Daybreak (1931)

Amidst the grandeur and opulence of the Austrian Imperial Guard, we meet Willi, a young, brassy lieutenant consumed by the allure of decadence. His desire for a night of indulgence leads him to a den of vice, a fusion of a brothel and gambling parlor. Amid the chaos, he encounters Laura, an innocent nymph lost in the serpentine world of sin. They spend a night intertwined in a fleeting romance, only for Willi to leave her with cold hard cash at dawn, shattering her naive heart. Laura, crushed by the harsh revelation that she was nothing more than a temporary amusement for Willi, seeks solace in the arms of Herr Schnabel, a wealthy but distasteful gentleman. Despite the glamour of her new life, she unwittingly becomes a pawn in a dangerous game of pride and passion. Willi, haunted by the image of Laura in the arms of another man, is spurred on by her to gamble with Schnabel. As the stakes rise, so does Willi's debt, plunging him into a whirlpool of financial ruin from which he cannot escape. Oblivious to Willi's predicament, Laura remains unaware that he is faced with a merciless ultimatum: repay the insurmountable debt by the break of day or embrace the only other honorable path left to him - the cold embrace of death. In this riveting tale of desire, despair, and honor, "Daybreak" paints a vivid picture of love's destructive power and the devastating costs of reckless indulgence.

Daybreak is a drama movie featuring Bess Flowers and directed by Jacques Feyder.

Daybreak is currently streaming on DIRECTV and TCM.