Johnny & Ronny

FIVE MINUTES TO LIVE!-1961-Before he became "the man in black" and a country-western superstar, Johnny Cash made his film debut in this low budget melodrama. He plays psycho cop killer Johnny Cabot who is hired by a greasy hood (Vic Tayback, who narrates the tale) who hatches a plot to rob a bank by having the wife (Cay Forrester) of a bank VP (Donald Woods) held hostage in her home by Cabot. With this threat the VP is forced to hand over $70,000. The couple has martial problems (he wants to leave his wife for another woman) and their young son is played by future Academy Award winning director Ronny Howard (already a regular on TV's THE ANDY GRIFFITH SHOW). Cash is demented and sadistic while holding the wife hostage but does manager to croon the title theme once in a while.

Another country-western star Merle Travis (who co-wrote the theme with Cash) appears as Tayback's flunky. It's a weird little film with a interesting, funny climax involving Howard's character and a gabby neighbor (Pamela Mason). Director Bill Karn also made MA BARKER'S KILLER BROOD. Also called DOOR TO DOOR MANIAC.

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