During the 1960s, at the height of worldwide Elvis stardom, Hollywood troubadours were searching left, right and centre for musical superstars to play their leads. Bill Karn, director of Five Minutes to Live, found Johnny Cash.
Cash was never known for his acting chops, but given that his character and aesthetic was always so strong it only makes sense for him to appear on-screen as, well, himself. Or something close enough to himself, which is exactly what the psychopathic guitar teacher Johnny Cabot was.
The Man in Black plays himself: watch the entire 1961 flick Five Minutes to Live on Youtube, starring Johnny Cash as a murderous romantic.
Scriptwriter Cay Forester plays the co-lead alongside Cash, a damsel in distress (did they know how to do anything else in the 60s?) who falls victim to Cabot’s plan when he arrives at her house for a guitar lesson, only to become her hostage.
Check out the full film on Youtube below. You’ll even get a performance from Cash 36 minutes in.
Via Dangerous Minds.
