Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Get the MovieNight app
Add it to your home screen — faster & full screen
Republic Pictures
Not part of a collection.
THE PAY-OFF WAS MURDER!
Janet Spencer is driving down a country road when one of her tires blows out. This seemingly innocuous, everyday occurrence leads Linda into a labyrinth of murder, blackmail and intrigue.
CinemaSerf
Feb 12, 2023 · via TMDB
"Janet" (Linda Stirling) gets a puncture and seeks the assistance of "Armstrong" (Tristram Coffin) incurring the chagrin of that man's rather jealous wife "Rita" (Barbara Wooddell). To make matters worse, she now drives off in the wife's car only to collide with another car and then find herself embroiled in a previous, and fatal, hit-and-run with the partner of the husband of the wife of the car she is driving. Still with me? Now she engages the help of PI "Morgan" (William Henry) to try to get to the bottom of an internecine mystery that involves fraud, insurance and mysterious women. It packs quite a lot of plot into an hour, but the acting and the dialogue is banal at best with very basic production values that smack more of television than cinema. It probably looked OK at a drive-in when the audience maybe had better things to do, and it really is pretty instantly forgettable fayre.
User reviews courtesy of TMDB.
William Henry
Steve Morgan
Linda Stirling
Janet Spencer
Virginia Christine
Lola Carson
Thomas E. Jackson
Police Lt. Milo Jones
Barbara Woodell
Rita Armstrong
Kenne Duncan
Sam Priestly
Virginia Brissac
Martha, the Housekeeper
Lyle Latell
Peter Musso, Henchman
Ernie Adams
Frank Gary, Henchman
Tristram Coffin
John Armstrong
Arthur Space
County Coroner
Robert Bice
Doctor
Roy Barcroft
Blackmailer (voice) (uncredited)
Symona Boniface
Landlady (uncredited)
Ed Cassidy
Police Sergeant (uncredited)
Charles Sullivan
George - the Mechanic (uncredited)
Philip Ford
Director
Pumpkin Pie
The strange case of detective Jones
Double Indemnity
M
The Maltese Falcon
The Big Heat
Out of the Past
Strangers on a Train
The Big Sleep
Mildred Pierce
Gun Crazy
Scarface
The Killers
The Lady from Shanghai
Bad Day at Black Rock
The Desperate Hours
Brighton Rock
Killer's Kiss
Dryland
Humpty Dumpty's Last Stand
The Naked City
Plunder Road
Nightfall
They Live by Night
The Glass Key
Cry of the City
T-Men
Hollow Triumph
The Blue Gardenia
Framed
The Face Behind the Mask
The Verdict
M
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase
The Locket
Johnny O'Clock
Maniac
Black Angel
The Dark Past
5 Against the House
Sep 3, 1946
© 2025-2026 MovieNight. All rights reserved.
Versus
Sign in to play →
Three on a Ticket
1947
Settle the Score
1989
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
Versus
Sign in to play →
Three on a Ticket
1947
Settle the Score
1989
Sign in to vote
Battle your watched movies head-to-head
Community Top Movies
Evil Dead II
1987 · 14 wins
The Dark Knight
2008 · 14 wins
Halloween
1978 · 13 wins
Final Destination
2000 · 12 wins
Halloween II
1981 · 11 wins
Trivia
Leaderboard →Playing as a guest — sign in to save your score and rank on the leaderboard.
Movie Trivia
Guess the movie from a clue — tagline, plot, cast and more. Pick from four posters.
What movie experience do you prefer?
What is your favorite movie genre?
We use essential cookies to run MovieNight, plus analytics (Google Analytics) and advertising (Google AdSense) cookies. By continuing to browse, you agree to this — or click No and we won't. See our Terms & Privacy Policy to learn more.