Born Reckless

... a fast-paced one hour B from 20th Century Fox, although with its quick pace and tough protagonist, this could easily have been a Warner Brothers film of the same era with Cagney or Bogart playing Donlevy's part. Interesting parallel to Warner Brothers here - Warner Brothers would recycle the same plot ad nauseum under various monikers, but Fox often would give a film the same name as a past successful one and give it a plot that had nothing to do with the first. "Born Reckless", for example, was a John Ford film from 1930 about a gangster ordered to join the army by a judge.

Here Donlevy plays Bob 'Hurry' Kane, an auto racer that, in the first 5 minutes of the film, wins a race with a sizable purse, loses it all on wine women and song, then penniless hitches a ride in a freight car with some other hobos to see an old friend. Now that first five minutes is just to show that Kane is a wild and unpredictable guy of questionable character, and the fact that you're really not sure about his motives or his loyalty all through this short film is part of what holds your interest. That old friend's cab business is under attack by the mob for holding out against joining their protection racket - the mob is constantly crashing into the taxis of the non-member cab companies and claiming they were accidents. The mob is run by that baddie of 30's B's, Barton McLane as Jim Barnes. Kane, being a great driver, offers to give the bad guys a taste of their own medicine, and you've got to wonder how Barnes ever got as far as he did in the mob with some of the bone-headed moves he makes.

This one is lots of fun and I recommend it if only to see Donlevy playing it reckless and with a smile for a change, very much like Cagney's roles when he was on the right side of the law in the 30's. It's just a shame that Harry Carey as the owner of the family cab company Kane is trying to help didn't get more lines.

This was an interesting film in which gangsters running a taxi service are trying to run those not paying them out of business. They don't seem to be above using some pretty heinous tactics...but the primary one seems to be running other cabs off the road and they have purchase an armored taxi to do so.

One of the good taxi companies left hires friend and famous race car driver Bob "Hurry" Cane to help save their company.

Bob gets to know the gangsters mol...who in a bit of a twist is also trying to tie one over on the gangster as he put her brother in prison.

Interesting conclusion, weird bumper car like chases...I had no idea that taxi cabs could be flipped over so easily, great costumes on the girls...and an inevitable romance.

I have to say, I think this film was worth the watch.

Although clearly Brian Donlevy is the star in this B-movie from Twentieth Century-Fox, somehow Rochelle Hudson received top billing.

When the story begins, Bob Kane (Donlevy) wins 'the big race' and soon blows all his winnings on a really good time. Now broke, he arrives in a new town to see an old friend (Harry Carey) about a job working as a cabbie...a huge demotion from race car driver. However, working the job is tough, as a 'protective association' is trying to gain control of the taxi businesses through beatings, 'accidents' and threats. In other words, it's an organized crime racket. So how does Bob figure into this? See the film.

The film is breezy and enjoyable...and worth seeing. However, at the same time much of it doesn't make a lot of sense...particularly towards the end. In fact, the ending is just sloppy...especially with the confrontation scene. Just be forewarned...it's fun but silly.

I agree with the last reviewer, this has that two fisted feel of a Warner Brothers B film.

In the driver seat is Brian Donlevy, famous for tough guys, ready for anything. A whole lotta' fun, produced by 20th Century Fox, cranking out the Charlie Chan films at the time.

Donlevy plays "Hurry" Kane, a race car driver whose at the top of his game one day, then at rock bottom. He visits old pal Harry Carey, known as Dad, who runs a cab company and gets a quick job as a cabbie. Not so fast... Seems Dad is being pushed around by big shot slickster Barton MacLane (as Jim), who wants all the cab companies under his thumb --or else.

Reminiscent of TAXI (1932), an early James Cagney film all about a taxi war, and is there ever. Plenty of high speed adventure, and some romance with Rochelle Hudson, playing Sybil. See if you can spot the famous faces; Joseph Crehan as the district attorney and Lon Chaney, Jr., in a bit role as a garage mechanic. Silent and sound film star Jack Mulhall also has a bit.

Directed with style by Malcolm St. Clair. One of the original Keystone Cops. Toted as being the tallest (6 foot 7) director in the biz, and held a record, of sorts, for being fired a lot, in the early days of his long career, then re-hired, because nobody could handle a cast and crew as good as he.

See this for Brian Donlevy at his best, remembered for BEAU GESTE and the GLASS KEY. PS; Rochelle Hudson is just beautiful, love the 30s hat. Her final scene with MacLane is a gem.

10 Stars. Finally released on dvd, also as a double bill remastered dvd box set. Thanks much to MOVIES Net for running this diamond in the rough.

This fast-paced Fox programmer -- originally issued at 78 minutes, although the version I saw was cut to just under an hour -- looks a lot like its Warner Brothers counterparts, B movies modeled on Jimmy Cagney vehicles. Brian Donleavy does a good job in the lead role, playing the cocky, brash young hot shot, although he lacks the detail work of Cagney.

The piece, however, is a lot more violent than the equivalent Warner's fare, as Donleavy goes seeking trouble, rather than snapping into it when it finds him. top-billed Rochelle Hudson is pretty good as the moll/love interest and the bill is filled out with a fine supporting cast, particularly by Harry Carey, always solid and believable. But the script lacks the sense of exposing the social ills that usually infused the Warners actioneers, and the direction and camera work, although competent, are not top notch. A decent, if unexceptional movie.