This movie isn't very good but it is interesting for huge Johnny Cash fans ,like myself,to see him in this movie.Johnny Cash was The Man and I'm a fan for life of his music.
In this film Johnny Cash plays a hoodlum who happens to be named Johnny too.He and another thug ,played by Vic Tayback of "Alice" 'fame',plan to rob a bank by holding a bank employee's wife hostage and then forcing him to turn over 70 grand.Cash goes to the house and holds the wife while Tayback works the bank end.I'm not sure what movie the guy who wrote the plot synopsis for IMDb saw but it doesn't sound like this one.Also "Door to Door Maniac" is a horrible alternate name for this movie because the door to door salesman thing was about a 2 minute trick Cash's character used to get inside the house."Five Minutes to Live" is the real name of this movie.Cash even sings a song with that title in the film.
Well anyway what makes this movie interesting,besides Cash, is the appearance of Merle Travis,another country music legend.He is the guy who wrote "16 tons" and a whole bunch more great songs.Ron Howard, who played Opie Taylor and is now a big time movie director,is also in this movie.This movie was made just about the same time that Howard would land the role as Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show".While this movie isn't great you'd be hard pressed to find another movie this unknown to have all those names in it.
The movie itself is pretty bad.The script is sort of lame in places .The lighting and sound are awful.The film is totally silent during the opening and closing credits.I thought my DVD was bad but nope it was just how it was supposed to be I guess. And everyone, except Cash and Tayback, were just awful actors.Cash is actually pretty good in this movie.He had the dark brooding looks and his trademark scar to make him look the part of the thug.The scenes where he tortures the wife inside her home are cool.Cash leers at her and breaks up her stuff and makes her put on a nightie and keeps messing with her until you feel kind of sorry for her.Cash shows some natural acting talent that would get better over the years.
Like I said this movie would interest no one but Cash fans.But it's a great treat to see him in something so early in his career.Who would ever guess watching him in this thing that he would go on to be the greatest country artist of all time?
In this film Johnny Cash plays a hoodlum who happens to be named Johnny too.He and another thug ,played by Vic Tayback of "Alice" 'fame',plan to rob a bank by holding a bank employee's wife hostage and then forcing him to turn over 70 grand.Cash goes to the house and holds the wife while Tayback works the bank end.I'm not sure what movie the guy who wrote the plot synopsis for IMDb saw but it doesn't sound like this one.Also "Door to Door Maniac" is a horrible alternate name for this movie because the door to door salesman thing was about a 2 minute trick Cash's character used to get inside the house."Five Minutes to Live" is the real name of this movie.Cash even sings a song with that title in the film.
Well anyway what makes this movie interesting,besides Cash, is the appearance of Merle Travis,another country music legend.He is the guy who wrote "16 tons" and a whole bunch more great songs.Ron Howard, who played Opie Taylor and is now a big time movie director,is also in this movie.This movie was made just about the same time that Howard would land the role as Opie on "The Andy Griffith Show".While this movie isn't great you'd be hard pressed to find another movie this unknown to have all those names in it.
The movie itself is pretty bad.The script is sort of lame in places .The lighting and sound are awful.The film is totally silent during the opening and closing credits.I thought my DVD was bad but nope it was just how it was supposed to be I guess. And everyone, except Cash and Tayback, were just awful actors.Cash is actually pretty good in this movie.He had the dark brooding looks and his trademark scar to make him look the part of the thug.The scenes where he tortures the wife inside her home are cool.Cash leers at her and breaks up her stuff and makes her put on a nightie and keeps messing with her until you feel kind of sorry for her.Cash shows some natural acting talent that would get better over the years.
Like I said this movie would interest no one but Cash fans.But it's a great treat to see him in something so early in his career.Who would ever guess watching him in this thing that he would go on to be the greatest country artist of all time?