- Country: USA, West Germany
- Genres: Drama, War
- Release: 1952-02-25
- Director: Anatole Litvak
- Writers: Peter Viertel , George Howe
- Language: English | French | German
- Stars: Richard Basehart , Gary Merrill , Oskar Werner , Hildegard Knef , Dominique Blanchar , O.E. Hasse , Wilfried Seyferth , Hans Christian Blech , Helene Thimig , Robert Freitag
- Runtime: 119 min
- Awards: Nominated for 2 Oscars. 1 win & 4 nominations total
- AKA: Entscheidung vor Morgengrauen (Austria) , Decyzja przed świtem (Poland) , Vakoilijana omassa maassaan (Finland) , 暁前の決断 (Japan) , Decision Before Dawn (United Kingdom) , Fedai Casus (Turkey) , Entscheidung vor Morgengrauen , Apofasis prin tin avgi (Greece) , Call It Treason (United States of America) , Afgørelse ved daggry (Denmark) , I dannati (Italy) , Legion of the Damned (United States of America) , Le traître (Canada) , Решение перед рассветом , Decision Before Dawn (Canada) , Het legioen der gedoemden (Belgium) , El traidor (Argentina) , Förrädare (Sweden) , Decisión al amanecer (Mexico) , Ο προδότης της στρατιάς του Ρήνου (Greece) , Decizie inainte de zori (Romania) , Decisão Antes do Amanhecer (Brazil) , Avgjørelse før daggry (Norway) , La légion des damnés (Belgium) , Απόφασις πριν την αυγή (Greece) , Decisión al amanecer (Spain) , Decision Before Dawn (United States of America) , Decision Before Dawn , Le traître (France, French Republic) , A Legião dos Condenados (Portugal, Portuguese Republic)
- Plot:
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.
- IMDB:tt0043459
Anatole Litvak
Director
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)
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)
Walter Janssen
Fiedl (uncredited)
Erik Jelde
German NCO (uncredited)
Klaus Kinski
Whining Soldier (uncredited)
Gerhard Kittler
German Lieutenant (uncredited)