This week’s mystery movie was the 1960 Allied Artists film Pay or Die with Ernest Borgnine, Zohra Lampert, Alan Austin, Renata Vanni, Bruno Della Santina, Franco Corsaro, Robert F. Simon, Robert Ellenstein, Howard Caine, John Duke, Vito Scotti, John Marley, Nick Pawl, Mario Siletti, Vincent Barbi, Mimi Doyle, Sherry Alberoni, Mary Carver, Leslie Glenn, Paul Birch, Sal Armetta and David Poleri as the voice of Caruso.
Written by Richard Collins and Berram Millhauser.
Photographed by Lucien Ballard.
Production designer Fernando Carrere.
Edited by Walter Hannemann.
Assistant to the producer Joseph Sargent.
Music by David Raksin.
Production manager Edward Morey Jr.
Unit manager Jim Henderling.
Assistant director Clark L. Paylow.
Set decorator Darrell Silvera.
Makeup by Lou La Cava and Bob Mark.
Hairdresser Fritzy La Bar.
Wardrobe supervisor Roger J. Weinberg.
Property master Sam Gordon.
Sound engineer Ralph Butler.
Special effects by Mil Olsen.
Sound edited by Marty Greco.
Music edited by Harry Eisen.
Montage editor Neil Brunnenkant.
Produced and directed by Richard Wilson.
Further information about Pay or Die is available from the AFI Catalog.
Pay or Die is available on DVD from Critics’ Choice Videos.
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Apologies to Howard and Mary. Both of you got our mysterious angel and Mary’s answers (mystery movie, mystery angel and Tuesday’s mystery guest) ended up in the spam folder.
I found Pay or Die by going through the trades. It’s a good movie with excellent photography and a strong story, and a nice showcase for Ernest Borgnine. Best of all, it has a huge cast of relatively unknown actors, which makes it a perfect mystery movie. I’m going to guess that Bosley Crowther liked it because it’s a New York story.
I would be wrong all the way. Howard Thompson hated it (The New York Times, May 27, 1960):
Don’t expect anything new or informative or especially exciting in Pay or Die, a surprisingly standard melodrama about turn-of-the-century activities of the notorious Mafia in New York.
This still leaves us at least two worthy Mafia entries — Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s Black Hand with Gene Kelly and J. Carrol Naish, back in 1950, and one Sicilian-made island drama starring Massimo Serato, now circulating on television with an assortment of elusive titles. Yesterday’s new arrival at the Warner Theatre, an Allied Artists release starring Ernest Borgnine, is a real disappointment, considering all the hoopla.
For Monday, we have a mysterious child.
Update: This is Gloria Ruggiero.
For Tuesday, we have a mysterious gent.
Update: This is Howard Caine.
Brain Trust roll call: Incredible Inman: You’re warm! Sylvia E. You’re on the right track with the first part of your guess.
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have an affable mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Robert F. Simon.
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious gent. He does not (and this will be a complete surprise) approve of such goings-on.
Update: This is Franco Corsaro.
And here is the mysterious fellow who is choking him.
Update: This is Alan Austin.
Brain Trust roll call: Jenny M. (mystery movie! and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Howard Mandelbaum (mystery movie! Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), B.J. Merholz (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery guest), Roget-L.A. (mystery movie! and Wednesday’s mystery guest) and Mary Mallory (Wednesday’s mystery guest).
For Friday, we have a mystery woman.
Update: This is Zohra Lampert.
And our mysterious leading man.
Update: This is Ernest Borgnine.
Brain Trust roll call: Mary Mallory (Thursday’s mystery man No. 2), Howard Mandelbaum (Thursday’s mystery man No. 2), Sylvia E. (Wednesday’s mystery fellow), B.J. Merholz (mystery movie!) and Mike Hawks (mystery movie! and Thursday’s mysterious man No. 2).
ladailymirror.com 
A wild guess: “The Black Hand.”
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Dunno the child or the movie, but that’s the most lubberly rig I’ve seen in a long time. Hope the actress survived the filming.
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Lita Grey in The Kid.
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Okay, no idea so I’m feeling the “dissecting the elements” thing. Girl tied to the makeshift pulley may be playing the angel who brings ‘tidings of great joy’ to the shepherds below her.
Maybe an offbeat “Christmas time of year” movie that looks like it’s from the 1940s.
“Remember the Night” 1940 maybe?
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Howard Caine and Robert F Simon in Pay or Die (1960).
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Monday: Gloria Ruggiero in PAY OR DIE (1960)
Tuesday: Howard Caine as Caruso
Wednesday: Robert F. Simon
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I forgot the exclamation point in the title!
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Frank Reicher Wednesday?
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Robert F. Simon
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Robert F. Simon.
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Wednesday’s mysterious fellow is Robert F. Simon in Pay or Die! (1960)
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Finally came up with myster perso ‘s name today, Robert F. Simon.
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Finally came up with myster perso ‘s name today, Robert F. Simon.
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THE LAST ANGEY MAN. Louis Letteri with Paul Muni just out of frame. Joby Baker yesterday, Robert F. Simon today.
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Wednesday mystery man is Will Wright…in “Mother Wore Tights”?
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TESS OF THE STORM COUNTRY.Bert Remsen Tuesday, and Jack Ging and Archie Duncan today.
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Ooops,previous guess wrong. PAY OR DIE. Gloria Ruggiero Monday, Howard Caine Tuesday, and Alan Austin and Bruno Della Santina today.
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ERnest Borgnine just out of frame MOnday.
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Monday: Judy Strangis
Thursday: Alan Austin, Mario Siletti
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I think Wednesday’s guy is Robert F. Simon. He’s usually in some kind of military uniform in the movies I’ve seen him in. Don’t know the movie for this outfit.
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Going back to Tuesday, if that’s Enrico on stage then it’s Pay or Die on screen.
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The ubiquitous Lionel Jefferies on Wed.
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Alan Austin in PAY OR DIE.
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“Pay or Die” 1960
Zohra Lampet and Ernest Borgnine. Had not heard of this guy and his influence on law enforcement.
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Lampert – sorry about that
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Zohra Lampert an Ernest Borgnine.
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Wednesday is Robert F. Simon. Friday’s couple is Zohra Lampert and Ernest Borgnine. I think Monday’s child is Gloria Ruggiero.
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I forgot to add the movie is Pay or Die.
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Zohra Lampert; Ernest Borgnine.
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Thursday gent: Franco Corsaro
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The Playwrights Theatre Club in Chicago, 1953 was the fount of many young talents who went on to become major artists and award winners in all venues of the entertainment world. If you look it up you’ll be impressed and amazed. Three notables among the talented ladies were Elaine May, Barbara Harris and Zohra Alton (later Lampert), and I had crushes on them all. To no avail. How nice it s to see this lovely clip of Zohra. Good work, Larry.
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Zohra Lampert and Ernest Borgnine.
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Friday’s leading man is Ernest Borgnine.
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