Hammer Films does Charles Dickens' "A Christmas Carol"? Peter Cushing as Scrooge? Old England on Christmas Eve, snow falling, and a bank manager with no patience for that old Christmas spirit. Well, that's what we have...sort of. In the style of an Alfred Hitchcock film, an old Hammer Films entry from 1961, "Cash on Demand," directed by Quentin Lawrence.
Fordyce (Cushing) is trying to remain calm as his bank staff seems pre-occupied with the Christmas party that will occur after banking hours, and after he leaves. No nonsense, Fordyce runs a tight ship and tolerates no discrepancies. Even though it is the day before Christmas he calls his assistant manager in to the office. Pearson (Richard Vernon) has been a loyal employee for years. Still, Fordyce dresses him down and threatens to fire him for a 10-pound book keeping error. Remember this scene. Enter Colonel Gore Hepburn (Andre Morell). Think of the ghost of Christmas past...same thing. Only, the good Colonel is not a colonel...he's a suave bank robber with a great plan. Hepburn advises Fordyce his men are at his home and will murder his wife and boy if he does not cooperate. What does Hepburn want? All the money in the vault.
Hepburn looks the part. He is masquerading as an insurance examiner at the bank to inspect security measures. Only Fordyce knows he is a thief. Hepburn is suave and gets on Fordyce for browbeating his employees on Christmas time,. He even gets on Fordyce for not contributing to his bank's Christmas party. However sentimental Hepburn is, he is also brutal. A call to Fordyce's home proves that this thief is sincere about murdering the bank manager's wife and child. Hepburn is also a task master. Every part of this robbery has been planned. It looks as if this guy will get away with all the money in the bank in five large suitcases. Fordyce is terrorized at what Hepburn may have done to the wife and child. Hepburn is also eager to humiliate this 'Scrooge" like figure. Then... Well, you'll see.
Like any early Hammer Film, the level of suspense is at its maximum. Will Fordyce repent and become a metaphorical Santa Claus? Will Hepburn really get away with all the spoils in the bank vault? Are Pearson and his co-workers really so browbeaten that they have no idea the bank is being robbed? This is a fun one and also appropriate for the entire family. Peter Cushing is sensational, as always, and Andre Morell as the suave and likable thug is also magnificent. See "Cash on Demand" and reconsider how you treat those in your life who are subservient to you.
This is a beautiful little movie - criminally under-known for decades, even among Hammer fans.
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