Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		4.0
Audio		3.5
Extras		0.0
Overall		4.0

The Pay-Off Blu-ray Movie Review

"Honey? Did you remember to get insurance against gangster organizations? Do they even sell that?"

The Pay Off is a sharp and surprising gangster film mixed with romance and melodrama in fine form. The film is a terrific early RKO picture which features a strong ensemble cast that helps the story hit each note of the filmmaking precisely. Produced by William LeBaron (Lovin' the Ladies, The Very Idea), a gangster underworld is explored alongside a old-fashioned romance that is sure to please audiences.

Nancy Porter (Marian Nixon) and Tommy Brown (William Janney) are two young love-struck lovers who are on a park bench discussing their possible futures (with marriage on the table for discussion) with glee and romance emanating from each of their radiant eyes. The chemistry between the two is genuine and highly convincing. Their romantic daydream comes to a thunderous halt when a two-bit gangster named Rocky (Hugh Trevor) overhears the couple's plans for marriage and that the pair has saved up hundreds of dollars to start a family. The bullish Rocky decides to “stick 'em up” and take all of their hard-earned savings.

With destitution in their imminent futures, the young couple walks across the city streets downtrodden and defeated before stumbling accidentally into the criminal underworld of the gangster organization led by the slick-talking and sophisticated leader, Gene Fenmore (Lowell Sherman). Unlike his mean spirited hire Rocky, Gene sympathizes with the young couple's plight and realizes it was wrong for Rocky to steal the couples entire savings. The gangster boss confronts Rocky about the theft and ultimately Gene decides to pay the two youths their money back by letting them sit around in his luxurious, high-end living quarters while each does nothing but whatever they so fancy.

As the plotline thickens further, a bank heist plan goes underway for the entire gangster organization. Gene decides he can enlist both Nancy and Tommy in the operation without letting them in on the nature of the heist. Both are unaware that they are participating in a bank robbery. As evening events escalate, the story takes several turns and is brought to an excellent conclusion.

Young Love. "Squeeze Me."

The film is a great deal of fun in large part because of the great cast. The young couple performed by Marian Nixon and William Janney are absolutely terrific in the parts. The film is surprisingly funny with these young actors delivering humorous lines in spades. The screenplay was written by Jane Murfin (Brawn of the North, Roberta) as based on a play written by Samuel Shipman and John B. Hymer. The script is dynamite with great dialogue, pace, and storytelling. Despite the film being produced in 1930 the feature feels vital and energetic.

The production was a success across the board with tight editing by Rose Smith (Orphans of the Storm, The Birth of a Nation) which helps carry each sequence with a sense of urgency that never stalls or fails to expand upon the story. Pacing is key to a genuinely great story and The Pay-Off truly delivers in that department. From scene to scene, the rhythm always feels focused.

Featuring superb cinematography by J. Roy Hunt (In Name Only, She), the film's beautiful black and white photography feels sublime. The excellent costumes by Max Ree (Cimarron, Street Girl) are impressive to boot with beautiful dresses. The production team helped to bring this entertaining story to life with style.

The Pay-Off hits many right notes. The direction by Lowell Sherman (The Bachelor Apartment, The Royal Bed) is outstanding here and helps the film feel like a golden-era gem that is more-than-likely overlooked by audiences. The Pay-Off is even a perfect time for the film. By the journey's end, it's absolutely clear that the film's storyline is reflected in the name of the film as well as it's creative mission. Audiences definitely get their money's worth by the end.

The Pay-Off Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Pay-Off is presented on Blu-ray from Kino with a 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition presentation in the original theatrical aspect ratio of 1.33:1 full frame. Out of the three features that were included in the RKO Classic Adventures collection by Kino, The Pay-Off is the one which looks the best from a visual standpoint. Although the transfer itself is not quite as sharp as The Painted Desert was on the release, the image quality is consistently stable and features good definition and detail. The image is clean and has fewer signs of print wear and tear. Although the source material is certainly not flawless, this film has a strong presentation which does not disappoint.

The Pay-Off Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The audio is presented with a lossless DTS-HD Master Audio presentation. The stereo audio quality is generally quite impressive with decent dialogue reproduction. The film has a dated audio source so it might not ever match the likes of a modern production. However, considering both the age and the quality of the source material utilized, the release sounds quite good overall. There are a few scenes where the audio can sometimes sound slightly muffled but for the most part it's a good presentation without glaring hiss or pops in the audio track.

The Pay-Off Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

There are no extras included on this release.

The Pay-Off Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Fans of classic gangster films should check out this great and highly underrated film. The Pay-Off has a terrific ensemble cast (with a lead performance by Lowell Sherman that helps with carrying the feature). The film has a surprising amount of charm given its creative blend of dark elements with the bubbly romantic-comedy component which is ushered in simultaneously.

The Blu-ray release of the film is a worthwhile effort by Kino. The Pay-Off is an excellent part of the fun RKO Classic Adventures collection. Fans of the feature (as well as newcomers intrigued by the concept) will find this to be a worthwhile experience.