Cash on Demand

Now hold on, this is holiday appropriate! The Noir Alley guy on Turner Classic assured me that this is a modified take on A Christmas Carol. Honestly, it feels a bit more like It's a Wonderful Life to me, in that a single entity tries to show a man what's of value in his life, but whatever.

Peter Cushing plays Mr. Fordyce, who is the branch manager of a bank. He's a cold, precise man who is only concerned with the prestige of the bank, and is otherwise rude and harsh towards his employees. Andre Morell plays Colonel Gore Hepburn, who presents himself as a representative of the insurance company that insures the bank, there to check on security. Once alone with Fordyce, he reveals he's actually a bank robber, and his gang has taken Fordyce's wife and child hostage.

Because of the identity the "Colonel" has assumed, he can't simply grab the money and run. He has to give the appearance of doing a real inspection. So he whiles away the time appearing to inspect, talking with some of the employees, but mostly by poking at Fordyce. Implying that his wife and child don't really care for him, that he should take more of an interest in the lives of his employees. Morell plays it well, because he sounds chummy, but there's a mean edge to his grin. You never forget he has Fordyce's family in his hands, and that the bank manager had best behave and follow orders.

Cushing plays Fordyce as this sort of paper tiger. He's very stern when dealing with his employees. No mercy, no understanding or compassion. Placed in this situation though, he struggles not to fall apart. He can't remember the combination to the vault, he nearly panics when they see the man who cleans their windows once a month, he's hunched over his desk like he might pass out at any moment. I felt worse for his family watching the movie, but you do feel for him.