Series: All Stars w/The Taxi Boyw Director: Del Lord Producer: Hal Roach Screenplay: Photography: Art Lloyd Editor: Richard C. Currier Sound: James Greene Stars: Ben Blue, Billy Gilbert, James C. Morton, Geneva Mitchell Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Released: 14 January 1933 Length: 2 reels Production No.: T-6 Filming dates: October 25-31, 1932 Rating: 4/10

Bring 'Em Back A Wife

Jealous taxi cab boss forces his drivers to get married or else they will be fired.

As a group of taxicabs enter their garage headquarters the switchboard operator tells Archie, the superintendent that there have been a lot of calls for car 13. In walks cabbie Ben Blue who watches (and twitches his way through) a game of cards between Charlie Hall and Harry Bernard (both cab drivers). When his presence is no longer wanted (I doubt if ever his presence was EVER wanted ANYWHERE), he shifts along to a game of checkers being played by two menacing-looking cabbies; Dick Gilbert and Tiny Ward. Ben causes Tiny to lose the game and then runs away before bumping into Archie, who asks Ben where "Cab 13, the fat guy" is? Ben, whilst pouring a canister of oil down his overalls, tells him that Gilbert is over at his girlfriend's house for some dancing lessons. We switch to Billy receiving some lessons from the bra-less and very bouncy Daisy Orchid (Geneva Mitchell) who twists and jumps all around the room (performed by a stunt double, of course). Billy tries to copy her but falls flat on his face... well, his ass actually. Archie turns up at the house and Billy makes a quick getaway out of the back. Soon after, Ben turns up at the house, making a complete twat of himself as always but he soon disappears to leave Archie alone and flirting with Daisy. Later, Archie calls a meeting with his taxi drivers at the depot and warns them that as from midnight any driver who is not married will be fired. Billy is somewhat forced (with no small assistance from Ben) to confess that he is married but Archie calls his bluff and tells him he will visit his house that evening to meet his supposed wife.

Archie goes to Daisy's house but when he goes to her back door, all the cabbies run out, breaking the door down and trampling all over him! Archie tells Daisy that he will take her to meet Billy's "wife" later that evening. Well Billy has fun putting a bra and a girdle on Ben in dressing him up to be his wife for the evening. Archie arrives with Daisy and the nervous Billy lets them in. Cue Mr. Blue - now Mrs. Gilbert. This you just have to see with your own eyes, trust me. Daisy is upset to find that Billy is married and is inconsolable. It's up to Ben... er, sorry Mrs. Gilbert to comfort her in the bedroom. The truth is soon discovered and after her initial outrage, Daisy forms a plan with Ben to get back at Archie. By this time Archie has got himself so drunk that he manages to get locked in the bedroom with Ben whilst Daisy takes Billy out to get married for real after she discovers the ruse. Ben dances around the bedroom, shaking his maracas and teasing Archie, who becomes intoxicated with Ben (yes, you read that correctly). In fact Archie actually attempts to RAPE Ben under the bed! Fortunately for Ben, who has now lost his wig in the scuffle manages to shake off Archie's advances before he jumps out of the window head-first. Ben then walks into the ceremony of Billy being married to Daisy. It is initially thought that due to the timing that Billy has married Ben. Jeez, could you imagine that? The two cabbies then rush to the hospital (being momentarily halted by a motorcycle cop along the way) when a surgeon rushes out to congratulate Ben on having twins - two girls. A taxi pulls out of the hospital garage, followed down the street by two minature taxis....

Favourite bit The attempted 'rape' of Ben Blue!

Trivia • Copyrighted January 9, 1933. • Released as part of the "All Star" banner, this was the fifth film in the Taxi Boys series. • The title of the film is a pun on "Bring 'Em Back Alive", which was based on the catchphrase of the explorer Frank Buck, who used to bring his animals back alive. The movie was made by RKO Radio Pictures and released just before this. • The film was the first from the studio to be released in the year 1933 - and on Hal Roach's 41st birthday. • Geneva Mitchell makes her return to the series after starring in "What Price Taxi". • In the initial shots of Geneva Mitchell it is pretty obvious that she isn't wearing a bra! However in the shot where Billy crashes through the cabinet and the camera goes back to her you can see the lining of the bra underneath her shirt. I am guessing this was necessary because in that scene she has to bend forwards and "they" swing around pretty well. When she is talking to James C. Morton she lifts up her arms and you can very clearly see her nipples poking through. Yeah, so I notice these things. • When the dancer is bouncing all over the room, I am almost confident this is David Sharpe, showing off as usual. • There is a very risque scene when Billy hands Ben a pair of maracas, which resemble a woman's breasts. • Given that Ben Blue has such a distinctive face (one you'd like to punch repeatedly) I find it difficult to accept that 'Archie' doesn't recognise him immediately when they meet, given that Ben works for him. • Check out the size of Ben Blue's feet. • When Ben locks himself in the room with Archie he makes a short dash across the room but he appears to slip on the rug as he tries to come to a standstill. This looks like a genuine accident. • There appears to be a framed photo of a garden gnome hanging in Billy's bedroom. How's that for random? • The scene where the two men are believed to have married one another at the end is reminiscent of Laurel and Hardy in "Our Wife". • As Ben and Billy pull in to the hospital - that is in fact the Hal Roach Admin building. My opinion • Ben Blue in drag. That is all you need to know. Ben Blue in f**king drag.

	Ben Blue Ben/Mrs. Gilbert
	Billy Gilbert Gilbert
	James C. Morton Archie, taxi cab superintendent
	Geneva Mitchell Daisy Orchid
	Eddie Baker Motorcycle cop
	Lorena Carr Telephone operator
	Tiny Ward Driver
	Harry Bernard Driver
	Dick Gilbert Driver
	Charlie Hall Driver
	Edgar Sherrod Priest
	Sydney Jarvis Surgeon
	David Sharpe Stunts
	Dick Granger Taxi driver

CREDITS (click image to enlarge)

STILLS (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON THE BACK LOT (click any image to enlarge)

SHOT ON LOCATION (click any image to enlarge)

RISQUE (click any image to enlarge)

Acknowledgements: Jim Dallape (Back Lot images and locations identification) Jesse Brisson (identification of Edgar Sherrod) 'Herbert' (identification of Sydney Jarvis - previously wrongly identified as Robert McKenzie) Richard Finegan (3 stills) This page was last updated on: 22 July 2024