Payroll

This pacey thriller from the early 1960’s makes the most of its Newcastle setting, involving a snatch job which is destined to go wrong. A cursory look at the male protagonist leaves little doubt about that!

The plot centres around four villains, led by Johnny Mellors (Michael Craig) who, after beating about the bush for some time, finally get around to rob a payroll van. Low and behold, practically everything that can go wrong does go wrong – including the accidental death of van driver Harry Parker (William Peacock) – turning Mrs. Jackie Parker (Billie Whitelaw) into a widow and leaving their kids orphaned. They are chased and nearly caught by workers from a nearby factory. In the process, one of the factory workers jumps on the back of their car and attaches himself to it. Trying to shake him off, the gang break the back window with the intention of punching him and split one of the moneybags during the process. One of the robbers, Bert (Barry Keegan) has also been shot by the second security guard and later on dies in the gang’s hideout garage. Carelessly, Mellors simply leaves Bert’s body where it is and idly kicks some of the stolen and numbered banknotes underneath the car, then locks the garage.

The gang have been aided and abetted throughout by Dennis Pearson (William Lucas), a trusted employee of the firm from which the doomed payroll van has come. Pearson, poor fella that he is, has his own reasons for doing what he does – reason being his nagging and demanding French wife Katie (Francoise Prévost) who wishes for a more luxurious lifestyle. How this pair ever got together in the first place remains a mystery!
Meanwhile, the widowed Jackie who has a bit more nous then the coppers, soon puts two and two together and realises that Pearson must obviously be the missing link and starts to blackmailing. If Pearson was a cool cat he would have nothing to worry about, unfortunately he is a nervous wreck – made worse by his greedy and unsympathetic wife.

It isn’t long before thieves fall out and Katie has an affair with Mellors – not that there is much romance involved here, both being uncaring and selfish individuals! Weak-willed and over-talkative gang member Monty (Kenneth Griffith) gets himself into a spot a trouble in the local pub which leads to his mugging in a back alley (where is very quickly found – would you believe it) by Mellors and insubordinate sidekick Blackie (Tom Bell). This can only lead to more trouble, and several more deaths…

Unrelentingly directed by Sidney Hayers (Night of the Eagle, The Avengers) and with a energetic score by Reg Owen, we are kept on our toes throughout. Cinematographer Ernest Stewart (who also worked on The Avengers) brilliantly captures the Newcastle locations, in particular the Tyne Bridge. Here is another intriguing script by American George Baxt (The City of the Dead) – derived from a little known novel by Derek Bickerton. A young Billie Whitelaw impresses as a woman on a mission, in contrast to main star Michael Graig who simply comes across the miscast. They are chased and nearly caught by workers from a nearby factory. In the process, one of the factory workers jumps on the back of their car and attaches himself to it. This restored print of Payrollis a treat to look at.