Decision Before Dawn (1951): Cast & Plot
Decision Before Dawn is a 1951 war thriller directed by Anatole Litvak, starring Gert Fröbe as German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited), Charles Regnier and Walter Ladengast. It runs 1 hour 59 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 59m (119 min)
- Director
- Anatole Litvak
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- 20th Century Fox
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Decision Before Dawn About?
The premise of Decision Before Dawn without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
In the final phase of WWII, the U.S. Army lacks intelligence on German units across the Rhine and enlists two captured soldiers—‘Tiger,’ a mercenary willing to work for cash, and ‘Happy,’ a weary veteran—to act as Allied agents. They must evade the Gestapo’s spy network while locating a German armored formation moving toward the Western front.
Decision Before Dawn Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- year 1944
- based on novel
- 1940s
- bavaria
- american military and local prostitute
- western front
- winter
- firing squad
- execution
- german prisoner of war
- u.s. army
- german pow
+38 more Show fewer
- pow
- american officer
- military officer
- convent
- army jeep
- u.s. army soldier
- prisoner of war camp
- pow camp
- medic
- reconnaissance mission
- obstacle course
- shooting range
- training montage
- munich germany
- radio operator
- parachute jump
- bus journey
- train journey
- nuremberg germany
- wurzburg germany
- motorcycle with a sidecar
- motorcycle with sidecar
- war widow
- heart medication
- heart attack
- safe house
- rhine river
- corpse hanging from a tree
- air raid
- gestapo
- foot chase
- air raid siren
- self sacrifice
- shot to death
- swimming across a river
- shot in the back
- germany
- prisoner
Decision Before Dawn Cast & Characters
Gert Fröbe leads the cast as German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited), with Charles Regnier as German Prisoner (uncredited) and Walter Ladengast as German Deserter (uncredited). Directed by Anatole Litvak; 48 actors are credited in all.
- Director Anatole Litvak
-
Gert Fröbe as German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited) - Charles Regnier as German Prisoner (uncredited)
- Walter Ladengast as German Deserter (uncredited)
- Gerhard Kittler as German Lieutenant (uncredited)
Also Starring in Decision Before Dawn
· 44 more- Hans Christian Blech Sgt. Rudolf Barth - aka Tiger
- Oskar Werner Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy
- Gary Merrill Col. Devlin
- O.E. Hasse Col. Oberst von Ecker
- Dominique Blanchar Monique
- Richard Basehart Lt. Dick Rennick
- Wilfried Seyferth Heinz Scholtz, SS-Mann
- Hildegard Knef Hilde
- Klaus Kinski Whining Soldier (uncredited)
- George Tyne Sgt. Griffin
- Rudolf Vogel Volkssturmmann (uncredited)
- Hans von Morhart Prisoner of War (uncredited)
- Walter Janssen Fiedl (uncredited)
- Peter Lühr von Schirmeck (uncredited)
- Robert Freitag Sgt. Paul Richter
- Helene Thimig Fräulein Schneide
Show all 48 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Til Kiwe Adjutant (uncredited)
- Loni Heuser Fritzi Kollwitz (uncredited)
- Peter Martin Urtel German Soldier (uncredited)
- Harald Wolff Hartmann (uncredited)
- Werner Fuetterer von Bülow (uncredited)
- Arno Assmann Ernst Brandenbacher (uncredited)
- Jochen Diestelmann
- Jaspar von Oertzen Prisoner of War (uncredited)
- Arnulf Schröder Old Prisoner of War (uncredited)
- Uli Steigberg
- Erik Jelde German NCO (uncredited)
- Bert Brandt German NCO (uncredited)
- Otto Friebel Clerk (uncredited)
- Maria Landrock Wehrmacht Girl (uncredited)
- Elfe Gerhart Barmaid (uncredited)
- Klaus W. Krause German NCO (uncredited)
- Adi Lödel Kurt (uncredited)
- Paul Schwed Man on Wehrmacht Bus (uncredited)
- Wolf Petersen
- Harold Benedict Lt. Pete Gevers
- Ulrich Folkmar Prisoner (uncredited)
- Alexander Kraft-Hohenlohe German NCO (uncredited)
- Charles Jacquemar Volkssturmmann (uncredited)
- Maria Wimmer Woman in the Street (uncredited)
- Emil Matousek
- Heinrich Berg
- Kai-Siegfried Seefeld
- Herbert Lehnert
More from Anatole Litvak
More films directed by Anatole Litvak, best-rated first: The Snake Pit, The Lady in the Car with Glasses and a Gun, The Night of the Generals and Five Miles to Midnight.
Decision Before Dawn Plot Summary
What happens in Decision Before Dawn from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 12 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
By late 1944, as the Allies march toward the Rhine, it becomes clear that Germany is headed for defeat. American Col. Devlin, Gary Merrill, leads a small, purposefully crooked brain-trust that recruits German POWs to slip back across the lines and spy on their former comrades. A cynical mercenary named Tiger, Hans Christian Blech, and a young, idealistic medical student named Happy, Oskar Werner, are two such recruits. Joining them is Monique, Dominique Blanchar, a former resistance operative who trains Happy and the others in the tricks of espionage. The trio’s work grows urgent when Devlin learns that a Wehrmacht general wants to negotiate the surrender of his entire command, and a mission must be mounted to verify and support that move. The plan falls to [Lt.
Full summary
The whole story of Decision Before Dawn, scene by scene
Decision Before Dawn Trailers & Videos
The trailer of Decision Before Dawn.
How Well Do You Know Decision Before Dawn?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Which actor portrays Colonel Devlin, the leader of the crooked brain‑trust?
Cars in Decision Before Dawn
23 cars on screen, including the BMW R 12 and the Willys MB 'Jeep'.
-
BMW R 12 Important role -
Willys MB 'Jeep' Important role -
Cadillac M24 Chaffee Minor role -
Harley-Davidson WLA 45 Minor role
Decision Before Dawn Also Known As
8 alternative titles, including “Le traître” and “Entscheidung vor Morgengrauen”.
- Also known as
-
- Le traître
- Entscheidung vor Morgengrauen
- I dannati
- Decisión al amanecer
- Decisão Antes do Amanhecer
- 血战莱茵河
- Решение перед рассветом
- 반역
Seen Decision Before Dawn?
Movies Like Decision Before Dawn
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Command Decision, Before Dawn and A Midnight Clear.
Decision Before Dawn FAQ: Cast, Runtime & Release Date
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Decision Before Dawn, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn runs 1 hour 59 minutes (119 minutes).
When was Decision Before Dawn released?
Decision Before Dawn was released on December 21, 1951.
Who directed Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn was directed by Anatole Litvak.
More films by Anatole Litvak Who is in the cast of Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn stars Gert Fröbe as German Corporal - Nuremberg Control Point (uncredited), Charles Regnier as German Prisoner (uncredited) and Walter Ladengast as German Deserter (uncredited), among 48 credited actors.
Does Decision Before Dawn have a post-credit scene?
No. Decision Before Dawn has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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