Under their Optimum Classic banner, Optimum have announced two not too widely seen war movies for a January DVD release for the UK market, the 1951 Decision Before Dawn and the 1964 The Thin Red Line.

Decision Before Dawn (1951)

In 1944, nearing the end of World War II, Colonel Devlin (Gary Merrill) is made leader of a new unit that uses German prisoners of war to spy on the German army. Two prisoners are chosen to track a German armored unit: Tiger (Hans Christian Blech), a cynical older soldier who just wants to join the winning side, and Happy (Oskar Werner), a naive young soldier who joins because of his friend's death. US officer Devlin (Gary Merrill) trusts none of these last-minute "converts", but German prisoner of war Happy seems to be sincere.

Devlin sends Happy behind enemy lines with Rennick (Richard Basehart), an American officer who still isn't convinced that the German expatriate means what he says, but at the last moment when Rennick and Happy are confronted by German troops Happy steps up to help the Lieutenant escape. Was this an intentional act of bravery or had Happy been lying about his mission all along?

A thoughtful WW2 drama filmed on location in Europe, Decision Before Dawn was directed by Anatole Litvak (The Night of the Generals) and stars Richard Basehart, Gary Merrill, Oskar Werner and Hildegard Knef.

The Thin Red Line (1964)

Set during the Allied invasion of the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre during WWII, this film is based on the novel by James Jones. Keir Dullea is Private Doll, who dreads the invasion and steals a pistol to help him protect himself. Sergeant Welsh (Jack Warden), a caustic, battle-scarred veteran, hates Doll, whom he considers a coward. In battle, Doll kills a Japanese soldier and is filled with remorse, which further angers the sergeant. The next day, an emboldened Doll wipes out an entire enemy machine gun post and begins to feel as sadistic as Welsh. The two must work together to clear away some mines, but as they do, their platoon is surprised by a Japanese raid.

The first film version of James Jones' novel (the second was the celebrated all-star 1998 adaptation by Terence Malick) and directed by Andrew Marton (King Solomon's Mines), the film stars Keir Dullea, Jack Warden, James Philbrook and Bob Kanter.

Decision Before Dawn and The Thin Red Line will be released individually on UK DVD by Optimum 31st January 2011 at the RRP of