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.
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!”
Overview
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.
Director
Anatole Litvak
Status
Released
Production
20th Century Fox, Bavaria Film
Cast
Richard Basehart
Lt. Dick Rennick
Gary Merrill
Col. Devlin
Oskar Werner
Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy
Hildegard Knef
Hilde
Dominique Blanchar
Monique
O.E. Hasse
Col. Oberst von Ecker
Wilfried Seyferth
Heinz Scholtz, SS-Mann
Hans Christian Blech
Sgt. Rudolf Barth - aka Tiger
Helene Thimig
Fräulein Schneide
George Tyne
Sgt. Griffin
Robert Freitag
Sgt. Paul Richter
Harold Benedict
Lt. Pete Gevers
Arno Assmann
Ernst Brandenbacher (uncredited)
Heinrich Berg
(uncredited)
Bert Brandt
German NCO (uncredited)
Jochen Diestelmann
(uncredited)
Ulrich Folkmar
Prisoner (uncredited)
Otto Friebel
Clerk (uncredited)
Gert Fröbe
German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited)
Werner Fuetterer
von Bülow (uncredited)
Elfe Gerhart
Barmaid (uncredited)
Loni Heuser
Fritzi Kollwitz (uncredited)
Alexander Kraft-Hohenlohe
German NCO (uncredited)
Charles Jacquemar
Volkssturmmann (uncredited)
Walter Janssen
Fiedl (uncredited)
Erik Jelde
German NCO (uncredited)
Klaus Kinski
Whining Soldier (uncredited)
Gerhard Kittler
German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Til Kiwe
Adjutant (uncredited)
Klaus W. Krause
German NCO (uncredited)
Walter Ladengast
German Deserter (uncredited)
Maria Landrock
Wehrmacht Girl (uncredited)
Herbert Lehnert
(uncredited)
Adi Lödel
Kurt (uncredited)
Peter Lühr
von Schirmeck (uncredited)
Emil Matousek
(uncredited)
Wolf Petersen
(uncredited)
Charles Regnier
German Prisoner (uncredited)
Arnulf Schröder
Old Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Paul Schwed
Man on Wehrmacht Bus (uncredited)
Kai-Siegfried Seefeld
(uncredited)
Uli Steigberg
(uncredited)
Peter Martin Urtel
German Soldier (uncredited)
Rudolf Vogel
Volkssturmmann (uncredited)
Hans von Morhart
Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Jaspar von Oertzen
Prisoner of War (uncredited)
Maria Wimmer
Woman in the Street (uncredited)
Harald Wolff
Hartmann (uncredited)
Video Gallery
