THE TAXI BOYS (1932-1933)

The 10 films which made up The Taxi Boys' series were released under Hal Roach's All Star Series banner. The series was created as a replacement of The Boy Friends series, with the first film being released two months after its demise in 1932. Ben Blue and Billy Gilbert starred together in most of the films as two inept taxi drivers before the series drifted off towards the end where they played completely different characters. The whole thing was quite simply an experimental mess. Unsurprisingly none of the films have been released on DVD (at the time of this writing). One of the shortest-lived ventures from the Hal Roach Studios, the series is generally regarded by fans as a flop; an opinion which seemingly was felt by the studio as it was cancelled after just one season. No one actor appeared in every single film. Strangely, the first film in the series to be shot, Thundering Taxis, was held back and was the last to be released - almost one year after it was filmed in June 1932. Ironically it happened to be one of the best films from a relatively poor bunch. MOST APPEARANCES IN THE SERIES: 9 Billy Gilbert 8 Ben Blue

All films Hal Roach/Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer and in order of release. What Price Taxi (Aug 13, 1932) Strange Innertube (Sep 17, 1932) Hot Spot (Oct 22, 1932) Taxi For Two (Dec 3, 1932) Bring 'Em Back A Wife (Jan 14, 1933) Wreckety Wrecks (Feb 18, 1933) Taxi Barons (Apr 1, 1933) Call Her Sausage (May 13, 1933) The Rummy (Jun 10, 1933) Thundering Taxis (Jun 24, 1933)