I feel so luck to have caught this rare film at CINEFEST the annual early & rare film festival in Syracuse, NY - March 2003. More film buffs should support these festivals and share their discoveries on the IMDB so other film fans can track these old titles down. THEY MET IN A TAXI (1935 Columbia, D: Alfred Green) Runaway bride Fay Wray convinces taxi driver Jimmy Donlin (Chester Morris) to help her hide from her rich father. What seems to be a variation of It Happened One Night turns around when we discover that Mary is not a bride after all, but a model in a wedding dress. She is innocently involved in the theft of a pearl necklace, which has become entangled in the hem of the gown. A romance with Jimmy soon develops as he harbors her from the law, and with the aid of a few pals, they try to figure out the robbery scheme.
8 Reviews
Light meet-cute romance.
jennyp-228 March 2003
I saw this film at Cinefst in Syracuse, New York in March 2003. Runaway bride Fay Wray convinces taxi driver Jimmy Donlin (Chester Morris) to help her hide from her rich father. What seems to be a variation of It Happened One Night turns around when we discover that Mary is not a bride after all, but a model in a wedding dress. She is innocently involved in the theft of a pearl necklace, which has become entangled in the hem of the gown. A romance with Jimmy soon develops as he harbors her from the law, and with the aid of a few pals, they try to figure out the robbery scheme.
Chester Morris meets a woman of mystery...
AlsExGal9 November 2014
Chester Morris plays Jimmy Donlin, a taxi driver who is about to buy some cabs of his own when he picks up a woman who appears to be a runaway society bride (Fay Wray as Mary Trenton), complete with wedding gown. Before you get to thinking this is a retread of "It Happened One Night", think again. Mary turns out to be quite a woman of mystery. Like the home-made spaghetti that she makes at Jimmy's apartment while she is in hiding, her story unravels slowly, often with facts revealed by others forcing her to tell the truth. For example Jimmy meets the REAL society bride Mary claims to be - she admits to being just a model who was modeling the gown for the real society bride. She claims she is hiding and running because the wealthy family thought she stole a string of pearls. Then a string of pearls falls out of the hem of the wedding dress she was wearing when Jimmy found her - Mary says she knows nothing about it. Other revelations appear, and each time Mary tells Jimmy - "I didn't know if I could trust you at first, but I know I can now".
So who stole the pearls and stashed them in Mary's dress, or is Mary even telling the truth in the first place?. There are other characters that make good suspects such as a society column writer who seems very anxious to help Jimmy and Mary -why??? Then there is Jimmy's pal Fingers who did a prison term for pickpocketing and still likes to pickpocket from friends just to keep in practice - he always gives the loot back. Were the pearls just too much of a temptation for him to not give back? Watch and find out.
This is a fast paced little mystery with a likable cast and I highly recommend it.
So who stole the pearls and stashed them in Mary's dress, or is Mary even telling the truth in the first place?. There are other characters that make good suspects such as a society column writer who seems very anxious to help Jimmy and Mary -why??? Then there is Jimmy's pal Fingers who did a prison term for pickpocketing and still likes to pickpocket from friends just to keep in practice - he always gives the loot back. Were the pearls just too much of a temptation for him to not give back? Watch and find out.
This is a fast paced little mystery with a likable cast and I highly recommend it.
Unbelievable but worth seeing.
planktonrules28 January 2019
One day while driving his cab, a woman in a wedding gown hops in and insists he leave as soon as possible. Soon, she tells the cabbie a story and he feels sorry for her and takes her home. Later, it turns out she wasn't exactly telling the truth...so Mary has a hard time convincing him of the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth. Oddly, he then agrees to help her prove that she isn't a jewel thief...and his two friends help as well! Does any of this make sense? Not really...but Chester Morris, Fay Wray and the rest do a good job of putting over a silly plot and making it seem almost possibly plausible...maybe. Overall, a time-passer and a modestly enjoyable one at that.
Runaway Bride ... or Is She?
drednm24 February 2016
Chester Morris plays a cabbie when one day a runaway bride (Fay Wray) jumps into his taxi and tells him to drive. She gives him a false name and tells him the story of marrying a Count she doesn't love. Of course he feels sorry for her and takes her to his apartment to hide out. She cons him into staying with the promise that her father will pay for everything. But then a string of pearls falls out of her wedding gown, just the first of many twists and deceptions in this romantic comedy.
After Morris learns that Wray has given him a false name, it's no real surprise that the pearls were reported stolen, and that they might not even be real pearls. As they hunt for a solution they are aided by Morris' cabbie friend with a penchant for crime (Lionel Stander) and a society reporter with connections (Raymond Walburn).
This 70-minute charmer never loses its comic pace, and the four principals are excellent. Lots of one-liners keep it light. Co-stars include Henry Mollison as the oily Count, Kenneth Harlan as a businessman, and Ward Bond as a cop.
After Morris learns that Wray has given him a false name, it's no real surprise that the pearls were reported stolen, and that they might not even be real pearls. As they hunt for a solution they are aided by Morris' cabbie friend with a penchant for crime (Lionel Stander) and a society reporter with connections (Raymond Walburn).
This 70-minute charmer never loses its comic pace, and the four principals are excellent. Lots of one-liners keep it light. Co-stars include Henry Mollison as the oily Count, Kenneth Harlan as a businessman, and Ward Bond as a cop.
