Decision Before Dawn
“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!”
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.
Where to watch Decision Before Dawn in United States
Amazon Video
Apple TV Store
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Fandango At HomeClick a service to open Decision Before Dawn there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.
Where is Decision Before Dawn streaming around the world?
| Country | Streaming on | Rent / Buy |
|---|---|---|
| United States | — | Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies |
| Canada | — | Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube |
| Japan | Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads | Amazon Video |
About Decision Before Dawn
Decision Before Dawn is a 1951 English-language war, action and thriller film directed by Anatole Litvak. The cast is led by Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, Oskar Werner. It has a runtime of 1h 59m. In United States, it is available to rent or buy on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.
Decision Before Dawn was produced by 20th Century Fox and Bavaria Film and made in United States of America and Germany. It was released on December 21, 1951, and carries a NR certification.
- Director
- Anatole Litvak
- Writers
- Peter Viertel
- Release date
- December 21, 1951
- Original language
- English
- Age rating
- NR
- Status
- Released
- Country
- United States of America, Germany
- Production
- 20th Century Fox, Bavaria Film
Decision Before Dawn cast & crew
Decision Before Dawn was directed by Anatole Litvak and written by Peter Viertel.
The cast features Richard Basehart as Lt. Dick Rennick, Gary Merrill as Col. Devlin, Oskar Werner as Cpl. Karl Maurer - aka Happy, Hildegard Knef as Hilde, Dominique Blanchar as Monique, and O.E. Hasse as Col. Oberst von Ecker.
Behind the camera, the score was composed by Franz Waxman, cinematography is by Franz Planer, and it was produced by Anatole Litvak and Frank McCarthy.
Is Decision Before Dawn worth watching?
At 1h 59m, it's a standard feature-length watch.
If you enjoy war, action, and thriller, Decision Before Dawn is worth a place on your watchlist.
How and where to watch Decision Before Dawn
Decision Before Dawn isn't on a subscription service in United States right now, but you can rent or buy it on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, and YouTube.
Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.
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Cast of Decision Before Dawn
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
Decision Before Dawn — FAQs
▸Where can I watch Decision Before Dawn in United States?
Decision Before Dawn is not on subscription streaming in United States right now, but you can rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store and Google Play Movies.
▸What language is Decision Before Dawn in?
Decision Before Dawn is originally in English, with audio tracks including German, English. Subtitle and dub options vary by streaming service.
▸How long is Decision Before Dawn?
Decision Before Dawn runs 1 hours 59 minutes (119 minutes).
▸What is Decision Before Dawn rated?
Decision Before Dawn is rated NR. It holds a 6.8/10 audience score from 49 ratings.
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