Lee Tracy plays Brad McKay a smart mouthed reporter loved, or at least respected by both the police and the criminals. When a reforming special prosecutor, who's work he had been covering, is killed McKay is thrust in to the thick of things since its assumed that he may have a clue as to who might have killed the man. Tracy, an expert at playing fast talking wisenheimers, is in great form here delivering a steady stream of pontifications and wise cracks that not only amuse but also bamboozle the people around him giving him room to solve the case. I really liked this film a great deal since its a rare that a B-movie of this type had so many witty lines and comedic comebacks, it's almost like being hit by a machine gun of jokes. Tracy is aided by a great cast of character actors who manage to make their roles into something more than pieces to be moved around the chess board. If there is real weakness in the movie its that it becomes pretty clear who the bad guy is much too early in the film (the problem is simply that there really isn't anyone else it could be).It's not fatal but it sort makes what happens a foregone conclusion. Despite its short comings this is a movie that you're going to watch for, especially if you like great dialog and witty exchanges.
12 Reviews
Didn't Lee Tracy invent the fast-talking newspaper reporter character?
csteidler18 October 2011
Lee Tracy pretty easily carries the show in this fast-moving drama featuring fast talking and a set of familiar supporting characters ranging from the cub reporter to the police inspector needing help to the shady club owner to the girl whose father is in trouble. Evelyn Brent is the one other somewhat interesting character—as the wise female on the wrong side of the law, she's a challenge for Tracy to try and pull over to his side.
Tom Brown is the publisher's son who doubles as the cub reporter trying to learn the business; he's not particularly exciting but eager and fresh-faced and he does throw one punch. Tina Thayer as the daughter of the missing suspect doesn't have much to do and isn't given much to say, but she wears a worried look the best she can. Many other familiar faces populate the rest of the cast—the usual assortment of cops, crooks and reporters.
Oh, the plot? It's fairly complex, actually, having to do with a murdered special prosecutor investigating corruption and a $100,000 payoff that gets chased around for most of the picture.
The script is full of snappy dialog, some of it having to do with the plot, some just clever filler (Brown asks Tracy what they're going to do now, to which Tracy responds, "Slight pause for station identification."). Tracy also tells Brent in the first moments after their meeting, "After one drink, I propose," which adds a little nicely-calculated tension to their future encounters.
Worth a look for those of us who like rapid-fire dialog and don't mind a few clinkers or clichés.
Tom Brown is the publisher's son who doubles as the cub reporter trying to learn the business; he's not particularly exciting but eager and fresh-faced and he does throw one punch. Tina Thayer as the daughter of the missing suspect doesn't have much to do and isn't given much to say, but she wears a worried look the best she can. Many other familiar faces populate the rest of the cast—the usual assortment of cops, crooks and reporters.
Oh, the plot? It's fairly complex, actually, having to do with a murdered special prosecutor investigating corruption and a $100,000 payoff that gets chased around for most of the picture.
The script is full of snappy dialog, some of it having to do with the plot, some just clever filler (Brown asks Tracy what they're going to do now, to which Tracy responds, "Slight pause for station identification."). Tracy also tells Brent in the first moments after their meeting, "After one drink, I propose," which adds a little nicely-calculated tension to their future encounters.
Worth a look for those of us who like rapid-fire dialog and don't mind a few clinkers or clichés.
"You kill me, baby and the funny thing is....I like it"!!!
kidboots27 October 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Lee Tracy was huge pre 1934 but by the time of "The Payoff" bad behaviour and a drinking problem had just about finished his career. He may have looked older but this film certainly benefited from his peppy delivery.