A heroine that becomes more unlikable as every minute passes.
mark.waltz4 January 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Careful of the fares you pick up. That's the lesson that cabby Chester Morris should learn in this unpleasant screwball comedy that has him completely manipulated by Fay Wray from the moment she sneaks into his cab. She's wearing a wedding dress so he thinks that she's a runaway bride, and in fact, she lies about her identity to gain his sympathy, eventually dragging him into a nutty plot that would have had Carole Lombard bashing her agent with the script. Wray strikes Morris with a wrench simply because he makes her sleep on his couch. His reaction? To go out and buy her a brand new wardrobe, that's what!
Not only is Wray manipulative and controlling, Morris is a complete moron for falling for her nonsense. She claims that she's been framed for stealing valuable pearls, and even if she has, her other actions don't exactly win her any sympathy. The funny lines go to Lionel Stander as a retired pickpocket who still practices the art of stealing just to see if he can get away with it. Raymond Walburn becomes increasingly irritating with his non-stop grin as a customer of Morris's who aids him in helping out Wray.
Certainly, the screwball comedies of the 1930's were based on unbelievable situations that get out of control because of the wacky characters, but the script of this one is maddening. Wray plays her role straight, but each close-up gives an indication of a darkness inside her character that enjoys these manipulations irregardless of her being framed. She immediately takes over Morris's life, interfering in his business deals without thought to the outcome. It's obvious that this was rushed out as a quickie B, and really should have been shelved and never gone before the cameras.
Not only is Wray manipulative and controlling, Morris is a complete moron for falling for her nonsense. She claims that she's been framed for stealing valuable pearls, and even if she has, her other actions don't exactly win her any sympathy. The funny lines go to Lionel Stander as a retired pickpocket who still practices the art of stealing just to see if he can get away with it. Raymond Walburn becomes increasingly irritating with his non-stop grin as a customer of Morris's who aids him in helping out Wray.
Certainly, the screwball comedies of the 1930's were based on unbelievable situations that get out of control because of the wacky characters, but the script of this one is maddening. Wray plays her role straight, but each close-up gives an indication of a darkness inside her character that enjoys these manipulations irregardless of her being framed. She immediately takes over Morris's life, interfering in his business deals without thought to the outcome. It's obvious that this was rushed out as a quickie B, and really should have been shelved and never gone before the cameras.
Forgotten Columbia "B" with excellent cast
kevinolzak24 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
"They Met in a Taxi" (1936) has never had much exposure over the years, a fact that isn't likely to change. Chester Morris headlines as a cabbie who picks up a desperate young woman (Fay Wray) dressed in wedding apparel, who manages to induce him into letting her stay at his apartment. She first leads him into believing she is to be a reluctant bride to a wealthy count, but he soon learns that a valuable necklace has been stolen from the real bride-to-be, with his new houseguest the prime suspect. She admits that she was modeling the gown for the bride, but has no idea how the necklace found its way into her hands. Basically a romantic comedy that doesn't let too much drama get in the way, as the driver can't seem to help falling in love with the beautiful stranger (typically, he refuses to admit it). It might have proved more interesting if her innocence were more uncertain, but it's not too fatal. The two stars receive great support from Raymond Walburn and especially Lionel Stander, stealing every scene as the cabbie's best friend, a former prison inmate who keeps pilfering items from under everyone's noses just to keep in practice, wisely advised to steal only from understanding friends! There is also a brief appearance from Ward Bond as an anonymous policeman toward the end, a role that could have been played by anybody.
Too bad it was post-code
RickeyMooney10 May 2022
The success of Frank Capra's It Happened One Night in 1934 starring Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable spawned a host of movies about madcap daughters of millionaires fleeing a planned marriage, meeting a rugged two-fisted working-class male and you can guess the rest. None of them enjoyed the success of the original, which won all major Academy Awards.
This one doesn't come close. You might be tempted to ask "How could Fay Wray and Chester Morris compare with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable?" Not too badly, actually. They're both attractive and well-suited for their roles. The big problem is that It Happened One Night was made before the dreaded Production Code was enforced rigorously and this film was made after. Thus, They Met in a Taxi fails to even hint at any sexual undercurrent inherent in presumed fleeing heiress Wray hiding out in cab driver Morris's apartment. They're more like two squabbling children, at the beginning at least. There is one original twist to the plot that unfortunately most of the other user reviews have given away.
There are things to like here, mostly the performances of the two stars and sidekicks Lionel Stander as a larcenous fellow cabbie and Raymond Walburn as an effusive gossip columnist. The plot shifts to a search for missing jewels but there's no real tension. You just know from the blandness of it all that we're headed for a happy ending with few complications.
Still, if you're a fan of late-1930s "screwball comedies" or a Fay Wray fan like me you'll get some enjoyment. It just could have been a lot more.
This one doesn't come close. You might be tempted to ask "How could Fay Wray and Chester Morris compare with Claudette Colbert and Clark Gable?" Not too badly, actually. They're both attractive and well-suited for their roles. The big problem is that It Happened One Night was made before the dreaded Production Code was enforced rigorously and this film was made after. Thus, They Met in a Taxi fails to even hint at any sexual undercurrent inherent in presumed fleeing heiress Wray hiding out in cab driver Morris's apartment. They're more like two squabbling children, at the beginning at least. There is one original twist to the plot that unfortunately most of the other user reviews have given away.
There are things to like here, mostly the performances of the two stars and sidekicks Lionel Stander as a larcenous fellow cabbie and Raymond Walburn as an effusive gossip columnist. The plot shifts to a search for missing jewels but there's no real tension. You just know from the blandness of it all that we're headed for a happy ending with few complications.
Still, if you're a fan of late-1930s "screwball comedies" or a Fay Wray fan like me you'll get some enjoyment. It just could have been a lot more.
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