If you think of Peter Cushing in a Hammer production, it will be his roles in the colourful and camp horror films that will spring to mind first, and for good reason as it's those performances that defined the great actor; but Cushing and Hammer also combined on some non-horror films, and Cash on Demand is surely one of the very best of them; both in terms of the film itself and the performance from the great Peter Cushing. This is an absolutely brilliant thriller that works thanks to its simplicity, commanding and intriguing performances and well written script. The film focuses on a bank in a small town which is managed by the dedicated Mr Fordyce. His bank is disturbed one day by a caller who introduces himself as a man from the bank's insurance company, who has come to test the security. However, it transpires that the man is actually a bank robber, who has come to rob the bank, and he's got an associate in Fordyce's house ready to kill his wife and kid if he does not allow the robbery to take place!
Peter Cushing's performance in this film is absolutely immense and undoubtedly one of the best of his career. He gets his character spot on and is completely believable throughout the film and this is one of the main reasons Cash on Demand is such a success. He is joined by André Morell who is equally brilliant in his role as the debonair bank robber. Every scene in the film takes place either in the bank or just outside of it, and most of it takes place in Forsyce's office where we get to watch Cushing and Morell play a game of cat and mouse, which is always fascinating to watch. The film remains simple throughout and director Quentin Lawrence keeps his audience interested through the various elements of the plot. The film does have a few twists and turns, and of course the best of these is saved right up until the end. Overall, this is an absolutely great thriller that is well worth seeing and comes highly recommended! Unfortunately, the copy I saw was rather poor, which makes this a prime candidate for a pristine release on DVD!
