Search - They Never Come Back on DVD

Not so much pusillanimous pugilism as putrid punching

Annie Van Auken | Planet Earth | 01/21/2010

(2 out of 5 stars)

"ALPHA VIDEO offers bargain priced, often hard-to-find vintage movies that are ideal for those willing to skip DVD extras. Their transfers show no evidence of restoration, so quality varies from one title to the next, with "fair to good" being the average. In the case of THEY NEVER COME BACK, "fair" is as good as it gets.


James J. Jeffries, who appears in this 1932 Poverty Row programmer as ring referee, won the world heavyweight crown in 1899 by defeating titleholder Bob Fitzsimmons. He retired undefeated six years later, unretired in 1910 and challenged reigning champ Jack Johnson as a "Great White Hope" in Tex Rickard's famous "Fight of the Century." Jeffries' corner threw in the towel in the 15th round.

Jeffries at 57 is paunchy, bald and devoid of once magnificent muscles. He must've been in pain watching two scrawny actors flailing away at each other in the ring. Fight sequences here are obviously undercranked; that extra speed makes them all the more laughable.

CAST TRIVIA:
Regis Toomey (Jimmy) appeared in nearly 200 films, mostly in support. His first name was John.
Dorothy Sebastian (Adele) was a former Ziegfeld Girl, also Buster Keaton's mistress from 1929 to '35.
Earle Foxe (Filmore) wore the black hat (opposite Tom Mix's good guy) in the original DESTRY RIDES AGAIN (1932).
Eddie Woods (Ralph) was Jimmy Cagney's co-star in THE PUBLIC ENEMY (1931).
'Little' Billy Rhodes (master of ceremonies) played the Munchkin barrister in THE WIZARD OF OZ (1939).
Gertrude Astor (Kate) was UNIVERSAL's first contracted actress.
Greta Granstedt (Mary) at various times went by 14 different names.

SYNOPSIS--
Middleweight contender Jimmy Nolan is badly beaten in the ring and sustains an arm injury that ends his career. He takes a nightclub bouncer job, meets and falls for Adele Landon, one of the dancers. Clubowner Jerry Filmore is also in love with Adele. When Filmore learns that Adele's brother Ralph has been stealing money from him and to eliminate his rival, he forces Ralph to frame Jimmy by planting a grand on him.

Jimmy's convicted of the crime. When eventually released from prison, Jimmy takes a prizefight that if he wins will pay back Filmore's "thou," but his bad arm may prove true the old boxing adage that "they never come back.""