Payroll (1961)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Sidney Hayers

Writers:

George Baxt (writer)
Derek Bickerton (novel)

Release Date:

20 May 1962 (USA)

Genre:

Crime | Drama

Tagline:

Brilliant... Brutal... Torn from tonight's headlines!

Plot:

A vicious gang of crooks plan to steal the wages of a local factory, but their carefully laid plans go wrong...

Plot Keywords:

Beautiful Woman | Nudity | Female Nudity | Independent Film | Based On Novel

Cast

Michael Craig	...	Johnny Mellors
Françoise Prévost	...	Katie Pearson
Billie Whitelaw	...	Jackie Parker
William Lucas	...	Dennis Pearson
Kenneth Griffith	...	Monty
Tom Bell	...	Blackie
Barry Keegan	...	Bert Langridge
Edward Cast	...	Detective Sergeant Bradden
Andrew Faulds	...	Detective Inspector Carberry
William Peacock	...	Harry Parker
Glyn Houston	...	Frank Moore
Joan Rice	...	Madge Moore
Vanda Godsell	...	Doll
Stanley Meadows	...	Bowen
Brian McDermott	...	Brent

Also Known As:

I Promised to Pay (USA)

Runtime:

Germany:105 min | UK:117 min (uncut version) | UK:102 min (cut version)

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | Finland:K-16 | West Germany:18

Filming Locations:

Gateshead, Tyne & Wear, England, UK

Company:

Lynx Films Ltd.

Soundtrack:

It Happens Every Day

enjoyable thriller but lack of similitude

This has just been released on DVD by Optimum in a very clear print.I first saw it on its original release at the ABC Golders Green on 28th May 1961,sitting in the circle for which i paid the price of 4/-(20p).My view at the time was that it was an excellent thriller.I still find it to be very entertaining but i do have a couple of complaints.Despite being set in Newcastle there is not one character or even bit part player who has a Geordie accent.We have all sorts of other "foreign" accents from Michael Craigs Rada accent,to Kenneth Griffiths welsh and Francoise Orevost and her french accent.What on earth was she doing in this film,she was not a big name in this country the only answer was that she must have been a close friend of the producer!The film is fine till it gets to the last 20 minutes.Quite frankly it is so implausible that it ruins what has gone before.I felt that the writers had just run out of ideas how to end this film.Also it has to be said that Michael Craig is good as a light comedian but a serious actor he ain't.