Five Minutes to Live is a 1961 crime film starring Johnny Cash, Donald Woods, Vic Tayback, and Cay Forrester. The plot is pretty simple and straight forward: Johnny Cabot and Fred Dorella (played by Cash and Tayback respectively) hatch a plan to steal $70,000 from a bank, by holding the bank's vice president's wife hostage.
Fred calmly walks into the bank, asks for the money, and informs the bank's VP Ken Wilson (played by Donald Woods) that if he doesn't get the money and call Johnny within five minutes then Ken's wife will die. Meanwhile, Johnny holds the wife (played by Cay Forrester) at gun point in her home while awaiting the call.
There is also a subplot about Ken planning to divorce his wife and run off with a woman named Ellen (played by Pamela Mason) but, it could have been cut from the film as it doesn't add much to the story.
While not a great crime film, it's not terrible either. The ticking clock plot device does work to build some tension, and Johnny Cash, though not a great actor, is serviceable in the role. I can't wholeheartedly recommend it but, its only about an hour and twenty minutes long so there's nothing to lose if you're curious and want to check it out.
I give it a 2 out of 5.
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