They Never Come Back

In his autobiography, Yakima Canutt doesn't mention They Never Come Back (1932) in which he obviously doubled for Regis Toomey in the hard-hitting boxing scenes. And no wonder! It's a time-wasting movie despite the presence of an attractive female threesome in the persons of Dorothy Sebastian, Greta Granstedt and Gertrude Astor. The male players, on the other hand, are strictly from hunger. It's enough to say that Kit Guard, in an uncredited role as Toomey's second, walks away with the big boys' acting honors. The boring script also rates as unintentionally ridiculous and Fred Newmeyer's direction (or rather lack of direction) totally inept.

Regis Toomey is a boxer on his way to the top. When his left arm is damaged, his career is over. He becomes a bouncer at Earle Foxe's night club, falls for Dorothy Sebastian, and rouses Foxe's ire over it. Foxe has Dorothy's brother, Edward Landon, frame him and put him in jail.

It's a well-shot little drama, directed by Fred C. Newmeyer. Yakima Canutt is Toomey's stunt double, and the boxng sequences are undercranked and first rate. So why do I think this isn't a particularly good movie?

It's Regis Toomey. He was a capable, hardworking actor. With his young-old face and simple delivery, he was often cast as the nice guy, as he is here. The trouble is that he isn't particularly charismatic on the screen, so a few years later, he was blocked from real stardom because MGM had Jimmy Stewart, and Fox had Henry Fonda, and they pretty much burnt up all the air for that sort of role. He continued to work, 180 features and almost 90 roles on television, because he was capable and hard working. He played bit parts and featured roles, because, once he was out of the Poverty Row B movies, he never got between the camera and the people it loved, the stars.

We remember the stars and think about the smaller ones who fell and continued to work, like Buster Keaton, Chester Morris, and Toomey, as failures because of the inexplicable workings of the cinematic world: destroyed by jealous or incompetent executives. In truth, Toomey was a success. He had a long career, he worked a lot, he had two children with his wife of 56 years, and died at 93. What he lacked was that mysterious combination of a camera that loved him, and the luck to find the role that everyone adored. Would he have been any happier as someone with a big contract with one of the majors? Like Mithridates, he died old.

It's odd that a boxing film would feature Regis Toomey. He was a fine actor....no complaints about that. But he sure didn't look like a boxer...more like a guy who wears a suit to work! Still, the film is enjoyable and worth seeing.

When the story begins, Jimmy (Toomey) is a pro boxer and is about to enter the ring. Unfortunately, that's when he receives word that his mother has died. Not only did this throw him off his game, but he also injured his arm...so much so that he needs to find another line of work. Now 1932 was the second worst year of the Depression and unemployment was at about 23%....so he can't be choosy. So, when he is offered the job as a bouncer, he takes it. Unfortunately, on his first night, he ends up tossing the boss out the door. Now the boss DID deserve it...he was behaving like a letch. But the boss is a nasty, resentful type and vows to get revenge on Jimmy....who was just doing his job. What's next? Plenty!

The only major problem I saw in the film were the two boxing matches. They were highly unrealistic...with zero defense and more punching in one minute than you'd normally have in 15 rounds! And, it was made worse by reusing some old silent footage, which, unless corrected, simply runs too fast on sound equipment. But despite that, the story is an agreeable B....a good time-passer.

This is one big clunker, from the ridiculous boxing scenes, to the whole premise. The actors sit around and mug and overact. There are pregnant pauses and endless pontificating. The guy needs to pay money back. There are a group of pathetic buffoons who get into the act. It's as if the director had no script and tried to squeeze what he thought was interesting int a series of scenes that go nowhere. Is anyone vindicated? Does it matter. At no time during the film did I care what happened to anyone. The whole boxing thing is dreadful and when it's over, how is it resolved? There is no suspense, no emotion, no questions to be answered. Normally, I can see some merit in these old films. I see none here.