The Payoff (1935)

Joe is a reporter who is looking for his big break and he gets it when he takes over George Gorman's sports column. Marty is a hood who would fix any sporting event he could and Joe keeps ... See full summary »

Director:

Robert Florey

Writers:

George Bricker (screenplay), Joel Sayre (screenplay),

Stars:

James Dunn, Claire Dodd, Patricia Ellis

Cast

Complete credited cast:
James Dunn	...	Joe McCoy
Claire Dodd	...	Maxine McCoy
Patricia Ellis	...	Connie Travers
Alan Dinehart	...	Marty Bleuler
Joseph Crehan	...	Harvey Morris
Frankie Darro	...	Jimmy Moore
Frank Sheridan	...	George Gorman
Eddie Shubert	...	Beetles Davis
Al Hill	...	Mike
Paul Porcasi	...	Nick
George Humbert	...	Hotel Desk Clerk

Storyline

Joe is a reporter who is looking for his big break and he gets it when he takes over George Gorman's sports column. Marty is a hood who would fix any sporting event he could and Joe keeps the pressure of the paper on him. His wife Maxine, however, wants only the finer things in life and when Joe is on the road, she becomes Marty's Gal. That and the money that she owes Marty ends Joe's career as a New York Register columnist and starts his new career as a drunk. But Connie, who has had a crush on Joe for years, will try to make him the reporter he once was.

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Plot Keywords:

reporter | money | columnist | american | stock footage | 

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Romance | Sport

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Certificate:

TV-G

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

9 November 1935 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Real McCoy

Company Credits

Production Co:

Warner Bros

Technical Specs

Runtime:

64 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Helen Lowell is in studio records/casting call lists for this movie, but she was not seen.

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Soundtracks

"Sweet and Slow"
(1935) (uncredited)
Music by Harry Warren
Played as dance music at a nightclub

User Reviews

The cast makes this B picture shine

Though the story is hackneyed, even for 1935, the cast led by the always underrated James Dunn makes the film shine. Being a short B picture, director Robert Florey is able to move the film along at a quick pace.

Joe McCoy takes over as sports editor when the former editor retires because of heart trouble. Joe builds an image as a straight shooter who ferrets out unethical characters involved in professional sports. One of these, Marty Bleuler (Alan Dinehart), becomes a target for Joe's crusading zeal.

Unfortunately for Joe, his wife, Maxine (Claire Dodd), becomes too expensive for his bankbook, even after his promotion at the paper. She begins to cast her eyes toward Joe's target, Marty. When Joe finds out what is going on, he turns more and more to drink, though a fellow reporter, Connie Travers (Patricia Ellis), has the hots for him and tries to keep him on the straight and narrow. The final showdown between Joe and Marty comes when Marty tries to bribe a jockey to throw a race. This leads to a rather abrupt, contrived ending to an otherwise effective B flick.