Review of Five Minutes to Live (1961) by Brody M — 19 Jun 2010

A fine, tense b-movie that demonstrates that Johnny Cash could act, as well as sing, play the guitar, and write great songs.

Cash plays Johnny Cabot, a thug hired for a daring, innovative bank heist where his partner (Vic Tayback) can walk out of the bank without drawing a gun or raising an eyebrow. While Tayback's character, Fred, blackmails the manager of a smalltown bank (Donald Woods), Cabot holds the manager's wife (Cay Forrester) hostage, lest the manager give in to Fred and Cabot's demands.

The majority of the movie comprises the interplay between Cabot and the manager's wife, as the clock ticks in the background, signaling her imminent doom if her husband fails to come through. Though the scenes outside the picture-perfect suburban sitting room tend to kill the movie's momentum, most of "Five Minutes to Live" comprise the scenes between Cash and Forrester, thankfully.