Decision Before Dawn

1951 · directed by Anatole Litvak

Rating
82/100
Hit
yes

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 (1951), directed by Anatole Litvak, rates 82/100 — a hit. See how its director, cast and crew rate across their careers.

Cast

  • Richard Basehart
  • Gary Merrill
  • Oskar Werner
  • Hildegard Knef
  • Dominique Blanchar
  • O.E. Hasse
  • Wilfried Seyferth
  • Hans Christian Blech
  • Helene Thimig
  • George Tyne

Crew

More from Anatole Litvak

  1. Anastasia (1956) — 79/100
  2. The Snake Pit (1948) — 79/100
  3. Sorry, Wrong Number (1948) — 77/100
  4. All This, and Heaven Too (1940) — 77/100
  5. The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938) — 70/100
  6. Why We Fight: Prelude to War (1942) — 67/100

How these numbers work: Methodology