Payroll is a British neo-noir crime thriller film released in 1961. Directed by Sidney Hayers, the movie features Michael Craig, Françoise Prévost, and Billie Whitelaw in leading roles. The screenplay, written by George Baxt was adapted from Derek Bickerton's 1959 novel of the same name. The film revolves around a group of criminals who plan and execute a wages robbery, which ultimately ends in disaster.

Plot

Four crooks, namely Johnny Mellors, Monty, Blackie, and Bert, devise a plan to rob a payroll van with the assistance of Dennis Pearson, an accountant working at the targeted firm. Pearson is compelled to support his wife Katie (Françoise Prévost), who desires a more luxurious lifestyle. However, during the heist, the van driver, Harry Parker, is killed, and Bert sustains a fatal injury from Parker's colleague, Frank Moore. Despite the setbacks, the gang successfully escapes with £50,000.