Estranho Assalto

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.

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!

Cash On Demand is a neat little thriller set entirely inside a very small bank with a very small cast. Peter Cushing plays a nit-picking bank manager who finds he loses his dry demeanour when he is at the mercy of a bank robber who has taken his family hostage.

The film charts the robber's fiendish plan to calmly loot the bank's safe of all it's money and walk out as though nothing is wrong, while all the time putting the terrified manager through the wringer. Cushing really excels in the role of the bank manager, and Andre Morell makes an excellent slimy criminal who you just want to punch the entire time.

As I said, the whole movie takes place in the one setting, and almost in real time too. It's enjoyable while it lasts, and you'll be wondering what will happen, but despite some attempts at dramatic moments(fumbled locks, an unexpected window cleaner, etc), the final payoff is very disappointing, as the film ends in a really weak, almost feel-good way,which negates the realistically tense 60 minutes that preceded it and gave me very little satisfaction for justice being done. In this way it's almost like William Castle film - he also bungles his endings in a similar way.

Cash On Demand is not very well known, but is worthy of a look if you like Peter Cushing as he definitely makes the film.

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

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.