Cagney nearly had a different co-star for this one. Warners wanted Carole Lombard, who was just starting at Paramount, but she considered a loanout detrimental to her career and declined...a move she would long regret. (Later on she changed her view of such things, which was wise on her part because other studios -- particularly Columbia -- knew how to use her better than Paramount did.
I hope she gets around to East Side of Heaven with Bing Crosby as a crooning cabbie who has to cope with an abandoned baby left in his hack (his only co-starring role with the goddess herself, Joan Blondell).
7 comments:
Geez, how is it that this has never been released? I hope Warner has an all-Cagney pre-code set lined up somewhere along the line.
Favorite moment - Cagney speaks Yiddish.
Cagney nearly had a different co-star for this one. Warners wanted Carole Lombard, who was just starting at Paramount, but she considered a loanout detrimental to her career and declined...a move she would long regret. (Later on she changed her view of such things, which was wise on her part because other studios -- particularly Columbia -- knew how to use her better than Paramount did.
For more on Lombard and "Taxi!", go to
http://community.livejournal.com/carole_and_co/65901.html
Where have they been hiding this chestnut?
Cagney also spoke Yiddish in "The Fighting 69th" and at least one other movie, as well as in real life.
Taxi is a great bit of pre-code fun and excitement, with Jimmy in top form. It does play on TCM occasionally.
There's a new essay on cabbies in the movies over at TCM's Movie Morlocks blog, part 1 of 2, written by the radiant moirafinnie. Well worth a look!
I hope she gets around to East Side of Heaven with Bing Crosby as a crooning cabbie who has to cope with an abandoned baby left in his hack (his only co-starring role with the goddess herself, Joan Blondell).
Zei Gesund
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