Cash on Demand

Well written and tight little film with a fine performance from Peter Cushing and an even better one from Andre Morell. The former plays a Scrooge like, petty minded Bank Manager (very reminiscent of many that I encountered in my banking career!) and the latter the smooth talking and rather endearing robber. It is snowing outside and by the door is a Santa ringing his bell. With the mean natured manager, the gentleman thief and the allusions to Christmas, it is clear the shadow of Dickens hovers. As well as the crisp and effective dialogue there are just enough little incidents to maintain a certain level of tension and keep this afloat despite the absence of any sensational moments. Clever and measured with excellent performances from all the support actors, this just lacks a bit of spark.

Quentin Lawrence directed this good crime thriller that stars Peter Cushing as Harry Fordyce, a bank manager who is introduced to an insurance investigator named Hepburn(played by Andre Morel) on the 23 of December. Ostensibly there to check security, he is really a ruthless and cunning thief who has an elaborate plan to rob the bank, and needs Fordyce's cooperation to pull it off, so convinces him that he holds his family hostage, and will have them murdered by his associates if he doesn't signal to them his agreeing to help. Fordyce decides to cooperate, all the while trying to find a way out... Fine film with two stellar performances, especially Cushing, who proves that he can act quite well outside the horror genre he was best known for.

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!

When I was a teenager, Peter Cushing was my favorite actor; I simply loved his commanding performances in Hammer Studios' horror films. But when I eventually became more interested in dramas and foreign flicks, my appreciation for both Cushing and Hammer waned. I started to wish that Cushing had taken meatier roles in less lurid movies.

Thankfully, I just had the chance to see "Cash on Demand," a film that stretches Cushing's acting ability farther than most of his horror efforts. It's still a genre film – you could label it a crime/film noir movie – but nevertheless, it's got far more dramatic content and character development than the average Hammer film. Cushing is really superb as the cantankerous bank manager; his character is initially quite unpleasant, but as the plot unfolds he becomes gradually, genuinely more sympathetic.

It would be remiss of me to praise Cushing and forget to mention Andre Morell, who plays the debonair bank robber. His performance is wonderfully smug and, for lack of a better word, cool. The two actors have a great rapport throughout the movie, and together they hold the viewer's attention without the aid of any flashy sets or action sequences.

Clearly a modest movie, made for less money than it takes to film a TV show today, "Cash on Demand" is nevertheless a solid caper flick that deserves the attention of movie fans – particularly those who, like me, are interested in seeing Cushing flex his acting muscles outside the realm of vampires and other forms of animated corpses.

From Hammer Films, "Cash on Demand" is a good thriller from 1961.

It's Christmas week, and in the office of City & Colonial Bank in Haversham, it's a quiet day. The small staff is managed by Harry Fordyce (Peter Cushing), a business-only nerd who exudes no warmth, no holiday spirit, and does not fraternize with the help. He won't even let the staff put up Christmas decorations.

Today there is a ten pound discrepancy and he's making a big hullabaloo about it, even though the error was spotted.

In walks Colonel Gore Hepburn (Andre Morrell), who represents the bank insurance company. He is doing a surprise inspection of the security. When he's alone with Fordyce, he informs him that he's a thief, there to steal the bank's money, and that he's holding Fordyce's wife and child hostage. One signal from the window, and they're done with.

Hepburn has the robbery planned down to the second, and Fordyce must play along. In the outer office, Hepburn acts like an efficient man, checking out the floor signals. Fordyce is a wreck but tries not to show it. He carries out all of his instructions, which include putting the money into suitcases (Hepburn's "luggage").

Very suspenseful film, and one wonders if Hepburn will be able to get away with the robbery, and if Fordyce will be implicated in any way.

Peter Cushing is tremendous in the role of Fordyce, cold, stern, and highly disciplined, living a life where there are no shades of gray and mistakes are not permitted. As Hepburn, Andre Morell is excellent, charming even when he's talking about the most deadly things.

The ending is a little rushed and a tiny bit confusing, but the story is a nice little take on "A Christmas Carol" with Scrooge Fordyce learning a few life lessons. Highly recommended. I saw this on a double disc with "Stop Me Before I Kill."