Chief Prosecutor Lloyd Pearson is gunned down by an unknown assassin. Brad McKay (Lee Tracy) "the best newspaper man in the country", becomes involved in the Pearson murder after police come after one of his poker buddies, Moroni (John Maxwell). He gives Moroni an alibi, but Moroni, (who is the real killer) sends him on a wild goose chase by telling him the killer is Hugh Walker - Pearson's assistant, who was disbarred for taking bribes. He also says Pearson was taking a payoff of $100,000. When Moroni is found dead, Brad meets Phyliss Walker (Tina Thayer), her father mysteriously goes missing and they find themselves at a gambling club run by John Angus (Jack LaRue). Evelyn Brent makes an extremely brief though very welcome appearance as Alma Dorn - a mystery woman, who doesn't seem to have much to do except to give Tracy a big kiss at the fadeout.
Tom Brown, who never seemed to age - maybe that was the reason his career never took off - he always seemed like an over eager cub reporter which is what he played here.
Chief Prosecutor Lloyd Pearson is gunned down by an unknown assassin. Brad McKay (Lee Tracy) "the best newspaper man in the country", becomes involved in the Pearson murder after police come after one of his poker buddies, Moroni (John Maxwell). He gives Moroni an alibi, but Moroni, (who is the real killer) sends him on a wild goose chase by telling him the killer is Hugh Walker - Pearson's assistant, who was disbarred for taking bribes. He also says Pearson was taking a payoff of $100,000. When Moroni is found dead, Brad meets Phyliss Walker (Tina Thayer), her father mysteriously goes missing and they find themselves at a gambling club run by John Angus (Jack LaRue). Evelyn Brent makes an extremely brief though very welcome appearance as Alma Dorn - a mystery woman, who doesn't seem to have much to do except to give Tracy a big kiss at the fadeout.
Tom Brown, who never seemed to age - maybe that was the reason his career never took off - he always seemed like an over eager cub reporter which is what he played here.
A decent but average Poverty Row programmer
XhcnoirX2 March 2016
Hot-shot newspaper reporter Lee Tracy is involved in a poker game when a prosecutor is murdered. Tracy was reporting on the DA's latest investigation, so he's called in for help. Instead he has to clear the prime suspect, John Maxwell, because he was also part of the poker game when the murder happened. Maxwell tells Tracy to look into the prosecutor's assistant Forrest Taylor, as he was on the take. Soon after Tracy meets Taylor's daughter Tina Thayer, and Maxwell ends up dead in Tracy's apartment. Tracy and Taylor need to find out the truth soon before more people end up dead, being targeted themselves as well by Maxwell's partner, casino owner Jack La Rue.
A mystery/crime programmer done at PRC, the plot is overly complex and convoluted, and relies too much on conveniences and plot holes. But it also uses a most effective means to deal with this, it moves at a quick pace, so there's little room to think about the previous scene, as the current scene demands attention.
Lee Tracy ('High Tide', TV's 'Martin Kane') was once a big name, but in the 40s he was a has-been, and relegated to these low-budget features. His talent for fast & sharp talking works well here, as it fits the character perfectly. Tina Thayer is also quite decent as the demure but determined daughter who wants to find out the truth about her father. She went into a different career, ending her short acting career. Jack La Rue ('The Story Of Temple Drake') also had a decent career in the 30s before losing steam. These has-been actors were a gift for the poverty row studios tho, as they offered decent acting skills and somewhat recognizable names.
While IMDb classifies this movie as film noir, it is only remotely noir-ish. It is a much more straight-forward crime/mystery that also lacks the noir visuals. Director Arthur Dreifuss (a couple of Boston Blackie movies) does what needs to be done to get the story onto film and DoP Ira Morgan (lensing such classics as 'Criminal Investigator' and 'Sensation Hunters' aka 'Club Paradise') manages to sneak in a few decent shots, but all in all they handled the material as routinely as possible. Given it's a PRC production and they probably had no budget or time to experiment with setups, they can hardly be blamed. It's decent enough, but then again I am partial to these movies. 6-/10
A mystery/crime programmer done at PRC, the plot is overly complex and convoluted, and relies too much on conveniences and plot holes. But it also uses a most effective means to deal with this, it moves at a quick pace, so there's little room to think about the previous scene, as the current scene demands attention.
