Five Minutes to Live (1961)

Name: Five Minutes to Live (1961)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Released: 1961-12-07
Cast: Johnny Cash, Donald Woods, Cay Forrester, Pamela Mason, Vic Tayback

Latest Articles
Movie Details

Latest 'Five Minutes to Live' News

Jan de Bont to Direct Five Minutes to Live Remake

Jan 20, 2012

Johnny Cash starred in the 1961 original crime thriller about two men who attempt to rob a bank by threatening to kill the manager's wife.

Critics Score

Release Date

December 7th, 1961

Director

Bill Karn

Writers

Cay Forrester
Palmer Thompson
Robert L. Joseph

Cast

Johnny Cash
Donald Woods
Cay Forrester
Pamela Mason
Vic Tayback
Ron Howard

Five Minutes to Live Synopsis

Originally released in 1961 as Five Minutes to Live, this low-budget crime drama was later re-released as Door-to-Door Maniac. Fred narrates the film in flashback, detailing a suburban bank robbery that goes awry. In his simple plan, he hires a hard-up hood, Johnny Cabot to take the wife of the bank's vice president hostage. Cabot will hold her until he gets a call alerting him that Fred has been successful in getting ransom money. Cabot waits, and watches the Wilson house as the husband leaves for the bank and their young son heads off to school. Posing as a door-to-door guitar instructor, he forces his way into the house and takes Nancy Wilson hostage. At the bank, Fred talks his way into Ken Wilson's office, and presents his personal check for $70,000, intending that Wilson will withdraw the funds to cover the check as a ransom for his wife. He has Wilson call home to prove that Nancy is being held by the unstable Cabot.