Cash on Demand

12/20/19611h 20m

Theatrical (limited) Release (US)

~ How to rob a bank... and get away with it? ~

Overview:

A charming but ruthless criminal holds the family of a bank manager hostage as part of a cold-blooded plan to steal £90,000.

Director:

Quentin Lawrence

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

bank
handcuffs
vault
bank robber
stress
heist
thief
extortion
tape recorder
burglar alarm
getaway
cashier
christmas card
insurance inspector
scotch
bank heist
bank robbery attempt
christmas
larceny

Cast

Peter Cushing

~ as ~

Harry Fordyce

André Morell

~ as ~

Colonel Gore Hepburn (as Andre Morell)

Richard Vernon

~ as ~

Pearson

Norman Bird

~ as ~

Arthur Sanderson

Kevin Stoney

~ as ~

Detective Inspector Mason

Barry Lowe

~ as ~

Peter Harvill

Edith Sharpe

~ as ~

Miss Pringle

Lois Daine

~ as ~

Sally

Alan Haywood

~ as ~

Kane

Jimmy Cains

~ as ~

Sidewalk Santa Claus (uncredited)

View full cast & crew

Reviews (2)

John Chard
Written 5 year(s) ago
9
Cash on Delivery? Pah! This is Cash on Demand!

Out of Hammer Film Productions, Cash on Demand is directed by Quentin Lawrence and adapted to screenplay by David Chantler & Lewis Greifer from a play by Jacques Gillies. It stars Peter Cushing, Andre Morell, Richard Vernon, Norman Bird and Kevin Stoney. Music is by Wilfred Josephs and photography by Arthur Grant.

Hammer's Xmas movie has a kick and half.

In the opening section of Quentin Tarantino's "Pulp Fiction", robber in waiting Tim Roth tells his lover, Amanda Plummer, about how a guy robbed a bank with just a telephone. This principal is the core of Hammer's majestic "Cash on Demand", an intense, tightly constructed thriller that also provides proof positive of the acting talents of Peter Cushing, Andre Morell & Richard Vernon.

With minimal budget to work from and operating out of practically one set, director Lawrence gets the maximum suspense out of script with no blood letting or overt violence. This is very much about eloquent verbal sparring, the terror is in what might happen should Cushing's (superbly shifting of the acting gears as the plot unfolds) martinet bank manager not tow the slick line being drawn by Morel's (brilliantly playing his cards close to his chest) crafty thief.

A real gem and a pleasant surprise, both in technical merits and outcome of story. Highly recommended to all serious fans of Classic British Cinema. 9/10
CinemaSerf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
If anyone was ever to wonder upon whom Arthur Lowe might have based his "Capt. Mainwaring" from "Dad's Army" character on, then they might look at Peter Cushing here in this superior heist thriller. He is the fastidious, frankly rather obnoxious, bank manager who runs his branch without any regard at all for his staff. Indeed, the first few scenes demonstrate just how unpleasant he can be - even on December 23rd! Unexpectedly, though, he has a visitor. "Col. Gore Hepburn" (André Morell) arrives and advises him and his chief clerk "Pearson" (Richard Vernon) that he is there from their insurance company to inspect the branch security practices. Soon, though, we discover that this visitor has an ulterior motive and has stooped to a fairly brutal and threatening method to secure it. What now follows is a tautly directed drama that allows Cushing to show more of his acting talents than he usually gets to display and there is also a subtle and under-stated performance from an on form Morell too. It falls away at the ending a bit though - I was actually rather disappointed by that, but for the vast majority of the ninety minutes this is an enthralling story that even has a slight sense of "A Christmas Carol" at the conclusion. Certainly well worth a watch.