Picture above: Ian Hendry + Liz Fraser – Live Now, Pay Later [1962]. Original promotional still, recently found in the United States.

Live Now, Pay Later [1962] was the first film in which Ian Hendry was cast as the lead – following his departure from The Avengers in 1961. It has often been cited as an influence on the later film – Alfie – starring Michael Caine.

Video: Opening credits + theme tune – Live Now, Pay Later [1962]

This original still above – recently found in the United States – is from a scene towards the end of the film where Ian Hendry ( as Albert) rushes to the aide of Liz Fraser ( as Joyce Corby) after she has been struck by a car.

Picture: Reverse side – Ian Hendry + Liz Fraser. Live Now, Pay Later [1962]

Video: Joyce Coby incident and aftermath – Live Now, Pay Later [1962]

This film is long overdue a re-release on DVD and is currently only available as a moderately good copy from collectors on certain websites. It is also currently available on Youtube (see below), but may be taken down at any moment if flagged for copyright infringement.

Video: Complete film – Live Now, Pay Later [1962]

Review – British 60s Cinema

There is an excellent review of the film on the British 60s website, which includes video clips and pictures from the film:

Extract below:

Live Now, Pay Later is a 1962 film starring Ian Hendry, John Gregson and June Ritchie that takes a blackly comic look at the ‘affluent society’ (a phrase introduced by John Galbraith’s 1958 book of the same name). The Radio Times Guide to Films, which I picked up in a second hand bookshop recently, giving it 4 stars out of 5, describes it as:

“…a remarkably cynical and revealing portrait of Britain shifting from postwar austerity into rampant consumerism and the Swinging Sixties”

I think that’s spot on. In the meantime poor old Halliwell’s Guide gets it completley wrong as usual, when calling it:

“A satirical farce melodrama which lets fly in too many directions at once and has a cheerless cumulative cheerless effect despite funny moments”.

Given that Live Now, Pay Later is not a comedy as such, this is a bit like saying that Cries and Whispers is a bit downbeat, and why don’t all these miserable Swedes sort themeselves out?

As old misery guts says though, LNPL does have funny moments, and the character of Albert Argyle (Hendry) is clearly laid out in this opening clip,which also features a highly memorable theme tune, presumably written especially for the film.

To read the rest of this excellent review article, please visit:

Live Now, Pay Later – British 60s Cinema

Until next time,

Neil Hendry
Editor, Official Tribute To Ian Hendry

Further Reading

A detailed account of the life and work of Ian Hendry in the new biography:

Read: ‘Send in the Clowns – The Yo Yo Life Of Ian Hendry’ by Gabriel Hershman