Lee Tracy ('High Tide', TV's 'Martin Kane') was once a big name, but in the 40s he was a has-been, and relegated to these low-budget features. His talent for fast & sharp talking works well here, as it fits the character perfectly. Tina Thayer is also quite decent as the demure but determined daughter who wants to find out the truth about her father. She went into a different career, ending her short acting career. Jack La Rue ('The Story Of Temple Drake') also had a decent career in the 30s before losing steam. These has-been actors were a gift for the poverty row studios tho, as they offered decent acting skills and somewhat recognizable names.
While IMDb classifies this movie as film noir, it is only remotely noir-ish. It is a much more straight-forward crime/mystery that also lacks the noir visuals. Director Arthur Dreifuss (a couple of Boston Blackie movies) does what needs to be done to get the story onto film and DoP Ira Morgan (lensing such classics as 'Criminal Investigator' and 'Sensation Hunters' aka 'Club Paradise') manages to sneak in a few decent shots, but all in all they handled the material as routinely as possible. Given it's a PRC production and they probably had no budget or time to experiment with setups, they can hardly be blamed. It's decent enough, but then again I am partial to these movies. 6-/10
Who killed the special prosecutor?
bkoganbing31 July 2014
Lee Tracy once again returns to the role of the fast talking newspaper reporter for PRC's The Pay Off. Tracy could do this role in his sleep, but fortunately put a great deal of conviction into his performance.
The murder of a special prosecutor and the disappearance of his assistant with $100,000.00 in pay off money is the kind of story Tracy can sink his teeth in. He's also got an assistant in this story, young Tom Brown has been told by his publisher father Robert Middlemass to learn the newspaper business from Tracy.
The Pay Off falls into Tracy's hands in the form of a key to bus locker terminal. As for the assistant, Tracy uses it for bait to flush out the bad guys including the mysterious Mr. Big. By this time Brown and Tina Thayer the daughter of the assistant have fallen in love.
As for Tracy he gets to out fox a sly fox of a hit woman in Evelyn Brent. His scene with her when she thinks he's dying of a gunshot wound is the best in the film.
Jack LaRue has a good part as a lizard like gambling club owner who will make your skin crawl.
Tracy's career took a downward skid when he got fired from MGM off the Viva Villa set. For the next dozen or so years he caught on with a lot of low budget studios, but I will say he gave as much conviction to his parts with places like PRC to those films he did with MGM in his top years.
The Pay Off is a good example of that.
The murder of a special prosecutor and the disappearance of his assistant with $100,000.00 in pay off money is the kind of story Tracy can sink his teeth in. He's also got an assistant in this story, young Tom Brown has been told by his publisher father Robert Middlemass to learn the newspaper business from Tracy.
The Pay Off falls into Tracy's hands in the form of a key to bus locker terminal. As for the assistant, Tracy uses it for bait to flush out the bad guys including the mysterious Mr. Big. By this time Brown and Tina Thayer the daughter of the assistant have fallen in love.
As for Tracy he gets to out fox a sly fox of a hit woman in Evelyn Brent. His scene with her when she thinks he's dying of a gunshot wound is the best in the film.
Jack LaRue has a good part as a lizard like gambling club owner who will make your skin crawl.
Tracy's career took a downward skid when he got fired from MGM off the Viva Villa set. For the next dozen or so years he caught on with a lot of low budget studios, but I will say he gave as much conviction to his parts with places like PRC to those films he did with MGM in his top years.
The Pay Off is a good example of that.
An Hour-Killer
TanakaK4 December 2009
I agree with many of the previous comments about "The Payoff", although I'm just not that enthusiastic about it.
The film is a page straight out of the part-crime-mystery / part-comedy genre of the day. It's true that the dialog is snappy and if you're in the mood it can be quite engaging.
