From the Vault:D.C. Cab

There are some of these flicks that I love and the flicks that I will watch anytime because they make the top of the list.

I know that I primarily watch the horror films but I like movies of all kinds. I like Drama, and comedy as well as some of the lesser known flicks.

A film from 1983 is one of my personal favorites I don’t know why I love this film but I just do.

The film is D.C. Cab.

Honestly this film could not be made today. In our political correct world that we live in now I honestly think that this film could not be made. This flick is anything but politically Correct.

D.C. Cab is also the second film by director Joel Schumacher who would go on to helm Batman Forever, as well as the ill-fated Batman and Robin. Schumacher also helmed The Lost Boys, Falling Down, Phone Booth, and The Phantom of the Opera.

Originally titled Street Fleet D.C. Cab is a film about the misadventures of the D.C. Cab company in Washington D.C. The main character of the film who’s point of view the story is told is Albert Hockenberry played by Adam Baldwin.

I got to meet Mr. Baldwin a few of years ago at the Dallas Comic Con where he was promoting the release of Serenity and I told him that I loved this film to which he laughed and replied “That Was Fun”.

You can tell that was true if you watch this flick they had some fun.

The drivers of D.C. Cab are one of the motliest crews put on film.

Paul Rodriguez is in the role of Xavier, a want to be gigolo that constantly strikes out with the ladies but according to him “It’s Tough to be a man, Baby”.

Bill Maher as Baba, a struggling musician that when he is not on a political rant (it is Bill Maher anyway) he is warding off the “Big Fear”.

Real life twins Peter and Paul Barbarian as the Bodybuilding twins Buddy and Buzzy who use any opportunity to use their strength to compensate for their lack of brains.

Homeless man Mr. Rhythm (Whitman Mayo) who is always present to give advice to Albert for the cost of a quarter.

The best driver of the lot Ophelia (Marsha Warfield) who is the only real normal member of the staff when she is not being robbed by a punk in a ski mask is constantly being recruited by the competition emerald cab company.

Otis Day stars as Bongo the reggae loving driver from Cleveland though easily mistaken for a man from Jamaica. 

One of the more colorful characters is Dell, played by Gary Busey. Dell is the outspoken conspiracy buff that is constantly on edge.

Many of the movie’s best scenes feature Dell either breaking the tension with his comments or his other eccentricities such as raiding a strip club for his money that he was stiffed or yelling at a woman in a drive in.

The funniest scene features Dell and Albert checking out the new car speaker system.

The late comedian Charlie Barnett  is Tyrone Bywater one of the main characters in the film. 

Tyrone is embittered and obsessed with buying his Mercedes Benz and is in love with pop star Irene Cara. 

Tyrone’s trademark is the fact that he almost always wears green rollers in his hair and frequently tries to rip-off his passengers.

Mr. T is Sampson The most honorable driver in the cab company. Sampson frequently clashes with a local drug dealer that he can’t keep the neighborhood children away from their fancy car.

When D.C. Cab was released Mr. T was a the height of his popularity and was the main actor featured on almost all of the promotional materials for the movie. This brought controversy due to the rating of the film and Mr. T’s young fan base.

Mr. T considered himself to be the one character that remained clean while walking through the mud of the film.

The D.C. Cab  Company is owned by Harold Oswelt who was a Vietnam vet that came home and started the company. Harold is the father figure to many of the drivers particularly Albert who is the son of one of his best friends during the war.

Harold is married to Myrna who works in the office and dreads her job. After taking reward money that was intended to go to the drivers Myrna leaves Harold and hooks up with the Cab inspector Ernesto Bravo who is obsessed with shutting down the Cab Company.

D.C. Cab’s long suffering dispatcher is Miss Floyd played by Gloria Gifford.

The narrative of the film follows Albert Hockenberry who hitchhikes to Washington D. C. from Georgia after the death of his father to meet up with Harold Oswelt who was his father’s old friends. Albert is looking to begin his own Cab Company.

The other drivers of the company are all looking forward to their “Big Break” in which they can all leave the cab company and start their own careers. Taking Albert under their wings the other drivers all begin to treat albert with respect seeing him as one of them.

After a series of misadventures The Cabbies come into possession of a Violin and receive a $10,000 reward that is promptly stolen by Harold’s wife. Angered the drivers begin to leave the company until Albert donates his savings to the company and the drivers. The Drivers all begin to make the changes to their company giving it a complete overhaul and growing the business over time.

When Albert comes upon a kidnapping of an ambassador’s children he himself is kidnapped as well however he is mistaken for one of the kidnappers and the other cabbies all realize that they need to help Albert out of the situation because they feel that the cops aren't going to help him leading to their greatest misadventure of them all.

Many people make fun of the film because of the cheesy plot and the scenes but the movie always make me laugh.

The funniest scene by far is the scene where Albert and Tyrone make the Run on the railroad tracks.

You have to see the scene to understand it.

I know that many on the internet bash the film but I am one of its strongest defenders. This honestly is a flick that I don’t get tired of seeing and it makes me laugh every time I see it.

I would definitely recommend this flick to all of you out there. However like I said earlier this flick is anything but politically correct so be warned.