The Avengers (1942)

The Day Will Dawn (original title)

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Approved
1h 38min
Drama, War
08 Jun 1942 (UK)
Movie

6.1 (589)

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On the eve of WWII, a British journalist is sent to neutral Norway to report on the possible Nazi intentions there; later he's tasked with a secret combat mission after Germany invades that country.

Director:

Harold French

Writers:

Stars:

Reviews:

Photos and Videos

Deborah Kerr (I) and Hugh Williams (I) in The Avengers (1942)

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2 photos

Complete, Cast awaiting verification

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	Hugh Williams	...	Colin Metcalfe
	Griffith Jones	...	Police Inspector Gunter (as Griffiths Jones)
	Deborah Kerr	...	Kari Alstad
	Ralph Richardson	...	Frank Lockwood
	Francis L. Sullivan	...	Kommandant Ulrich Wettau
	Roland Culver	...	Cmdr. Pittwaters
	Finlay Currie	...	Capt. Alstad
	Niall MacGinnis	...	Olaf
	Elizabeth Mann	...	Gerda
	Raymond Huntley	...	Norwegian Under Secretary (scenes deleted)
	Patricia Medina	...	Ingrid
	Roland Pertwee	...	Capt. Waverley - Naval Intelligence
	Henry Oscar	...	Newspaper Editor
	David Horne	...	Evans, Foreign Editor
	Henry Hewitt	...	Jack, News Editor
	John Warwick	...	Milligan, Reporter in Fleet Street Pub
	Brefni O'Rorke	...	Political Journalist
	Bernard Miles	...	McAllister (Irish Soldier)
	Beckett Bould	...	Bergen, Spokesman of Langedal
	Olaf Olsen	...	Langedal's Schoolmaster
	Gus McNaughton	...	Army Sergeant
	George Carney	...	Harry, Soldier in Fleet Street Pub
	John Salew	...	"Man-in-the-Street" in Fleet Street Pub
	Meriel Forbes	...	Milly, the Barmaid (as Merial Forbes)
	Philip Friend	...	Pilot
	George Merritt	...	German Trawler Captain
	John Boxer	...	U-Boat Commander
	H Victor Weske	...	Heinrich (as Victor Weske)
	Gerhard Kempinski	...	Barman, Bia Tonne in Oslo (as Gerrard Kempinski)
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
	Ronald Adam	...	Daily Express Reporter in Phone Booth (uncredited)
	Frank Atkinson	...	Drunk at Oslo Quayside (uncredited)
	Gordon Begg	...	Old Man with Beard (uncredited)
	Johnny Brandon	...	Bit part (uncredited)
	Derek Briggs	...	Page (uncredited)
	H. Carleton-Crowe	...	Old Man (uncredited)
	James B. Carson	...	Petty Officer (uncredited)
	Albert Chevalier	...	Receptionist (uncredited)
	Eric Clavering	...	American Sailor at Bia Tonne in Oslo (uncredited)
	Clifford Cobbe	...	German Officer (uncredited)
	Peter Cozens	...	Norwegian Sailor (uncredited)
	Patric Curwen	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Tommy Duggan	...	American Reporter in Oslo Hotel (uncredited)
	Valentine Dyall	...	German Guard at Cell Door Hatchway (uncredited)
	Derek Elphinstone	...	Lieutenant Commander at Admiralty (uncredited)
	Glen Farmer	...	2nd Pilot (uncredited)
	Gordon Glennon	...	Lieutenant at Cherbourg (uncredited)
	Madeleine Godar	...	Baker's Wife (uncredited)
	Walter Gotell	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
	Alan Haines	...	Bomb Aimer (uncredited)
	Bryan Herbert	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Vincent Holman	...	Sergeant-Major at Evacuation (uncredited)
	Hamilton Humphreys	...	German Soldier (uncredited)
	Mike Johnson	...	Pilot of 2nd Bomber (uncredited)
	Vi Kaley	...	Old Woman (uncredited)
	James Knight	...	Fossen the Village Postmaster (uncredited)
	Jack Lester	...	American Reporter in Oslo Hotel (uncredited)
	Stuart Lindsell	...	Reporter (uncredited)
	Harry Locke	...	(uncredited)
	Brian Nissen	...	Page (uncredited)
	Barry O'Neill	...	Naval Commander (uncredited)
	Conway Palmer	...	American Sailor at Bia Tonne in Oslo (uncredited)
	Stan Paskin	...	Cockney Soldier (uncredited)
	Lloyd Pearson	...	Wettau's Assistant (uncredited)
	George Pughe	...	Cockney Soldier (uncredited)
	Robert Rendel	...	Captain of Destroyer (uncredited)
	Patrick Ross	...	R.A.M.C. (uncredited)
	Johnnie Schofield	...	Soldier in Fleet Street Pub with Harry (uncredited)
	Jack Sharp	...	German Soldier in Bar Fight (uncredited)
	Anthony Shaw	...	Naval Commander (uncredited)
	George Skillan	...	Fritz (uncredited)
	John Slater	...	American Reporter In Oslo Hotel (uncredited)
	George Spence	...	Norweigan Villager (uncredited)
	George Street	...	U-Boat Commander (uncredited)
	George Turner	...	Drunk (uncredited)
	Robert Brooks Turner	...	German Engineer (uncredited)
	Jack Watling	...	Lieutenant (uncredited)
	Billy Wells	...	Barman (uncredited)
	Michael Whittaker	...	Sub-Lieutenant (uncredited)
	Ben Williams	...	Wine Waiter (uncredited)
	D.J. Williams	...	Petersen (uncredited)
	George Woodbridge	...	Journalist Sitting at Bar in Pub (uncredited)
	Dennis Wyndham	...	Village Baker (uncredited)

Directed by

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Harold French

Written by

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Frank Owen	...	(by)

Terence Rattigan	...	(treatment and screenplay) (as Terrence Rattigan) &
Anatole de Grunwald	...	(treatment and screenplay) &
Patrick Kirwan	...	(treatment and screenplay) (as Patrick Kirwen)

Produced by

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Paul Soskin

...

producer

Music by

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Richard Addinsell

...

