Harry Fordyce (Peter Cushing) is a strict, exacting and rather mean spirited bank manager who is unpopular with everyone (including his staff) who dislike his fussy and micro management style. But, his life is dramatically changed one Christmas when he is visited by a smooth bank robber called Colonel Gore Hepburn (Andre Morell). Posing as a representative from an insurance company to secure access into the bank, he threatens Fordyce with the lives of his wife and son in order to force him into helping him steal £97.000 from the vault. But, is the Colonel all that he appears to be and could the ordeal encourage Fordyce to become a better man?
If proof were ever needed to show that Hammer could make worthwhile movies away from their trademark gothic horrors then this deeply felt 'B' pic crime drama could well be it. It has been described as the studio's take on A Christmas Carol and that is a fair comment since the plot revolves around Cushing's mean spirited banker ( a sort of Ebeneezer Scrooge character) who is encouraged to change his ways by Morell's cunning and undeniably ruthless crook, but who also has a deep interest in people and their character with a generous kind hearted streak in him. He acts as Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future all rolled into one, but the difference here is that he is a more earthly spirit. Directed by the underrated Quentin Lawrence whose credits include such TV classics as The Avengers, Gideon's Way and instalments the long running British soap opera Coronation Street does an incredible job of sustaining the suspense and intrigue, which is especially remarkable since 99.9% of the plot unfolds from a single set. He is much aided in this by the sharp editing of Eric Boyd Perkins. The audience is teased and kept guessing all the way as we wonder if Morell's villain is really what he claims to be. For instance, by the way he forever encourages Cushing to value his family more and to treat his staff with more respect - he forces him to contribute to the fund for their works' Christmas do - if the robbery could be make believe and perhaps an elaborate charade laid on by either his colleagues or his family to get him to see the error of his ways. Or, perhaps it is genuine since a number of incidents occur along the way which threaten to compromise the success of the job and we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering if the wife and son (whom we only hear on a telephone and see in a photograph) are about to be really imperilled. The performances from Cushing and Morell, two of Hammer's greatest stars, are a joy to behold and it will amuse you to see how seriously the former always took his parts by the immense attention to detail he put into them.
All in all, a gem from the Hammer studio that should on no accounts be missed by its fans and lovers of great movies alike.
If proof were ever needed to show that Hammer could make worthwhile movies away from their trademark gothic horrors then this deeply felt 'B' pic crime drama could well be it. It has been described as the studio's take on A Christmas Carol and that is a fair comment since the plot revolves around Cushing's mean spirited banker ( a sort of Ebeneezer Scrooge character) who is encouraged to change his ways by Morell's cunning and undeniably ruthless crook, but who also has a deep interest in people and their character with a generous kind hearted streak in him. He acts as Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future all rolled into one, but the difference here is that he is a more earthly spirit. Directed by the underrated Quentin Lawrence whose credits include such TV classics as The Avengers, Gideon's Way and instalments the long running British soap opera Coronation Street does an incredible job of sustaining the suspense and intrigue, which is especially remarkable since 99.9% of the plot unfolds from a single set. He is much aided in this by the sharp editing of Eric Boyd Perkins. The audience is teased and kept guessing all the way as we wonder if Morell's villain is really what he claims to be. For instance, by the way he forever encourages Cushing to value his family more and to treat his staff with more respect - he forces him to contribute to the fund for their works' Christmas do - if the robbery could be make believe and perhaps an elaborate charade laid on by either his colleagues or his family to get him to see the error of his ways. Or, perhaps it is genuine since a number of incidents occur along the way which threaten to compromise the success of the job and we are kept on the edge of our seats wondering if the wife and son (whom we only hear on a telephone and see in a photograph) are about to be really imperilled. The performances from Cushing and Morell, two of Hammer's greatest stars, are a joy to behold and it will amuse you to see how seriously the former always took his parts by the immense attention to detail he put into them.
All in all, a gem from the Hammer studio that should on no accounts be missed by its fans and lovers of great movies alike.