But it's also true that "The Payoff" is really more of a theatrical-style of presentation than film. Lee Tracy immediately goes over the top, and stays there, with a very stage-style performance. Too loud, too gestural, too self-entertaining, just plain "too". The other characters are mostly cliché, too.
I wouldn't avoid The Payoff if you enjoy 40's urban crime features. It's a terrific feature if you're home sick and need to fill an hour. But I wouldn't go to any extraordinary measures to see it, either.
The film is a page straight out of the part-crime-mystery / part-comedy genre of the day. It's true that the dialog is snappy and if you're in the mood it can be quite engaging.
But it's also true that "The Payoff" is really more of a theatrical-style of presentation than film. Lee Tracy immediately goes over the top, and stays there, with a very stage-style performance. Too loud, too gestural, too self-entertaining, just plain "too". The other characters are mostly cliché, too.
I wouldn't avoid The Payoff if you enjoy 40's urban crime features. It's a terrific feature if you're home sick and need to fill an hour. But I wouldn't go to any extraordinary measures to see it, either.
Another mid-20th century mystery-crime drama not to be missed. Again, the star-reporter and the cops attempt to find the bad guys.
sculptagain-115 April 2008
Warning: Spoilers
"The Payoff" (1942) Special prosecutor Lloyd Pearson (Ian Keith) has been murdered and there is strong evidence that gambler Moroni (John Maxwell) committed the crime, but he has an air-tight alibi, spending the evening with Brad McKay (Lee Tracy), star reporter of the Chronicle. Norris (Robert Middlemass), the publisher, send Brad and his son, Guy Norris (Tom Brown), to cover the story.
Brad learns that Moroni did commit the murder, but has no way to prove it. Moroni tells Brad that the murdered prosecutor was getting a payoff, and was killed by his assistant Hugh Walker (Forrest Taylor) following a quarrel.
John Angus (Jack La Rue), proprietor of the Hi Lo Club, tells Moroni that Brad suspects him. Phyllis Walker (Tina Thayer) tells Brad that her father is in danger from Moroni. Hugh Walker has given her a key to the public locker where some money is hidden. That night, Brad finds Moroni dead.
He realizes there is a higher-up that had Moroni kill Pearson, and then has had Moroni killed. He learns that Walker has been kidnapped, but secures the money from the locker and hides it in his apartment. He meets Alma Dorne (Evelyn Brent)at the night club, and, while attracted to her, he suspects she is an accomplice of the gang.
He surprises her while she is searching his apartment for the money, and agrees to help him. Norris summons Brad to his home for Brad to show him what evidence he has collected so far. Norris, at the point of a gun, tells Brad he has collected too much. Brad gets the upper hand by telling Norris that his son Guy is walking into a death trap. Norris rushes to save his son from the trap he himself had set for Brad.
Note: Summary written by Les Adams {longhorn@abilene.com} IMDb.com
Brad learns that Moroni did commit the murder, but has no way to prove it. Moroni tells Brad that the murdered prosecutor was getting a payoff, and was killed by his assistant Hugh Walker (Forrest Taylor) following a quarrel.
John Angus (Jack La Rue), proprietor of the Hi Lo Club, tells Moroni that Brad suspects him. Phyllis Walker (Tina Thayer) tells Brad that her father is in danger from Moroni. Hugh Walker has given her a key to the public locker where some money is hidden. That night, Brad finds Moroni dead.
He realizes there is a higher-up that had Moroni kill Pearson, and then has had Moroni killed. He learns that Walker has been kidnapped, but secures the money from the locker and hides it in his apartment. He meets Alma Dorne (Evelyn Brent)at the night club, and, while attracted to her, he suspects she is an accomplice of the gang.
He surprises her while she is searching his apartment for the money, and agrees to help him. Norris summons Brad to his home for Brad to show him what evidence he has collected so far. Norris, at the point of a gun, tells Brad he has collected too much. Brad gets the upper hand by telling Norris that his son Guy is walking into a death trap. Norris rushes to save his son from the trap he himself had set for Brad.
