Gangster Murder Mystery Film w/ Tom Brown & Lee Tracy (1942)

A superbly acted and cast thriller, The Payoff is a taut, seedy criminal world where the Machiavellian of powerful gangsters are a persistent threat. Brad McKay (Lee Tracy) is a hotshot newspaper reporter who gets mixed up in a high profile murder when the prime suspect names him as his alibi. As McKay investigates further, he delves deeper into the underworld and uncovers secrets and plots that dangerous people don’t want known. In a trip through dark nightclubs and gorgeous women of questionable ethics, McKay doesn’t know what to believe or who to trust. The Payoff comes to a frenzied conclusion where nobody is safe anymore.