What Price Taxi (1932)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
Decent entry in Hal Roach's "Taxi Boys" series has Clyde Cook and Franklin Pangborn playing what else but cab drivers who spend the entire film trying to stay away from another cab driver (Billy Gilbert) who wants them dead. Clyde is at risk of having his cab knocked over by the bully while Franklin runs the risk of a punch in the nose after the man caught him in the apartment with his wife. WHAT PRICE TAXI isn't going to be mistaken for any type of masterpiece but there are enough pleasant laughs to make it worth sitting through. There are some very annoying moments here and that includes what appears to be silent film footage added into this. This effect doesn't work for a couple reasons with one being that the speeds are different so it's easy to tell when we're watching something else. Another problem is that it makes the film look cheap and especially when the footage doesn't match up too well like one case where mud keeps getting thrown on Gilbert and a chase follows but it's clear different taxi cabs are being used. Both Cook, Pangborn and Gilbert are quite fun here as they certainly make for some memorable characters. Gevena Mitchell is also pretty good in the role of the wife. The highlight comes towards the end of the film when a ladder is standing up on two cars as stuntmen dangle back and forth between the two. Even if you hate the comedy I think you'll enjoy seeing these men risk their lives doing this very dangerous stunt that offers up some pretty wild tricks.