Note: Summary written by Les Adams {longhorn@abilene.com} IMDb.com
One for Lee's Legion of Fans!
JohnHowardReid8 March 2012
Lee Tracy fans rejoice! "The Payoff" (1944) is absolutely essential must viewing for Lee Tracy's legion of fans, so I'm giving it a "Recommended" tag even though it's only available on a very good VintageFilmBuff DVD which you'll need to track down. Admittedly, two of the support players, namely the diminutive but mysterious Tina Thayer (even IMDb can tell us very little about her) and the wonderful Evelyn Brent do get a bit of a look-in, but it's plainly a Lee Tracy vehicle specifically designed for Lee Tracy fans – and for Lee Tracy fans only. Lee has twice as many lines as all the rest of the cast put together and two hundred times more close-ups than Tom Brown. (If memory serves me correctly, Tom has one). True, the lines are third-rate compared to those hatched up for Tracy in "Blessed Event" (1932), but self-indulgent Lee makes the most of them anyway. Arthur Dreifuss is credited as the director here, but I can't for the life of me figure out what Arthur did. Tracy needed no coaching and he simply talks right into the camera. Maybe Dreifuss shot the 10% of the movie in which Tracy doesn't appear? If so, he didn't do a very good job.
Lee Tracy doing his thing
blanche-220 February 2017
And Lee Tracy's thing was playing fast talkers. He was the original Hildy Johnson in The Front Page on Broadway.
Here he's Brad, a fast-talking reporter again, looking into the murder of the Special prosecutor. A gambler is suspected, but he has an air-tight alibi. The publisher of his paper sends Brad to cover the murder along with his son Guy (Tom Brown).
It's evident to Brad that the gambler, Moroni, did the murder. But he can't prove it. Moroni tells Brad that the prosecutor was getting a payoff, and that his assistant killed him. The assistant's daughter (Tina Thayer) says that her father is in danger from Moroni. Moroni is murdered. Brad knows there is someone above Moroni.
This is one of those one-hour-plus second features that seems like it lasts a lifetime. It was no surprise who was above Moroni either, thanks to the dialogue.
It wasn't great, but Tina Thayer was very pretty.
Lee Tracy was a big Broadway star who, though a character actor in films, played a lot of leads. He went back to Broadway after a scandal diminished his film career, but returned to win an Oscar nomination for The Best Man in the '60s, for which he won a Tony award. Nowadays, of course, the scandal would have garnered a ton of publicity.
There really isn't much of a mystery here, but if you like this type of film, which was common in the '40s, you may enjoy this.
Here he's Brad, a fast-talking reporter again, looking into the murder of the Special prosecutor. A gambler is suspected, but he has an air-tight alibi. The publisher of his paper sends Brad to cover the murder along with his son Guy (Tom Brown).
It's evident to Brad that the gambler, Moroni, did the murder. But he can't prove it. Moroni tells Brad that the prosecutor was getting a payoff, and that his assistant killed him. The assistant's daughter (Tina Thayer) says that her father is in danger from Moroni. Moroni is murdered. Brad knows there is someone above Moroni.
This is one of those one-hour-plus second features that seems like it lasts a lifetime. It was no surprise who was above Moroni either, thanks to the dialogue.
It wasn't great, but Tina Thayer was very pretty.
Lee Tracy was a big Broadway star who, though a character actor in films, played a lot of leads. He went back to Broadway after a scandal diminished his film career, but returned to win an Oscar nomination for The Best Man in the '60s, for which he won a Tony award. Nowadays, of course, the scandal would have garnered a ton of publicity.
There really isn't much of a mystery here, but if you like this type of film, which was common in the '40s, you may enjoy this.
