Born Reckless

1937's "Born Reckless" speeds along at a breathless 59 minutes, not cut down from 78 as one author asserts, this was the original running time, meaning a rush job in the editing department resulting in the absence of Lon Chaney's unbilled role as a garage mechanic. Second billed Brian Donlevy was in familiar territory, having played a G-man in disguise earlier that year in the equally fine "Midnight Taxi" - here, he's champion race car driver Bob 'Hurry' Cane, who blows all his winnings and takes a job with the Martin cab company, as Dad Martin (Harry Carey) is an old friend. This brings all sorts of risks since the Excelsior company run by Jim Barnes (Barton MacLane) is not on the level, taking out every rival who doesn't pay into his lethal protection racket, at $5 per cab. Top billing goes to Rochelle Hudson as Sybil Roberts, Barnes' chief moll with expensive tastes and questionable motives, seemingly taking a liking to the new driver in town, trying to steer him in Excelsior's direction. So assured is Donlevy that the actor didn't let two injured fingers on his left hand impair his performance, a painful film to make but the results are first rate (shooting title "Armored Taxi"). Natural funny men Eddie Dunn and Syd Saylor are uncharacteristically among the bad guys, while Lon Chaney would also find himself on the cutting room floor in Fox features like "Love is News," "That I May Live," and "Walking Down Broadway," a rather forgettable period preceding his sudden stardom in 1939's "Of Mice and Men."

This fast-paced Fox programmer -- originally issued at 78 minutes, although the version I saw was cut to just under an hour -- looks a lot like its Warner Brothers counterparts, B movies modeled on Jimmy Cagney vehicles. Brian Donleavy does a good job in the lead role, playing the cocky, brash young hot shot, although he lacks the detail work of Cagney.

The piece, however, is a lot more violent than the equivalent Warner's fare, as Donleavy goes seeking trouble, rather than snapping into it when it finds him. top-billed Rochelle Hudson is pretty good as the moll/love interest and the bill is filled out with a fine supporting cast, particularly by Harry Carey, always solid and believable. But the script lacks the sense of exposing the social ills that usually infused the Warners actioneers, and the direction and camera work, although competent, are not top notch. A decent, if unexceptional movie.

This was an interesting film in which gangsters running a taxi service are trying to run those not paying them out of business. They don't seem to be above using some pretty heinous tactics...but the primary one seems to be running other cabs off the road and they have purchase an armored taxi to do so.

One of the good taxi companies left hires friend and famous race car driver Bob "Hurry" Cane to help save their company.

Bob gets to know the gangsters mol...who in a bit of a twist is also trying to tie one over on the gangster as he put her brother in prison.

Interesting conclusion, weird bumper car like chases...I had no idea that taxi cabs could be flipped over so easily, great costumes on the girls...and an inevitable romance.

I have to say, I think this film was worth the watch.

Although clearly Brian Donlevy is the star in this B-movie from Twentieth Century-Fox, somehow Rochelle Hudson received top billing.

When the story begins, Bob Kane (Donlevy) wins 'the big race' and soon blows all his winnings on a really good time. Now broke, he arrives in a new town to see an old friend (Harry Carey) about a job working as a cabbie...a huge demotion from race car driver. However, working the job is tough, as a 'protective association' is trying to gain control of the taxi businesses through beatings, 'accidents' and threats. In other words, it's an organized crime racket. So how does Bob figure into this? See the film.

The film is breezy and enjoyable...and worth seeing. However, at the same time much of it doesn't make a lot of sense...particularly towards the end. In fact, the ending is just sloppy...especially with the confrontation scene. Just be forewarned...it's fun but silly.

Either cab driving was a violent business in the city, or someone from Warners slipped a script to someone at 20th Century Fox. "Born Reckless" from 1937 is a similar story to Warner Brothers' "Taxi."

Brian Donlevy plays Hurry Kane, a successful race car driver who isn't very good with money. After a huge win, he loses it all and ends up in a boxcar. He visits an old friend and takes a job driving a cab for his company.

It sounds like a good job for a race car driver, but taxi driving in those days seems to have been a job for a professional boxer. The cabbies are being brutally harassed by a local gangster (Barton MacLaine), who wants to take over the cab business in the city. As far as Hurry Kane is concerned, bring it on!

Rochelle Hudson plays the love interest, and she's lovely. Harry Carey Jr., also in the cast, turns in a good performance.

This movie kind of screams Warners, and the Cagney role screams for Jimmy Cagney. The acting is good, though, and even though Donlevy plays his role as a lighthearted, take life as it comes guy - this film is a lot tougher than "Taxi."