Zavvi - The Home of Pop CulturePayroll is a 1961 British crime thriller; starring Michael Craig and Billie Whitelaw. Traversing the criminal underworld of the north-east of England some ten years before Get Carter, Johnny Mellor’s band of ruthless criminals attempt to get away with murder, but as the police close in, the gang begins to fall apart , with each member seeking a way out – and in their panic, no one realizes there is one adversary they have all overlooked.