A Hammer Great Back In Circulation

A Holiday Heist and Morrell vs. Cushing in Cash On Demand (1961)

"How To Rob A Bank --- And Get Away With It?" read Columbia's promotion of yet another Hammer import, fruit of their 49% ownership in the UK firm and stateside-distributing most of what Hammer produced. That question mark on the tagline might have been assurance to Code monitoring that indeed, no one would get away with bank-robbing in Cash On Demand, any more than in nearly three decades of PCA enforcement. And did Columbia realize they had a perfect Yuletide attraction in Cash On Demand? Apparently not, as it was released in January of 1962, just missing the season. Los Angeles' open was a success thanks to double-feature placement with fad-hot Twist Around The Clock. Cash On Demand turns beautifully on A Christmas Carol's basic theme, Scrooge-like bank manager Peter Cushing humanized by a day's coping with smooth thief Andre Morrell; between these two I'd have split that year's Best Actor Academy Award. My challenge to any viewer would be to come away from Cash On Demand less than a committed fan of Morrell. I only wish he'd gotten parts half so good before and later ... just another jobbing British player capable of greatness. Columbia has Cash On Demand on DVD as part of a fine Hammer "Suspense Collection" --- quality is outstanding.