(musical score)

Cinematography by

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Bernard Knowles

...

(uncredited)

Editing by

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Michael C. Chorlton

Art Direction by

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William C. Andrews

Production Management

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Harold Boxall	...	in charge of production
Tom White	...	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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E.J. Holding

...

assistant director

Sound Department

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C.C. Stevens	...	recording
A.W. Watkins	...	sound supervisor

Camera and Electrical Department

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Bernard Knowles	...	lighting
Cyril J. Knowles	...	camera (as Cyril Knowles)

Music Department

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London Symphony Orchestra	...	music performed by
Muir Mathieson	...	conductor: The London Symphony Orchestra
Roy Douglas	...	orchestrator (uncredited)

Additional Crew

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Gabriel Pascal

...

Deborah Kerr by arrangement with

Production Companies

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Paul Soskin Productions

Distributors

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General Film Distributors (GFD) (1942) (United Kingdom) (theatrical) (as General Film Distributors Ltd.)
Paramount Pictures (1942) (United States) (theatrical)
Paramount Film Service (1942) (Canada) (theatrical)
Paramount Film Service (1942) (Australia) (theatrical)
Film AB Paramount (1945) (Sweden) (theatrical)
Triangelfilm (1945) (Norway) (theatrical)
Thorn EMI Video Australia (1985) (Australia) (video)
Elephant Films (2014) (France) (video)

Special Effects

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Other Companies

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The Air Ministry (the producers gratefully acknowlege the co-operation of)
The London Symphony Orchestra (LSO) (music played by)
The Royal Norwegian Government (the producers gratefully acknowlege the co-operation of)
The War Office (the producers gratefully acknowlege the co-operation of)

Storyline

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Plot Summary	Horse-race tipster and journalist Colin Metcalfe is picked for the job of foreign correspondent in Norway when Hitler invades Poland. On the way to Norway his boat is attacked by a German U-Boat. However, when he tells the Navy about it, they don't believe him and he is removed from his job. When German forces invade Norway, Metcalfe returns determined to uncover what is going on and stop the Germans in their tracks. Written by Bob the Moo Plot Summary
Plot Keywords	norwegian-resistance year-1939 norwegian-flag u-boat cargo-ship See All (50) »
Taglines	Norway's Secret Front See more »
Genres	Drama War
Parents Guide	View content advisory »
Certification	Australia:G France:Tous publics Norway:7 (recommended rating) Norway:16 Sweden:15 Sweden:(Banned) United Kingdom:U United Kingdom:U (tv rating) United Kingdom:PG (tv rating: Talking Pictures TV channel) United Kingdom:U (video rating) United States:Approved United States:Passed (National Board of Review)

Additional Details

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Also Known As	The Avengers (Canada, English title) The Avengers (United States) Riposte à Narvik (France) El día amanecerá (Spain) The Day Will Dawb (Australia) See more »
Runtime	98 min
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English German
Color	Black and White
Aspect Ratio	1.37 : 1 See more »
Sound Mix	Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)
Filming Locations	D&P Studios, Denham, Uxbridge, Buckinghamshire, England, UK See more »

Did You Know?

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Trivia	The shot of the wooden building being blown up towards the end was from one of the British Commando raids on the Norwegian coast. These were usually to attack things like fish-oil processing plants. Various other extracts from newsreels or other reality footage were inserted into this film at various points. See more »
Goofs	Metcalf takes off in a Wellington aircraft and parachutes from a Whitley. See more »
Soundtracks	Rule Brittania See more »
Crazy Credits	Postscript on screen: "In a dozen famous ancient states, now prostrate under the Nazi yoke, the masses of the people, all classes and creeds, await the hour of liberation, when they, too, will be able once again to play their part and strike their blows like men. That hour will strike, and its solemn peal will proclaim that the night is past and that the dawn has come." The PRIME MINISTER In the SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 26 · 12 · 1941 See more »
Quotes	Milligan, Reporter in Fleet Street Pub: This is the man in the street, Frank, the average man. And he's asking you a question the average man in the street wants answering. World war over Danzig? "Man-in-the-Street" in Fleet Street Pub: That's right. As you say, Danzig's only a small place. Frank Lockwood: So was Thermopylae. And Verdun. And Madrid. All very small places. Big enough to bury the people that hadn't the guts to fight for them. Did you ever hear Hitler laugh? [Man shakes head] Frank Lockwood: I did. I was in Vienna when he entered the city in triumph. "Providence has sent me here to save you," he bellowed to the mob of his followers. "And Heaven help all those that have been against me." And then he laughed. It's a kind of mad laugh. And they all laughed too, in the same way. They were baying for blood. Hitler was giving it to them. We're in this for our own sweet selves. If we want to save our skins we've got to fight. See more »

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