Tracy is back...and, once again, he's a snappy-talking reporter!
planktonrules27 January 2016
When the film begins, the reporter Brad McKay (Lee Tracy) is doing what most reporters seem to do in films when they're not on assignment-- he's playing poker with the boys. While this is taking place, across town someone is ventilating the District Attorney's head with a .38 slug...so at least we know that the guys playing poker weren't responsible. But who is? And, like most B-crime films, it's inevitably that the fast-talking reporter knows infinitely more than the stupid cops...so it will be up to him to solve the case.
This film is an interesting comedown for Tracy. Back in the 30s, he made films for several big studios, including Columbia and MGM. However, after a series of public embarrassments, Tracy's film work consisted of working for the crappiest studios...and it didn't get any crappier than PRC...who made this film. However, for a PRC film it's much better than usual...thanks mostly to Tracy as well as a halfway decent script...very unusual for PRC! Not a brilliant film but worth seeing and among the best PRC films I've seen. In other words, it surprisingly did not suck!
This film is an interesting comedown for Tracy. Back in the 30s, he made films for several big studios, including Columbia and MGM. However, after a series of public embarrassments, Tracy's film work consisted of working for the crappiest studios...and it didn't get any crappier than PRC...who made this film. However, for a PRC film it's much better than usual...thanks mostly to Tracy as well as a halfway decent script...very unusual for PRC! Not a brilliant film but worth seeing and among the best PRC films I've seen. In other words, it surprisingly did not suck!
Stormy thriller about money wandering about, corruption thriving and random murders
clanciai16 November 2022
Lee Tracy is no good-looking guy, but he sure can talk. As an ace reporter he needs not trumps to carry the whole game all the way home with a vengeance. There are a lot of casualties on the way of this stormy whirlpool of intrigues, but there is a charming woman also, who actually helps Dick Tracy on the way although she actually also shoots him down when things get too nervy. But this mess too is just an ordinary winding up of general corruption, money being the game and the object of everyone's greed, and everyone dying to get it, some actually shooting their ways out for the mere sport of it. It's a fast and rickety thriller of no mystery but many knots to tie up, one untied knot constantly leading to greater knots higher up. You will enjoy this stormy ride on the ocean of corruption, and you'll never guess who was the top manager of this circus of lies and smokescreens until he is no more but still gets an honorary epitaph, and Lee Tracy ultimately gets what even he wants.
middle-of-the-road little noir with a comedic undertone
myriamlenys11 September 2018
Warning: Spoilers
An experienced reporter has friends and contacts on both sides of the law. This will allow him to uncover a nasty network of crime and corruption. However, his enemies may be much, much closer to him than he suspects...
This is not a bad movie : I liked Lee Tracy as protagonist Brad McKay, and I enjoyed a number of the jokes and one-liners. I also liked the time capsule feel. However, this is not the most suspenseful or surprising of movies, especially for viewers who are familiar with the tropes and clichés of 1930's and 1940's noir : you get your street-wise newspaperman (who also doubles as your wisecracking know-it-all with a heart of gold), your femme fatale, your innocent maiden whose father has fallen in with evil company, and so on.
Near the end there is a nice, human twist, in which the reporter deliberately hides the facts about a rather nasty criminal. The criminal has become a hero who died for the public good, because cities - and especially cities plagued by scandal - need to believe in an ideal of truth and justice.
This is not a bad movie : I liked Lee Tracy as protagonist Brad McKay, and I enjoyed a number of the jokes and one-liners. I also liked the time capsule feel. However, this is not the most suspenseful or surprising of movies, especially for viewers who are familiar with the tropes and clichés of 1930's and 1940's noir : you get your street-wise newspaperman (who also doubles as your wisecracking know-it-all with a heart of gold), your femme fatale, your innocent maiden whose father has fallen in with evil company, and so on.
Near the end there is a nice, human twist, in which the reporter deliberately hides the facts about a rather nasty criminal. The criminal has become a hero who died for the public good, because cities - and especially cities plagued by scandal - need to believe in an ideal of truth and justice.
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