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 film directed by David MacDonald and starring Tod Slaughter, Jack Livesey and Marjorie Taylor. The plot involves a villainous squire and justice of the peace 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. The film was produced at Shepperton Studios as a quota quickie for release by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. It was popular enough to be rereleased in 1942.
The novel had been adapted as a 1922 British silent film starring Russell Thorndike as Squire Meadows.
Cast
Tod Slaughter as Squire John Meadows
Jack Livesey as Tom Robinson
Marjorie Taylor as Susan Merton
Ian Colin as George Fielding
Laurence Hanray as Lawyer Crawley
D.J. Williams as Farmer Merton
Roy Russell as Reverend Mr. Eden
John Singer as Matthew Josephs
Leonard Sharp as Bradshaw
Mavis Villiers as Betty
Cecil Bevan as Prison Inspector
Douglas Stewart as Prison Inspector
Jack Vyvian as Innkeeper
Reception
TV Guide 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 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 Melodrama films 1930s English-language films 1930s British films