Five Minutes to Live (Crime Thriller, 1961)

Five Minutes to Live (1961), also known as Door-to-Door Maniac in its 1966 re-release, is a low-budget neo-noir crime thriller with elements of drama and music, directed by Bill Karn.
Genre: Neo-noir, Crime, Thriller, Drama, Music
Plot: The film centers on a bank robbery scheme gone wrong, told in flashback by gangster Fred Dorella (Vic Tayback). Fred teams up with hardened criminal Johnny Cabot (Johnny Cash), who poses as a door-to-door guitar instructor to take Nancy Wilson (Cay Forester), the wife of bank vice president Ken Wilson (Donald Woods), hostage in their suburban home. Meanwhile, Fred enters Ken’s office at the bank, demanding $70,000 to secure Nancy’s safety, giving Ken five minutes to comply or Johnny will kill her. Complications arise when Ken, unhappily married and planning to leave Nancy for his mistress, initially hesitates to pay, creating tension. Johnny terrorizes Nancy, taunting her with his guitar and songs, while the plan unravels, leading to a bleak and violent climax.
Cast:
Johnny Cash as Johnny Cabot: A sadistic, guitar-wielding criminal in his first dramatic film role.

Cay Forester as Nancy Wilson: The hostage housewife; she also wrote the screenplay.

Donald Woods as Ken Wilson: The conflicted bank executive.

Vic Tayback as Fred Dorella: The mastermind of the heist.

Ron Howard (credited as Ronnie Howard): A small role as the Wilsons’ young son, pre-Andy Griffith Show fame.

Merle Travis: Brief appearance as a sleazy entrepreneur connecting the criminals.

Pamela Mason as Ellen, Ken’s mistress.

Fun Facts:
Johnny Cash’s Debut: This was Cash’s first dramatic film role, showcasing a raw, menacing side far from his music persona. He wrote and sang the title song, “Five Minutes to Live,” and performs it in the film to taunt Nancy, adding a creepy musical twist.

Amphetamine Influence: Cash’s gaunt look and erratic performance were partly due to his heavy amphetamine use during filming, which resumed after a three-month break. His biographer, Robert Hilburn, noted Cash later regretted the role, calling it a misstep.

Cay Forester’s Script: The screenplay, written by actress Cay Forester (who plays Nancy), was her only writing credit. Her husband, Ludlow Flower, produced the film, making it a family affair.

Young Ron Howard: A pre-teen Ron Howard appears briefly, filmed before his breakout as Opie on The Andy Griffith Show, which aired after production wrapped.

Public Domain Status: The film is widely considered public domain due to a lapsed copyright, making it freely available on platforms like the Internet Archive and Tubi, though some restored versions may have distributor claims.

Low-Budget Charm: Shot in grainy black-and-white, the film’s gritty aesthetic and small cast scream B-movie, yet its dark tone and Cash’s unhinged energy have earned it cult status among noir and trash cinema fans.

Re-release Edits: The 1966 Door-to-Door Maniac version added salacious content and altered the ending, capitalizing on Cash’s growing fame, but the original 1961 cut is preferred by purists.

The film’s mix of gritty noir, Cash’s wild performance, and a bitter domestic subplot makes it a quirky, if flawed, time capsule of early ’60s B-cinema.