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, and gives Wilson 5 minutes to make his decision.Not a great film. Johnny Cash can't act at all and he brings down the production. The prints of this film currently look like they were lifted off a TV -- kine-scope fashion which makes it hard to watch. The characters are broadly drawn and dated.Opie is in the movie too and his scene plays like a TV commercial.In all, just not so good.

5 Minutes to LiveThe film opens with Vic Tayback getting the third degree in a police detective's office. He tells the cops, "It all started back in New Jersey were Johnny killed those two cops..." The film cuts away to a warehouse were two men are breaking in. A pair of cops pull up which starts a gun-battle that ends with one of the men, and both cops dead. The survivor is Johnny Cabot, who is played by Johnny Cash. He knows he is now hot, so he grabs his girl, and flees town for the west coast. He cools his heels in a rundown $2.50 a day motel outside of L.A. He starts to grow bored with his dolly and the lack of money.He jumps at the offer of a big payoff for a one day job when contacted by local heavy, Tayback. Tayback has the "perfect" plan. They are going to hit the largest of the local banks for no less than 70 grand. Cash asks as to how only the two of them could pull this off. Tayback lays it all out for him. They will grab the manager's wife as a hostage, and then threaten to kill her if the money is not handed over.Tayback tells Cash he has spent months planning the job and that nothing can go wrong. Cash is to grab the wife while Tayback goes to the bank to pay the manager, Donald Woods, a visit. Next morning they begin the caper. Cash poses as a door to door salesman to gain entry to the banker's house and get a grip on the wife. Tayback calmly enters the bank and asks to see the manager on an urgent matter. He is shown into Woods' office where he quickly fills in Woods on what he must do. Of course it turns out there is a fly in the ointment. It seems Woods has been getting some on the side and had planned to leave for Vegas that night with his new love. Woods sees no reason to pay! Tayback plays it cool and calls the house where Cash is holding the woman. "If you don't hear from me in 5 minutes, kill the woman!" Now the game of chicken starts, will Woods stand his ground or cave? Back at the house, Cash is having a grand old time smacking the wife around and destroying the furniture. Woods meanwhile has agreed to the terms and gets Tayback the money. Tayback tells Woods he will call from outside the bank and have Woods' wife released. Smooth as could be, Tayback heads for the exit. Another fly enters the picture as the guard recognizes Tayback from a poster and jumps him. To Woods horror several bystanders also pile on Tayback. Woods runs for the nearest phone and calls the police. At the house, Cash is enjoying himself so much he loses track of the time. The couples' son, Ronnie Howard, shows up just as the police do. Cash grabs the kid as a shield and runs out the back door. A quick exchange of gunfire and Cash is dispatched.The wife is played by Kay Forester who also wrote the screenplay. The director was Bill Karn. His claim to fame is that fun grade d film, MA BARKER'S KILLER BROOD. Despitethe low origins there are several things that make this film work. First, the cast is all quite good with Cash looking great as a gunman with a screw or two loose.Second is the overall look of the film which was lensed by Carl Guthrie. Guthrie worked on such film noir as, THE WOMAN IN WHITE, FLAXY MARTIN, BACKFIRE, THIS SIDE OF THE LAW, HIGHWAY 301 and CAGED. A neat little low, low, low budget gem. I loved it!

Five Minutes to Live (1961) ** (out of 4) Bizarre thriller about a couple thieves who take a woman (Cay Forrester) hostage to get money from her husband (Donald Woods) who just happens to be Vice President at a local bank. One of the bad guys (Johnny Cash) stays behind with the wife while the other goes to the bank and unlucky for the woman, this guy is a raving maniac who enjoys to torture women. Being a fan of Cash I had always wanted to check this film out and now that I've seen it I'm really not sure what to think. On one hand, it's pretty silly story-wise as there are all sorts of plot holes in the thieves big plans but on the other hand you have some rather outrageous scenes of violence that will put the previous year's PSYCHO to shame. As a "thriller" the film works in parts because the violence is rather shocking. Cash not only physically abuses her with countless slaps, throws to the floor and pistol-whips but he also comes on to her sexuality and not in a consensual manor. The scenes of violence are rather tense but at the same time I can't help but think in some ways that the film is a spoof. Now, what I consider a spoof might hit others as bad film-making but just take a look at the editing here. The film goes for these over dramatic moments by quick edits to the actor's face and then we get silly one-liners. Some of the dialogue given out must have been seen as extremely silly as I'm doubtful a master writer like Cash would be saying them as something real. As far as Cash's performance goes, it's not too bad. He's obviously not a trained actor and he makes some silly facial gestures throughout but for the most part he comes off believable as this psycho. Character actor Woods has seen better days but he isn't too bad. Forrester on the other hand is pretty bad and many of her tears come off incredibly fake and at times laughable. We even get a young Ron Howard playing the couple's child. Cash plays his guitar throughout the film and he even sings the title song, which never made it onto any of his Greatest Hits collections for obvious reasons. To say this film is uneven would be an understatement but it's so bizarre that it's easy to recommend to fans of horror, film noir or just downright strange movies.

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?