It Happened in New York (1935) Review - Snappy, Silly Cab Ride

Honestly, if you have 70 minutes to kill and love fast-talking people in funny hats, It Happened in New York is a pretty fun watch today.

It’s perfect for anyone who misses the era of silly misunderstandings. Modern audiences who need actual logic will probably turn it off after ten minutes, though. 🚕

The setup is so simple it almost hurts. A cabbie needs exactly $200—which felt like a million dollars in 1935—and randomly gets a famous movie star in his back seat.

Naturally, instead of just asking for a decent tip, he decides to hatch a wild schme to get the cash. Lyle Talbot plays the driver, and he has this constantly sweaty, desperate energy that I kind of loved.

The movie star, played by Gertrude Michael, is delightfully dramatic. She wears these ridiculous fur coats that look like they weigh more than she does.

There is this one scene in the back of the cab where she is sighing so loud it sounds like a tire deflating. It made me laugh out loud.

It’s way lighter than some of the other heavy stuff from this era, like Two Against the World. This one doesn't care about teaching you a lesson.

Some of the side characters are just there to yell. The hotel manager guy literally does nothing but wave his arms and look stressed.

Why does everyone in 30s movies talk at the exact same high volume? It’s like they thought the microphone was hidden in another room.

The plot gets a bit messy near the end when they try to wrap everything up too fast. The whole $200 conflict just sort of evaporates.

But honestly, the banter is the real reason to watch. It’s sharp, even when the actual story makes zero sense.

If you want a deep masterpiece, you should probably go watch Way Down East. But if you want to see a guy sweat over a couple of hundred bucks while a diva complains, this is your jam.