This movie's only missing two elements; good acting and good writing. It obviously had a liberal budget for a made-for-TV feature but it serves as an excellent illustration of the difference that those two missing elements really make in a movie.
For a good lesson watch this thing and then, the same evening, watch "Fail Safe" with Henry Fonda, a movie with a tiny budget but enormous acting and writing talents. The difference between the two will be breathtaking, even to a novice.
The shame of Dawn is that it actually featured some fine actors such as James Earl Jones (whose presence is limited to reciting some 11th grade dialog) and Martin Landau (whose character is unconscious for much of the film).