Decision Before Dawn

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.

Details

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)