Monday, September 16, 2019

The Pay Off (1942)

Lee Tracy plays a wise cracking (charismatic though after a while slightly annoying) reporter called Brad McKay. When the District Attorney is gunned down the gambler Moroni (John Maxwell) is the chief suspect though Brad knows he is innocent... as he was beating him at poker at the time.

Or is Moroni as innocent as Brad thinks? He tells Brad that the DA was on the take and that his assistant killed him. But how is club owner John Angus (Jack La Rue) involved, who is the real Mr Big and who is the young woman (Tina Thayer) who is desperate to contact Brad and has access to a locker of money?

Well Brad soon finds that the case is not as straight forward as it seemed. The film is bright and breezy (not unlike a comic strip in feel) though a bit light in tone despite regular killings. Evelyn Brent plays a good small role as a moll involved marginally in the case though seemingly really just around for Bead to kiss!