Radio Cab Murder

Amateurish low budget British crime yarn about a former safe-cracker turned cabbie who agrees to help the London police apprehend a robbery racket. There are a lot of moving parts to this which makes the movie somewhat interesting including a good chase scene through the streets of London - though you can't help but wonder where the police are! The acting isn't bad with Sonia Holm in the bad girl role particularly good. The scenes where the cab company is trying to locate the missing cab actually gets pretty funny -- 'where are you now?' It's predictably corny but still an enjoyable time waster.

This is one of those cheaply made black and white B pictures where there's too much talk and not enough action. The characters are too polite, too well mannered, and even the villains come across as pleasant. in fact, that's the problem with this film for everyone is far too genteel. Jimmy Hanley, the hero, is unconvincing as a hardened ex convict! His bland portrayal of taxi driver, who is spying on a gang of thieves never has any moments of real tension and nastiness. The characters are all one dimensional without any one of them showing real emotion. Hence, there is no sense of menace and without threatening characters or a gripping storyline, the film meanders along without causing any waves.

The Radio Cab Murder despite a few holes in the plot is a fewer frills noir than even American films would have had back then from our B studios. Still the action is kept at a good pace and there's not much extraneous material getting in the way of the plot.

By one of those movie coincidences Jimmy Hanley an ex-convict now driving a cab tails a robbery/murder suspect in another cab, but Hanley loses them in a park. Right after that an anonymous letter is sent to his cab company asking them by what right to they put the public in danger by hiring an ex-convict.

The police think it's a set up of sorts and Hanley goes to work for them. He's contacted soon enough by the same gang who needs his skills as a safecracker.

There are way too many coincidences in this film's story for me to give it a top rating. Hanley is cast well as a British every man, he'd grown out of playing callow youths which he primarily did in the Forties. Best by far in the cast supporting him is Sonia Holm who plays a beautiful but deadly female who is part of the gang not just a moll for the leader. Lana Morris plays Hanley's girlfriend who is the cab dispatcher who is his lifeline and proves to be resourceful.

At one point a snitch is murdered and the cops can't find evidence of a homicide. I won't reveal how they did it because it's what almost happens to Hanley. But forensics even in 1954 should have figured it out.

Radio Cab Murder despite flaws is still entertaining enough.

Radio Cab Murder is well made, low budget B film starring Jimmy Hanley as taxi driver who sees a bank being robbed and gives chase.

However it turns out that Hanley is an ex-con safe cracker who has attempted to go straight. The police think he has all the credentials to infiltrate the gang and they conspire to have him fired from his job.

However the gang leader is cunning and it seems always one step ahead of the police and Hanley.

There are several twists and turns, the film has enough suspense. Hanley is an amiable lead, several well known faces pop up such as Sam Kydd and Frank Thornton.

I was disappointed there were no radio cabs murdered, although one was bunged up -- the one Jimmy Hanley is driving while tailing a bank robber. This brings him to the attention of Scotland Yard. Soon enough, his record as an ex-con safe breaker comes to light, and while his boss and the Yard are fine with it, it's clear a gang of bank robbers are trying to get him fired so he'll go back on the crook. Everyone agrees and his boss pretends to fire him, which sets the other drivers threatening strike.

It's a good story and well acted, but there isn't that much to it as a movie. D.P. Geoffrey Faithfull, whose career began with Hepworth and who would continue as lighting cameraman into the 1970s, shoots efficiently but dully under the direction of Vernon Sewell.