Fred Martin (Jimmy Hanley) is a former safecracker who has done his time and now wants to go straight. Fred manages to get a job driving a taxi for MacLaren (Charles Morgan), who owns the Radio Cab Company. His girlfriend is Myra (Lana Morris). Myra also works for the cab company as a dispatcher.
While dropping off a fare, Fred sees a robbery in progress and begins to follow the getaway vehicle. He radios to Myra. Myra notifies the police as Fred continues to radio in his location during his pursuit. One of the crooks, Jean (Sonia Holm) notices the cab following them. She throws some tacks out the car window to try to slow Fred down. The tacks blow out the car tires and Fred crashes the car. The crooks get away. He gives his statement to police and goes back to work.
When he returns to work Fred is summoned into MacLaren’s office. MacLaren says that he received an anonymous letter telling him that Fred is an ex-con and intimating that Fred is not trustworthy and shouldn’t be driving a cab. MacLaren is well aware of Fred’s past and believes that someone who paid their debt to society and wants to improve themselves should be given the opportunity to make a decent living. Fred had been working at the cab company for two years. MacLaren thinks that someone is trying to get Fred fired. He notifies Inspector Finch (Frank Thornton) at Scotland Yard about the note but there is nothing the police can do.
Not long after that a notorious safecracker is found dead in the back seat of a car. It turns out that the dead man was an informant who planned to tell Inspector Rawlings (Bruce Beeby) about a safecracking gang who has plans for a big heist and brings members in by blackmail or other nefarious means. When Rawlings hears about the note that Finch received, he begins to get an idea. Rawlings talks the Commissioner (Trevor Reid). The two of them visit MacLaren and Fred at the cab company. They convince Fred to go undercover and become recruited by the gang in hopes of catching them.
“Radio Cab Murder” was released in 1954 and was directed by Vernon Sewell. It is a British crime thriller and a quota quickie.
The title of the film is a little misleading. The story focuses on the safecracking gang and not on the murder. It is a light and cute little film. The acting is decent, and it moves along at a nice pace. Yes, it is a little pedestrian and a bit farfetched, but it was still fun and entertaining.