FIVE DAYS (1954, titled the much better PAID TO KILL in America) is one of the better Hammer film noirs of the mid 1950s, thanks to a tight little story by author Paul Tabori. The engaging tale begins with Dane Clark pushed to the edge financially when his uncle reneges on a business deal, leaving him penniless and at risk of bankruptcy. He hits upon a scheme to employ drunken associate Paul Carpenter to murder him so that his wife can claim his life insurance policy thus setting herself up for life and saving her from the gutter, but all doesn't go according to plan. Although low budget by genre standards, this is an engaging film with a super-fast plotline, snappy dialogue and twists galore as the tale progresses. Shades of Hitchcock's STRANGERS ON A TRAIN at time but it manages to hold its own against rival bigger budget fare. No great shakes or surprises for fans of the thriller genre who expect this kind of stuff, but it's never dull and the cast work hard to convince. Look out for Charles Hawtrey as an assistant browbeaten by his boss.
Review of Paid to Kill
