde

Dominique Blanchar

Dominique Blanchar

Monique

O.E. Hasse

O.E. Hasse

Col. Oberst von Ecker

Wilfried Seyferth

Wilfried Seyferth

Heinz Scholtz, SS-Mann

Hans Christian Blech

Hans Christian Blech

Sgt. Rudolf Barth - aka Tiger

Helene Thimig

Helene Thimig

Fräulein Schneide

George Tyne

George Tyne

Sgt. Griffin

Robert Freitag

Robert Freitag

Sgt. Paul Richter

Harold Benedict

Harold Benedict

Lt. Pete Gevers

Arno Assmann

Arno Assmann

Ernst Brandenbacher (uncredited)

Heinrich Berg

Heinrich Berg

(uncredited)

Bert Brandt

Bert Brandt

German NCO (uncredited)

Jochen Diestelmann

Jochen Diestelmann

(uncredited)

Ulrich Folkmar

Ulrich Folkmar

Prisoner (uncredited)

Otto Friebel

Otto Friebel

Clerk (uncredited)

Gert Fröbe

Gert Fröbe

German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited)

Werner Fuetterer

Werner Fuetterer

von Bülow (uncredited)

Elfe Gerhart

Elfe Gerhart

Barmaid (uncredited)

Loni Heuser

Loni Heuser

Fritzi Kollwitz (uncredited)

Alexander Kraft-Hohenlohe

Alexander Kraft-Hohenlohe

German NCO (uncredited)

Charles Jacquemar

Charles Jacquemar

Volkssturmmann (uncredited)

Walter Janssen

Walter Janssen

Fiedl (uncredited)

Erik Jelde

Erik Jelde

German NCO (uncredited)

Klaus Kinski

Klaus Kinski

Whining Soldier (uncredited)

Gerhard Kittler

Gerhard Kittler

German Lieutenant (uncredited)

Til Kiwe

Til Kiwe

Adjutant (uncredited)

Klaus W. Krause

Klaus W. Krause

German NCO (uncredited)

Walter Ladengast

Walter Ladengast

German Deserter (uncredited)

Maria Landrock

Maria Landrock

Wehrmacht Girl (uncredited)

Herbert Lehnert

Herbert Lehnert

(uncredited)

Adi Lödel

Adi Lödel

Kurt (uncredited)

Peter Lühr

Peter Lühr

von Schirmeck (uncredited)

Emil Matousek

Emil Matousek

(uncredited)

Wolf Petersen

Wolf Petersen

(uncredited)

Charles Regnier

Charles Regnier

German Prisoner (uncredited)

Arnulf Schröder

Arnulf Schröder

Old Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Paul Schwed

Paul Schwed

Man on Wehrmacht Bus (uncredited)

Kai-Siegfried Seefeld

Kai-Siegfried Seefeld

(uncredited)

Uli Steigberg

Uli Steigberg

(uncredited)

Peter Martin Urtel

Peter Martin Urtel

German Soldier (uncredited)

Rudolf Vogel

Rudolf Vogel

Volkssturmmann (uncredited)

Hans von Morhart

Hans von Morhart

Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Jaspar von Oertzen

Jaspar von Oertzen

Prisoner of War (uncredited)

Maria Wimmer

Maria Wimmer

Woman in the Street (uncredited)

Harald Wolff

Harald Wolff

Hartmann (uncredited)

Directed By

Writing Credits

Production Crew

Edited By

Costume and Makeup

Not currently known.

Sound

Franz Waxman

Franz Waxman

Original Music Composer

Leonid Raab

Leonid Raab

Conductor

Alfred Bruzlin

Alfred Bruzlin

Sound

Harry M. Leonard

Harry M. Leonard

Sound

Visual Effects

Not currently known.

Camera

Franz Planer

Franz Planer

Director of Photography

Lighting

Not currently known.

Art Department

Ludwig Reiber

Ludwig Reiber

Art Direction

Other Crew

Gerd Oswald

Gerd Oswald

Second Unit

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