Del Lord started out as a Keystone Kop for Sennett, one with a great touch for stunt driving. He built this into a directing career, first for Sennett, then for Roach and wound up his career directing the Three Stooges for Jules White at Columbia -- well, it was a job.

He directed a couple of series of taxi comedies, first for Sennett and later, the Taxi Boys for Roach. This is one of the first series.

Like many two-reelers of the era, it is actually two one-reelers stuck together, although well done in this case: Jack Cooper has a taxi inspector on his heels, and later confuses the inspector's wife for a theater automaton. Each section is highlighted by a major set piece of a gag and they are well done. But this was 1929, Sennett was already moving into sound shorts and this comes off as a fill-in effort, something to service the rapidly-shrinking number of theaters that were not yet wired for sound or which would still run silent shorts to accompany the talkie features.

The comedy genre refers to a category of entertainment that aims to amuse and entertain audiences by using humor, wit, and comedic situations. Comedies are created with the primary intention of eliciting laughter and providing lighthearted enjoyment. They encompass a wide range of styles, tones, and themes, appealing to various tastes and audiences.

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The short form refers to creative works characterized by their brevity and concise storytelling. Unlike full-length feature films, short films have a running time of less than 45 minutes, while TV shorts have a running time of less than 22 minutes.

Benedict Cumberbatch in The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023)

Annie (Thelma Hill), her mother, and a taxi driver set out to find Grandpa's fortune but some shady men might get to it first.

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"The Gentlemen" and "Slow Horses" return this fall, while the "Reacher" spin-off series "Neagley" makes its debut. See our guide of the biggest Fall TV and streaming releases.

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Glen Cavender and Thelma Hill in Taxi Spooks (1929)

Andy Clyde, Thelma Hill, William McCall, and Blanche Payson in Taxi Spooks (1929)

Taxi Spooks

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