Baseshment I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

AshUnow This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Bumpy Chip It’s not bad or unwatchable but despite the amplitude of the spectacle, the end result is underwhelming.

Dana An old-fashioned movie made with new-fashioned finesse.

dougdoepke It's Cagney at his most energetic. He better be because he's trying to survive New York's cut-throat taxi competition. It's the big fish, like Consolidated Cab Co., trying to eat smaller ones, like Cagney's Matt Nolan, while the Depression era jungle festers outside. Consolidated's already killed old Pop Riley (Kibbee) and left his daughter (Young) vulnerable, that is, until Cagney steps in. But when they kill Cagney's brother, he swears a vendetta, and we know what happens when the Irishman gets angry. Now it's mano-y-mano with Consolidated's brutal Buck Gerard (Landau).Fortunately, Young's unforced sweetness manages to hold its own amidst Cagney's human dynamo that sweeps up the rest of the film. Needed comic relief is supplied by sarcastic waitress Ruby (Bennett) with a voice like a squeaky tire and an accent right off Brooklyn's streets, which leaves poor Skeets (Stone) with little to do but meekly follow the dynamo around.It's noteworthy that Cagney's Matt Nolan is not particularly likable. He's belligerent, aggressive and completely self-assured, not exactly qualities that invite affection. But then, the actor always seemed more interested in being persuasive rather than likable, a rare quality for a star. Nonetheless, there is that compelling Cagney charismaAll in all, the two leads are the whole show since the plot is typical hard-boiled Warner's fare of the period. But then, for Cagney fans, that's more than enough.

blanche-2 "Taxi!" is a 1932 film starring James Cagney and Loretta Young, made after Cagney's big success in "Public Enemy." The '30s were a time when much of what was seen in theater and film reflected the plight of the blue-collar worker. Sophisticated drawing room comedies and rich folk were replaced by "Waiting for Lefty," "Golden Boy," "Awake and Sing" and the like.The theme of taxi companies fighting the independent cabbies was used other films, "Born Reckless" in 1937 and "Big City" in 1937 being two. In "Taxi!" Sue (Loretta Young) sees her father (Guy Kibbee) go to prison for killing a driver sent by a thug named Gerard who deliberately smashes his taxi. He dies in prison; later on, Gerard stabs the younger brother of Matt (Cagney) and kills him. Matt and Sue fall in love, despite being on opposite sides of the fence - she's against violence, he's all for it - and get married. Matt can't let go of wanting revenge against Gerard.The film is dated not only because of its theme but also the depiction of acceptable spousal abuse. However, it's notable for evoking a New York atmosphere and for the fact that Cagney speaks Yiddish at the beginning of the film. This was added to the movie when it was found out that Cagney knew Yiddish. Young is incredibly beautiful but maybe a little too classy, and Cagney does what will be a familiar role for him well. One poster here thought that Leila Bennett as Ruby was hilarious; to me she was totally annoying. Four years later, she made her last film."Taxi!" is interesting for the cast, but you'll be turned off when Matt let's Sue have it. Look for George Raft as a competitor in a dance contest.

bkoganbing Something better than Taxi should have been given for a film in the one and only teaming of screen legends James Cagney and Loretta Young. It's a typical Thirties Warner Brothers potboiler about a taxi cab conglomerate making war on independent hacks. Of course you know that Cagney is the good Irish son of New York City leading the independents against the strong arm tactics of David Landau.Landau is the best thing in Taxi, a real brute of a guy whether he's the head goon of Consolidated Taxi or a hunted fugitive after he kills Cagney's brother.Taxi is just the kind of stuff that Cagney was trying so hard to get away from, scripts like these were what he was constantly battling with Jack Warner over, Cagney wanted better and eventually got it. Young has little to do but be the valiant wife.Who pulls something incredibly stupid in the script. At the beginning her father kills one of the Landau goons and goes to prison and dies there. She doesn't like violence, but I refuse to believe she'd aid Landau just to keep Cagney away from a vengeance killing. I also can't believe that Landau's girl friend Dorothy Burgess would ever approach her with such a loony scheme.George Raft has a bit part as a rival dancer to Cagney in a marathon dance contest. With the dancing background of both these guys, what a missed opportunity it was not to have them in a number together.However Taxi is memorable for one thing. Cagney who learned to speak several languages growing up in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, got a great chance to show off what fluent Yiddish was at his command in a great scene with a potential fare.Straight from Delancey Street, darling.

movingpicturegal I would basically break this film down into three parts - the movie starts out as a story of independent New York City taxicab drivers up against the Consolidated Cab Company, who are using strong arm tactics to boot the independents out of business. Loretta Young is fine as pretty waitress Sue Riley whose dad Pop Riley (Guy Kibbee) shoots a man (hired by Consolidated) who wrecks his cab on purpose in an effort by Consolidated to take over Pop's corner taxi business. Second part of the film takes a sudden turn into a romance between Sue and independent cab driver Matt Nolan (played by James Cagney), a conceited tough guy with a very bad temper, a constant chip on his shoulder and an urge to hit everyone who does him the slightest wrong. They go double dating, necking at the movies, enter a fox trot dancing contest, and bicker over the fact that he just can't stop getting into fights with people. He even picks a fight with a man who steps on his foot in the elevator on their way up to get a marriage license. The worst part is, Nolan threatens to hit Sue in the face multiple times during the film - and she marries him anyway (what a dope she is!). The third part of this film starts at the "Cotton Pickers Club" where we see, if briefly, an interesting floor show/dance number followed soon after by the stabbing death of Nolan's brother after Nolan has a confrontation with a man from Consolidated who was behind the attempted takeover of Pop Riley's taxi corner.I find this film to be pretty good, though the character of Sue does a number of things in this film I really question and not just limited to marrying a man who threatens violence often (and actually does slap her in the face in one scene). The film includes some interesting interior shots such as the seafood restaurant where Sue works (complete with revolving glass door, fish tanks and 85 cent trout), the Harlem nightclub, and also some of the outdoor street scenes. The best part of the film is the strong performance of James Cagney who is always so great playing a tough guy such as this. We even get to see him dancing in a few scenes - it's fun to watch as Cagney and Loretta Young swirl around the dance floor doing the fox trot and later Cagney does a very brief tap dance in the apartment doorway. I do also enjoy the performance of Leila Bennett as Sue's daffy gal pal Ruby, who adds a bit of humor and fun to the film.