Rip Torn is superb as county & western singer Maury Dann in this bluntly honest, unsentimental look at the life of an unrepentant reprobate. He's a self-centered hellraiser who thinks nothing of other people and only of what they can do for him. He counts on the loyalty of people such as his long suffering manager, Clarence McGinty (Michael C. Gwynne) and chauffeur / bodyguard Chicago (Cliff Emmich) in order to get him out of various scrapes. While the unknowing public celebrates his music, they often have little idea of how lowly he is as an individual. Incisively written, by Don Carpenter, and efficiently directed, by Daryl Duke, "Payday" deserves a great deal of respect for the matter of fact way it portrays characters and events. It's left up to the viewer to make any judgment calls. It also works as a too convincing portrait of life on the road for any musician, and the trappings - women, drugs, etc. - that go with it. It's essentially a character study, and the character in question is definitely unappealing, but that is what makes the material as compelling as it is. Even when Maury ends up killing a man, there is never the slightest suggestion that he will sober up and realize the consequences of his actions. Some viewers may take exception to a tale where the main character is irredeemable, but others are certain to find this rather refreshing. A mighty fine soundtrack includes four Shel Silverstein songs, including the opener "She's Only a Country Girl". The acting is exceptional from not just the charismatic Torn but all of the major players as well: Ahna Capri as Maury's fed up girlfriend Mayleen, Elayne Heilveil as naive groupie Rosamond, Jeff Morris as band member Bob Tally, and Henry O. Arnold as young aspiring c & w star Ted. Keep an eye out for future 'Dukes of Hazzard' co-star Sonny Shroyer as an attorney. Director Duke and crew create a wonderful folksy atmosphere at all times, having shot the film on location in Alabama. By the end, one may not like Maury Dann, or even understand him, but they definitely won't forget him. It's just a shame that "Payday" isn't too well known, because it can easily stand alongside more famous productions such as "Tender Mercies" and "Crazy Heart". It's a true unsung gem from a decade that produced more than its fair share of great films. 10 out of 10.

Before Crazy Heart, I Walk the Line, Tender Mercies, Coal Miner's Daughter, and Nashville there was Payday, a small, sharp, incisive film that's less commercial and less sentimental, but that has far greater impact. It's a road movie that chronicles the last 36 hours in the life of country western-singer Maury Dann as his life spins out of control and he takes refuge in the backseat of his chauffeur-driven Cadillac where most of the action takes place. Director Daryl Duke achieves an almost documentary type realism with authentic backgrounds and convincing performances from a well chosen supporting cast in which the late Ahna Capri as Dann's mistress, and Elayne Heilveil as an innocent groupie are memorable. But the film belongs to wild man Rip Torn who's at his peak as Maury Dann. Unfortunately, Payday is largely unknown because it was released sporadically over a period of several years. They just don't make 'em like they used to!

You don't have to be Mexican to like burritos and you don't need to be a big country and western music fan to enjoy this nifty, low-budget character study of a singer on the road, pimping his records.It's been so many years since I've seen it that I've forgotten most of the plot details. What stands out is Rip Torn's performance as a druggie who tries to wheedle one DJ after another into playing his songs. He's quite good.There's another scene that, to me, illustrates some of the care that's gone into the script. Torn is being driven from town to town in his big 50-foot, ten-ton chipkicker idea of a magnificent car. The chauffeur is a friendly man of simple mind. Torn also has his girl friend with him in the back seat. She feels a genuine affection for this rogue but she's wily too and knows which side her bread is buttered on. She and Torn cuddle together frequently. She's pretty easy to cuddle up to because there seems to be so much of her.Somewhere along the way the troupe picks up a young and apparently guileless groupie, very attractive, breathless, awed by the company she finds herself in. Before long, while his girl friend nods out in the seat beside them, Torn puts some moves on her and she winds up doing a hushed lap dance on him. And the camera pans slowly to the right of the panting couple and fixes on the girlfriend's now wide-awake face as she stares at them in silent fury.In another scene, the groupie and the chauffeur are left alone in the car, waiting for the others. The driver begins an amiable conversation with her, talking about his favorite hobby (cooking), his aspirations. She gazes at him as he rambles casually on. When he stops, she smiles tightly and whispers, "What are you -- some kinda DRIVER?" It's like a predator pouncing out of nowhere. She's hardly said anything revealing up to this point and the viewer has formed an impression of her as an innocent young fawn-like creature, harmless and manipulated. And in a second or two she has turned into a self-interested, shallow, and cruel bitch before our eyes.Worth catching.

Rip Torn steals the film and lifts it above its drive-in milieu. It played briefly in NYC and the cast works hard enough to make it a good rental. Many of the actors had only TV credits and this could have been a breakthrough film. It was marketed poorly. It also has a good 'road' feel to it. This road feel could have made it a nifty period piece. Why it never made a punch is hard to tell. However a preview audience in NYC found a lot to like about it, including the Torn character's disregard for the other characters. It's worth a look and should make a good double bill in a rep cinema with Coppola's "You're A Big Boy Now" where Torn and the Lovin' Spoonful soundtrack help to save that film. The film was also released at a time when everybody was trying to "recreate" Easy Rider, et al.