Two days before Christmas and all is not well in the bank. Austure, fastidious, and domineering bank manager Fordyce (the always superb Peter Cushing in top form) finds himself at the mercy of urbane and wily criminal Hepburn (marvelously played to the smooth and smug hilt by Andre Morell), who forces Fordyce to assist him with robbing his bank or else Fordyce's abducted wife and son will be severely hurt. Director Quentin Lawrence, working from a sharp and witty script by David T. Chantler and Lewis Greifer, ably milks the gripping story for maximum suspense and maintains a steady pace throughout. Lawrence downplays action in favor of focusing instead on tension and the shrewd bristling verbal sparring between the two principal characters. Moreover, this movie is essentially a clever thriller version of "A Christmas Carol," with the initially unlikable Fordyce becoming more and more sympathetic as he learns a much-needed albeit harrowing lesson in humility and thus regains his humanity while doing his best to stay calm and collected under intense pressure. Cushing and Morell do outstanding work in their roles. Richard Vernon likewise does well as kindly chief clerk Pearson. Both Arthur Grant's crisp black and white cinematography and Wilfred Josephs' shivery score are up to par. A real dandy sleeper.
Review of Cash on Demand
