Fake Movie Gestapo Disc

[TP Alexander]

In the movie DECISION BEFORE DAWN, the Luftwaffe Medical Corporal, Steiner aka ‘Happy’, is being shot at by the undercover Gestapo man.
As he searches the dead man, he finds his disc.
I took a couple of fast pictures, close to the screen.
They’re not very good pictures.
My question is whether anyone ever saw this disc again after the film was completed.
Tim

[SiPo]

Good eyes Tim.

Unfortunately, never seen the film or the disc before.

No doubt the disc is lost to time but it wouldn't surprise me if the disc had passed through some slimy reptilian dealers greasy mitts at some point and sold as original!

[TP Alexander]

DECISION BEFORE DAWN is probably one of the better war movies made.
The insignia might be real.
The SD/GESTAPO/POLIZEI ‘Black List’ is mentioned and used as a prop.
Obviously, the Gestapo Disc is not a good example.
Some Panzer wraps are seen, not to mention a lot of armored vehicles but I didn’t look at them closely enough.

[Mr.Jerry D]

Cool! and good catch!

[hs132]

Hello, an excellent movie. It has MP44s, multiple real Camo jackets and an Army Officer wearing a real crusher at the end. Best, Bill

[oldflagswanted]

Imo ...

In the movie DECISION BEFORE DAWN, the Luftwaffe
Medical Corporal, Steiner aka ‘Happy’, is being shot at
by the undercover Gestapo man. As he searches the
dead man, he finds his disc. I took a couple of fast pictures,
close to the screen. They’re not very good pictures. My
question is whether 7117anyone ever saw this disc again after
the film was completed.
Tim

Tim:
IMO a well done 1951 movie. Can be viewed online ...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-pEfCo5uZLM
....OFW

(below) Screen captures of the DBD movie prop Gestapo ID disk #7117.

[TP Alexander]

Thanx OFW.
Better pictures than mine.

But OMG!! I just realized that he isn’t wearing an official Gestapo chain!!

[W.Unland]

This has got to be a commercially available repro sold at the time. I can't imagine spending the time and money to stamp one out for a 5 second scene.

W.unland

[Gary Symonds]

This has got to be a commercially available repro sold at the time. I can't imagine spending the time and money to stamp one out for a 5 second scene.

W.unland

That's what I'd been thinking.

It shows just how far back reproductions were made. 1951, only six years after the war.

Its as if someone had actually seen what an original Gestapo disk looked like, and then went off the tracks.

Anybody notice that this is the Party eagle, facing to the viewer's right, instead of the correct government eagle looking left?

[Mr.Jerry D]

I know at least several of the "Kripo" disks were still used after the war, so knowing what they looked like was at least somewhat possible.


The movie industry is famous for creating detail things like that that have only a few moments on the screen (if that) google "Dumbledores office" sometime. From the look of it I believe that disk to be purpose made rather than a commercial repro (again only 6 years after the war)


who knows?

[JoeW]

That's what I'd been thinking.

It shows just how far back reproductions were made. 1951, only six years after the war.

Its as if someone had actually seen what an original Gestapo disk looked like, and then went off the tracks.

Anybody notice that this is the Party eagle, facing to the viewer's right, instead of the correct government eagle looking left?

Good eye Gary.

[oldflagswanted]

Earliest repro Gestapo Disk ???

... The movie industry is famous for creating detail
things like that that have only a few moments on
the screen ... From the look of it I believe that disk
to be purpose made rather than a commercial repro
(again only 6 years after the war)
who knows?

Hello Mr.Jerry D:
The earliest repro Gestapo Disk reference I recall
was one produced by the Allied OSS, as shown in
the book "Piercing The Reich", ISBN: 076070242X,
and ISBN13: 9780760702420. Hello Gen. Donvan,
CIA Langley Library, or the author Joseph Persico?
OFW

[oldflagswanted]

Who knows ???

... "Piercing The Reich", ... author Joseph Persico?
OFW

Joseph Edward Persico was an author and American
military historian. From 1974 to 1977, he was primary
speechwriter to Vice President Nelson Rockefeller. At
the time of his death, he lived in Guilderland, New York.
Died: August 30, 2014.
We won't be hearing from him on this one.
OFW

[Don Bible]

I spoke with Mr.Persico by telephone several years ago. He was a very gracious gentleman. It was on a winter-time afternoon, and he had just come down off a ladder trying to keep frozen snow and ice from breaking down his house gutters in that frigid climate of upstate New York.

[oldflagswanted]

Very interesting ...

I spoke with Mr.Persico by telephone several years ago.
He was a very gracious gentleman. It was on a winter-time
afternoon, and he had just come down off a ladder trying to
keep frozen snow and ice from breaking down his house gutters
in that frigid climate of upstate New York.

Hello Don:
Very interesting comments. Do you recall what
he had to say about the OSS Gestapo Disks ?
OFW