It's Never Too Late to Mend

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.^[1] The plot involves a villainous squire and justice of the peace who conspires to have his rival arrested on false charges.^[2]

It's Never Too Late to Mend
Directed by	David MacDonald
Written by	H. F. Maltby
Based on	It Is Never Too Late to Mend 1856 novel by Charles Reade
Produced by	George King
Starring	Tod Slaughter Jack Livesey Marjorie Taylor
Cinematography	Hone Glendinning
Edited by	John Seabourne Sr.
Music by	Jack Beaver
Production company	George King Productions
Distributed by	Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Release date	March 1937 (1937-03)
Running time	70 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

It is based on the 1856 novel It Is Never Too Late to Mend by Charles Reade.^[3] 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.^[4]

Cast

• Tod Slaughter as Squire 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 Rev. Mr. Eden
• John Singer as Josephs
• Leonard Sharp as Bradshaw (uncredited)
• Mavis Villiers as Betty (uncredited)
• Cecil Bevan as Prison inspector (uncredited)
• Douglas Stewart as Prison inspector (uncredited)
• Jack Vyvian as Innkeeper (uncredited)

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."^[5] 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."^[6]