Cash on Demand

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

1961 1h 20m EN

🙌

7.6

BANGER

⭐

7.5

IMDB

★7.6TMDB · 61★7.5IMDB · 3,041

CrimeDramaThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

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

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

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Cast

Peter Cushing
Harry Fordyce
André Morell
Colonel Gore Hepburn
Richard Vernon
Pearson
Norman Bird
Arthur Sanderson
Kevin Stoney
Detective Inspector Mason
Barry Lowe
Peter Harvill
Edith Sharpe
Miss Pringle
Lois Daine
Sally

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Quentin Lawrence
Writers: David T. Chantler, Lewis Greifer, Jacques Gillies
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

65 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Quentin Lawrence, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Wilfred Josephs. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Peter Cushing and André Morell and Richard Vernon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "How to rob a bank... and get away with it?".

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0054731 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Quentin Lawrence directs. Arthur Grant behind the camera. Wilfred Josephs scores. Eric Boyd-Perkins cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
265 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Directed by Quentin Lawrence, shot by Arthur Grant. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
4Original score by Wilfred Josephs. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
5Editor Eric Boyd-Perkins shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
6Peter Cushing and André Morell and Richard Vernon carry the top of the cast.
7Marketing tagline: "How to rob a bank... and get away with it?".
8IMDB entry: tt0054731 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
9Only 61 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
10Classified under 19 themes, including "bank", "handcuffs", "vault", "bank robber".

The technical file

Cinematography: Arthur Grant
Original score: Wilfred Josephs
Editing: Eric Boyd-Perkins
Production design: Bernard Robinson
Makeup / hair: Roy Ashton
Runtime: 80 min · 1h 20m
Status: Released
Original language: EN
Certification (US): PG
IMDB: Cash on Demand (1961)
IMDB rating: 7.5/10 · 3,041 votes
MPAA: Approved

Also by

Quentin Lawrence

Trailers & featurettes

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Community reviews

What people are saying

John Chard2019-11-07
★ 9/10
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
CinemaSerf2022-11-12
★ 7/10
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.