| Promise at Dawn | |
| Director: | Jules Dassin |
| Producer: | Jules Dassin |
| Starring: | Melina Mercouri Assi Dayan |
| Music: | Georges Delerue |
| Cinematography: | Jean Badal |
| Editing: | Robert Lawrence |
| Studio: | Nathalie Productions |
| Distributor: | AVCO Embassy Pictures |
| Runtime: | 99 minutes |
| Country: | United States |
| Language: | English |
Promise at Dawn (French: '''La Promesse de l'aube''') is a 1970 American drama film directed by Jules Dassin and starring Melina Mercouri, Dassin's wife. It is based on the 1960 novel Promise at Dawn (French: La Promesse de l'aube) by Romain Gary and the subsequent play by Samuel A. Taylor.
The film follows author Romain Gary as he recalls his growing up with his Lithuanian-born mother. The two leave Vilnius, Lithuania for France, where they settle in Paris. As twenty years pass, they encounter social change, age, different convictions, poverty and the slow approach of World War II.
The film was shot in Nice, Paris and the USSR. Dassin broke both his legs after falling over in October 1969 after three days of filming in Nice.[1]
Avco Embassy president Joseph E. Levine filmed a cameo for the film.[1]