Never Too Late

I'd never heard of Richard Talmadge before but I really enjoyed seeing him in this diamond theft caper made in 1935. NEVER TOO LATE feels like a quota quickie that's been inspired by the great stuntwork-laden stars of the silent era, and Talmadge really impresses in a role which requires him to do stunt after stunt, whether indulging in acrobatic fight scenes or falling and jumping from tall buildings; there are even some early parkour-style chases here. The plot is lightweight and the characters broader than broad, but that matters little when the action (and Talmadge) are so much fun.

Mildred Harris has lost her pearls to blackmailer Paul Ellis. Her sister, Thelma White, is trying to recover them. She runs into undercover detective Richard Talmadge, who's trying to convict Ellis, so he adds getting the pearls to his to-do list, and hopes to get it all done before Miss Harris' husband, Police Commissioner Robert Frazer finds out about the matter.

Talmadge started out as a circus acrobat, became a stunt double for Douglas Fairbanks, and then a minor star in his own series of light-hearted adventures. He's near the end of them here, but he's still pretty good on the falls, flips, and tumbles. The plot is a pretty good one, reminiscent of the recovery of the Queen's pearls in THE THREE MUSKETEERS. In fact, it's a pretty good movie overall, except when director Bernard B. Ray isn't stretching things out to bring it up to speed, with overlong car chases to replace the horse chases he used in his oaters, and his dialogue direction is sluggish. Still, cinematographer Pliny Goodfriend -- love the name! -- shoots all the gags beautifully.