Cagney's Fury: Why Taxi (1931) Still Packs a Punch 🚕

Okay, so Taxi from 1931. Is it worth tracking down today? Oh, absolutely, if you’re into classic tough-guy flicks and don't mind a movie that moves like a bolt of lightning.

Fans of early gangster cinema, especially James Cagney's electrifying screen presence, will eat this up. If you need super polished modern pacing or can't stand old-timey dialogue, you'll probably bounce off it pretty quick. But for a taste of pure, unfiltered pre-Code energy, yeah, give it a shot. 🚕

Cagney, as Matt Nolan, just *explodes* onto the screen. It’s wild.

He’s got this swagger, this barely contained rage, right from the start. One minute he’s charming Loretta Young’s character, Sue Riley, the next he’s throwing punches. He barely takes a breath.

It's like the camera can't quite keep up with him. His quick movements, the way he jabs a finger – it's all so immediate.

The whole premise is this brutal turf war between independent cabbies and the big, nasty Consolidated company. And they really don't pull any punches with how rough it gets.

Guys are getting jumped, cabs are smashed up. There’s a scene where one of the independent drivers gets seriously beaten in an alley. You feel it.

The film doesn't shy away from showing the dirty side of things, how desperate these guys are just to make a living. It’s a real dog-eat-dog world out there on the streets.

Loretta Young is in it too, playing Sue. She's got this nice, steady vibe next to Cagney's frantic energy. She’s his girlfriend, trying to keep him from going too far.

But you can tell, even she's got a bit of spunk in her. Their banter feels pretty quick and natural for the time, though sometimes she just has to react to his outbursts.

Her eyes in one scene, just after he's yelled at her for the fifth time, tell more than any dialogue could. She’s trying so hard to reason with him, but he’s already gone.

One moment that stuck with me was a dance contest scene. It’s this brief, almost surreal break from all the violence.

Everyone’s dancing the Charleston, and the Cotton Club Orchestra is playing. Then, bam, back to the fight. It felt a little out of place, but also somehow perfectly captured the era.

Life goes on, even with all the trouble brewing. The band leader's expression during that scene, totally oblivious to the drama outside, just a tiny, perfect detail.

The dialogue is *fast*. Like, really fast. You gotta pay attention.

Cagney spits out lines so quick, sometimes you almost miss a word. It’s got that snappy, streetwise feel that defined so many of those early talkies.

"You don't want to get tough with me, lady!" he shouts at one point, and you just know he means it. He’s a powder keg, always about to blow.

There's also this recurring bit where Matt's father-in-law, played by Guy Kibbee, is always trying to get him to learn Yiddish. It’s a funny, weird little side plot that pops up. Doesn’t really go anywhere, but it adds to the flavor.

And the ending? Well, it gets pretty intense. Matt's brother gets killed, and Cagney's character just snaps. He goes full vengeance mode.

It’s not subtle. He grabs a gun and just goes after the guys responsible. The movie doesn't really offer a neat, tidy resolution.

It’s raw. That final confrontation in the street, with him just *fuming*, felt incredibly real, even for 1931. The way the camera just holds on his face for a second after he does what he does… it’s a lot.

What makes this film memorable isn’t just the plot, which is pretty straightforward. It's the sheer force of Cagney's personality. He *commands* the screen.

Every move, every glance. You can almost feel the heat radiating off him. The movie sometimes feels like it's just trying to keep up with him.

It's a quick, punchy ride, a real snapshot of a certain kind of American grit. Definitely worth a watch if you’re curious about how early sound films tackled action and character. Just don’t expect a quiet evening.