Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

WillSushyMedia This movie was so-so. It had it's moments, but wasn't the greatest.

Candida It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

dougdoepke Catch that brief nightclub scene where the party-goers empty their flasks as the cops charge through. Yup, it's still Prohibition, 1930, though illegal booze doesn't figure in the plot. Instead, it's gangster Fenmore finding out just how much bad guy he is. That's courtesy the youthful innocents Nancy and Tommy who get implicated in his shenanigans. All in all, it's a tepid 65-minutes, without much suspense. Mainly, actor-director Sherman gets to show his skills in what amounts to more of a character study than a crime drama. Note how expressively Sherman uses his eyes to convey what's going on inside. It's really his showcase. I was also impressed by an unknown (to me) Hugh Trevor as tough guy Rocky. Too bad he had such a brief career. And what about plug-ugly George Marion as Mouse. Facially, he resembles Wallace Beery on a really bad day. Here, the cast outshines the plot.Since talkies are still fairly new, scenes are pretty much confined to indoor sets, though some like the mansion living room are striking. I guess my only real gripe is why they had to make the two kids so sweetly innocent. They fairly drip sugar. Anyway, the film amounts to a programmer, 1930's style, and not much more.

wes-connors On an early morning in New York City, school-boyish 20-year-old William Janney (as Thomas "Tommy" Brown) and his mature-looking 18-year-old girlfriend Marian Nixon (as Nancy Porter) wake up on a park bench. The cute couple are planning to get married on the $230 Mr. Janney has saved. Unfortunately, thieving Hugh Trevor (as Rocky) walks by and hears them talk about the money. He robs Janney. Later, the victims return the favor by finding Mr. Trevor and his gang. As it turns out, Janney works at the hotel where Trevor and his shady pals play cards. Janney's attempt to hold-up the gang fails, but gang leader Lowell Sherman (as Eugene "Gene" Fenmore) admires the effort. He takes a fatherly interest in Janney and could become even more interested in Ms. Nixon..."The Pay-Off" is a film adaptation of the Broadway play "Crime" (1927), written by Samuel Shipman and John B. Hymer. The too common title was changed, appropriately. Also changed was the name of the young teenager debuting on Broadway; future film actress Sylvia Sidney's character "Annabelle" becoming "Nancy". The film has a very stagy look, and the writers' names in the Internet Broadway Database's search engine will reveal the origin. As such, it's a good effort, also directed by Mr. Sherman. The former "silent" movie villain serves himself well as star and director. Age on stage matters less; here, Gimbels worker Nixon seems too girlish and Janney is not far behind. As Sherman's understanding servant and friend, authentic character actor George F. Marion helps.***** The Pay-Off (10/15/30) Lowell Sherman ~ Lowell Sherman, William Janney, Marian Nixon, Hugh Trevor

donahue-1 Please ignore the CGI Generation Comments – because – if you love silent films and early talkies – you'll love this. If this film does have a fault – it lies in the film's not being quite able to make up its mind whether to be one of those wonderful screwball comedies of the 30's – or – something a bit more serious. Watching actors/actresses who had survived the transition to talking films is always fascinating to me – and – we had our share here – with – Lowell Sherman being both actor and director. The plot is simple and straightforward – as it should be – without becoming overly melodramatic or silly. Had the direction moved in either direction toward a screwball comedy – or – a drama – (perhaps) – the film might have been a tad bit better – but – all-in-all – it did manage to strike a nice balance between the two. Some wonderful actors – many forgotten names – many of whom died young. Not the type of film that will tug at your heartstrings – but – an enjoyable film none-the-less. Highly recommend for old film buffs.

mark.waltz There is something very John Barrymore-ish about Lowell Sherman, the middle-aged star of this movie who later played a Barrymore like star in "What Price Hollywood". It is ironic that in real life, they were once married to the Costello sisters and would co-star together in one movie, "General Crack". Sherman seems to be taking on a Barrymore persona here as the suave head of a racket of jewel thieves. He ain't no Ronald Colman of "Raffles" or William Powell of "Jewel Robbery", but a slightly portly lothario who seems to have forgotten that he's past the era of seducing young girls and taking them away from their same-aged boyfriends, which he attempts to do here with Marian Nixon and her fiancée, William Janney."If it wasn't for men like me, there wouldn't be a necessity for men like you", he tells a detective out to bust up his racket, and you know he's dead serious. Even if he runs a seemingly legitimate nightclub, frequented by the well-dressed social set, he's uncontent in his lot, and continues to knock off jewelry shops when the right moment comes along. Hugh Trevor is the handsome but rather amoral pal who goes too far in Sherman's eyes when he robs the struggling Janney right after Nixon has agreed to marry him. This puts Sherman into a sort of George Arliss style plot; He takes the down on their luck lovers into his home, yet plans to steal Nixon for himself until Trevor takes matters into his own hands to get revenge for being humiliated by being exposed for what he claims was just a practical joke.Slightly creaky and extremely stagy, this early talkie crime drama with elements of drawing room comedy manages to entertain in spite of its constant shift in moods. It certainly isn't a rival to the big crime dramas of the time ("Little Cesar", "Public Enemy", "Scarface") yet isn't without merit. Sherman also directs this film which he would do for a few later films he starred in, which brings into question the man's ego, one seemingly as huge as Barrymore's yet without that unforgettable profile and over-sized personality.