Decision Before Dawn (1951)

Director:

Anatole Litvak

Writers:

Peter Viertel (screenplay)
George Howe (novel)

Release Date:

24 March 1952 (Sweden)

Genre:

Drama | War

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!

Plot:

As the US Army approaches Nazi Germany, they recruit German prisoners to spy behind German lines.

Plot Keywords:

Spy | Nazi Germany | WWII | Trümmerfilm | Rubble Film

Awards:

Nominated for 2 Oscars. Another 2 nominations

Cast

  (Cast overview, first billed only)

Richard Basehart	...	Lt. Dick Rennick
Gary Merrill	...	Col. Devlin
Oskar Werner	...	Cpl. Karl Maurer aka Happy
Hildegard Knef	...	Hilde (as Hildegarde Neff)
Dominique Blanchar	...	Monique
O.E. Hasse	...	Col. Von Ecker
Wilfried Seyferth	...	Heinz Scholtz - SS Man (as Wilfried Seyfert)
Hans Christian Blech	...	Sgt. Rudolf Barth aka Tiger
Helen Thimig	...	Fräulein Paula Schneider (as Helene Thimig)
Robert Freitag	...	Sgt. Paul Richter (as Robert Freytag)
George Tyne	...	Sgt. Griffin
C.A. Amos	...	Himself (as C.A. Amos 1st Lt. USAF)
Harold Benedict	...	Himself (as H.L. Benedict S/Sgt. USAF)
H.W. Briggs	...	Himself (as H.W. Briggs Sgt. USA)
D.G. Devine	...	Himself (as D.G. Devine Cpl. USAF)

Also Known As:

Legion of the Damned (USA) (working title)

Runtime:

119 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French | German

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Canada:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (PCA #14920) | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany

Company:

Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation

Trivia:

The producers and director Litvak chose to film the movie in post war Germany because of perfect background settings - destroyed buildings - and the availability of great numbers of German original WW2 equipment such as tanks and costumes, weapons etc.

Goofs:

Factual errors: Karl is mistakenly called a corporal. The Luftwaffe uniform that he wears both in the US POW cage and while back in Germany has the rank insignia of an "Obergefreiter", specifically three winged emblems on the collar patches, plain shoulder straps and two chevrons on his left sleeve. Also when the list is checked for his name at the bridge the rank is written down as 'Gfr' (gefreiter) The ranks of Gefreiter, Obergefreiter and Stabsgefreiter (all which were partially identified by chevrons on the sleeve) were not NCOs and had no command authority over other soldiers. They were simply grades of seniority and would be more equivalent to Private First Class (PFC) in the US military. The German rank that is the closest equivalent to Corporal is Unteroffizer. Also, Karl is wearing the medical badge on his right sleeve; Luftwaffe enlisted medical personnel wore the badge on the left sleeve, while Wehrmacht (army) wore it on the right.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "That Girl: Decision Before Dawn (#3.12)" (1968)

Why I give this one a "Ten"

Occasionally I rate a film high for personal and sentimental reasons. In this case I am compelled by objective facts to add in the light of greater perspective that I consider this one of the best war movies of all time.

In the first place, the acting is superb. The casting is flawless. The direction is taut, as is the editing. It is filmed in black and white, as it would have to be even today if someone wanted to try a remake. The locations and sets are authentic to a "T." The story itself follows faithfully the text of a book I read as a child (before I saw the film, in fact).

Moreover, I consider it an act of bravery on the part of the film's producers even to begin a project like this so soon after the end of World War II, when passions against the Germans were still running high and mere caricatures of that nation's common people remained the standard for the day (and for years to come).

Oskar Werner in the main role was a brilliant choice, and veterans Richard Basehart and Gary Merrill provide ample evidence that casting proceeded on a basis of resolute excellence and authenticity. I am still blown away by revisiting the "Romantic Road" in Germany and thinking how this movie defined and continued to define for me how recent and ancient history converged along that path.

I cannot praise it enough.