''It's Never Too Late to Mend'' (alternatively ''Never Too Late to Mend''; U.S. release title ''Never Too Late'') is a 1937 British

melodrama A modern melodrama is a dramatic work in which the plot, typically sensationalized and for a strong emotional appeal, takes precedence over detailed characterization. Melodramas typically concentrate on dialogue that is often bombastic or exces ...

film directed by David MacDonald and starring

Tod Slaughter Norman Carter Slaughter (19 March 1885 – 19 February 1956), also known as Tod Slaughter, was an English actor, best known for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre film adaptations of Victorian melodramas. Early life Slaughter was born o ...

Jack Livesey Jack Edwards Livesey (11 June 1901 – 12 October 1961) was a British film actor. He was born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, the son of Sam Livesey, the brother of Barry Livesey, and the cousin and step-brother of Roger Livesey. He died in B ...

and

Marjorie Taylor Marjorie Taylor (1912–1974) was a British stage and film actress.Goble p.491 She played the female lead in several Tod Slaughter films during the 1930s. Filmography * '' The Heirloom Mystery'' (1936) * '' The Crimes of Stephen Hawke'' (1936) ...

. The plot involves a villainous

squire In the Middle Ages, a squire was the shield- or armour-bearer of a knight. Use of the term evolved over time. Initially, a squire served as a knight's apprentice. Later, a village leader or a lord of the manor might come to be known as a " ...

and

justice of the peace A justice of the peace (JP) is a judicial officer of a lower or ''puisne'' court, elected or appointed by means of a commission ( letters patent) to keep the peace. In past centuries the term commissioner of the peace was often used with the sa ...

who conspires to have his rival arrested on false charges. It is based on the 1856 novel '' It Is Never Too Late to Mend'' by

Charles Reade Charles Reade (8 June 1814 – 11 April 1884) was a British novelist and dramatist, best known for '' The Cloister and the Hearth''. Life Charles Reade was born at Ipsden, Oxfordshire, to John Reade and Anne Marie Scott-Waring, and had at leas ...

. The film was produced at

Shepperton Studios Shepperton Studios is a film studio located in Shepperton, Surrey, England, with a history dating back to 1931. It is now part of the Pinewood Studios Group. During its early existence, the studio was branded as Sound City (not to be confused w ...

as a

quota quickie The Cinematograph Films Act of 1927 ('' 17 & 18 Geo. V'') was an act of the United Kingdom Parliament designed to stimulate the declining British film industry. It received Royal Assent on 20 December 1927 and came into force on 1 April 1928. D ...

for release by

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc., also known as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures and abbreviated as MGM, is an American film, television production, distribution and media company owned by amazon (company), Amazon through MGM Holdings, founded o ...

. It was popular enough to be rereleased in 1942. The novel had been adapted as a 1922 British silent film starring

Russell Thorndike Arthur Russell Thorndike (6 February 1885 – 7 November 1972) was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Less well-known than his sister Sybil but equally versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love ...

as Squire Meadows.

Cast

as Squire Meadows *

as Tom Robinson *

as Susan Merton *

Ian Colin Ian Colin (1912–1987) was a British film and television actor. During the 1930s, Colin was a leading man in Quota quickies. He later acted predominantly in television shows such as ''The Quatermass Experiment'', ''Emergency-Ward 10'' and ''Coro ...

as George Fielding *

Laurence Hanray Laurence Hanray ( Lawrence Henry Jacobs; 16 May 1874 – 28 November 1947), sometimes credited as Lawrence Hanray, was a British film and theatre actor born in London, England. He is also credited as the author of several plays and music hall s ...

as Lawyer Crawley * D. J. Williams as Farmer Merton * Roy Russell as Rev. Mr. Eden * John Singer as Josephs * Leonard Sharp as Bradshaw (uncredited) *

Mavis Villiers Mavis Villiers (born Mavis Clare Cooney; 10 December 190923 February 1976) was an Australian-born British actress of stage, film and television. Her parents were John Cooney and Clara Smythe. Her brother, Cecil Cooney, was a camera operator an ...

as Betty (uncredited) *

Cecil Bevan Cecil Stuart Reginald Bevan"England and Wales Birth Registration Inde ...

as Prison inspector (uncredited) * Douglas Stewart as Prison inspector (uncredited) * Jack Vyvian as Innkeeper (uncredited)

Reception

TV Guide TV Guide is an American digital media company that provides television program Television, sometimes shortened to TV, is a telecommunication medium for transmitting moving images and sound. The term can refer to a television set, or t ...

'' wrote: "Great fun in the old cloak-and-dagger melodrama style...Played in an exaggerated, bigger-than-life manner, this melodrama is a good enough outing, particularly for fans of camp." ''

Sky Movies Sky Cinema is a British subscription film service owned by Sky Group (a division of Comcast). In the United Kingdom, Sky Cinema channels currently broadcast on the Sky satellite and Virgin Media cable platforms, and in addition Sky Cinema ...

'' wrote: "As usual, Tod Slaughter ignores the intimacy of the film medium and roars through this movie at full throttle, giving the kind of marvellously storming performance that would easily have reached the back row of the upper circle...David MacDonald is more a referee than a conventional director, coming up with a highly entertaining slice of ripe and fruity hokum."

References

External links

* * 1937 films British historical drama films 1930s historical drama films Films directed by David MacDonald (director) Films based on British novels British black-and-white films Films set in England Films set in the 19th century Quota quickies Films scored by Jack Beaver 1930s melodrama films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films {{1930s-UK-film-stub