1. Beat 1
Model synopsis: The beat displays the opening credits for a film titled TAXI-TURVY, showing production company logos and crew names. No characters or narrative scenes are visible.
No renewal found Free in the US since 1 January 1983, on the registry's reading: registration LP4023 of 1954 by Paramount Pictures Corp was not renewed in the volumes searched. Record.
81 shots over 6:03, read from the Internet Archive copy taxi-turvy (taxi-turvy_512kb.mp4, 320×240, 29.97 fps). Shot boundaries by PySceneDetect's adaptive detector; each frame links to the Archive's player at that second. Registry dossier: Taxi-Turvy No renewal found. JSON
Measurements: colour film on its keyframes (80 of 81 shots judged colour), average shot 4.5s long, a frontal face detected in 7% of keyframes. Shots are detected automatically and each is represented by its midpoint frame.
Released 1954 (Internet Archive).
39 beats in 25 sequences, cut automatically at shot boundaries scored on picture change, pauses in speech, topic shifts, on-screen text and cutting rhythm (each beat says why it starts where it does). Each is annotated by a vision-language model from four sampled frames and the transcript lines in it, as observations with evidence; anything the frames and lines do not support is left null. Machine annotation (Qwen/Qwen3-VL-235B-A22B-Instruct), checked automatically: quotes must be verbatim, names must be spoken, "visible" events are sampled to a second model. 39 of 39 beats annotated, 39 passed the checks, 0 flagged.
Passages cut at shot boundaries and annotated by a machine from four sampled frames and the transcript lines in them. Each beat says why it starts where it does and what was checked; sequences are visual groups, not scenes.
Model synopsis: The beat displays the opening credits for a film titled TAXI-TURVY, showing production company logos and crew names. No characters or narrative scenes are visible.
Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi is shown with a sign reading 'TAXI STAND' and a driver visible inside. The driver is later seen in a close-up, wearing a blue shirt and holding the steering wheel.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi driver interacts with a man in a suit who flags him down on a city street. The driver responds to the hail while another man is already in the taxi.
3 people observed.
“This buddy's taken, bub.” 0:48 · “Taxi!” 0:53
Model synopsis: A street scene with a red taxi and a green-and-red vehicle is shown. A man in a red coat and top hat stands beside the vehicle, speaking to someone inside.
Named: John (t:1:02). 2 people observed.
1:07Model synopsis: A man in a blue shirt is bent over a red fire hydrant on a sidewalk, with a hose attached to it and a vehicle nearby. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
1 person observed.
1:11Model synopsis: A red and green cartoon taxi is shown on a city street, being towed by a cable attached to a fire hydrant. The background includes multi-story buildings with windows and decorative trim.
1:14Model synopsis: A cartoon man with a beard and hat sits on the ground beside a large dark vehicle with red panels. The scene is lit with flat studio lighting and shows no clear time of day or location beyond the vehicle and floor.
1 person observed.
1:19Model synopsis: A man in a suit exits a red taxi while a driver looks on; the passenger is heard requesting the rich hotel. The scene is a simple animated exterior with no background details.
2 people observed.
1:27Model synopsis: A cartoon man in a white shirt holds a black object while looking at a screen showing a red car with a man inside. The scene is framed as if viewed through a monitor or window, with no spoken dialogue in this beat.
2 people observed.
1:38Model synopsis: A cartoon character in a red coat and hat walks on a sidewalk past a 'DO NOT ENTER' sign and a red car. The building behind has a sign reading 'GYM' and the number '11'.
1 person observed.
1:48Model synopsis: A cartoon man in a white shirt and dark pants is lying face down on a dark table, with one arm extended and the other bent under his chest. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A woman flags down a red taxi on a city street while a large man in blue and a small man on the taxi roof react. The woman enters the taxi, which then drives away.
4 people observed.
“That Rube was a healthy dipper.” 1:52 · “Yoo-hoo! Taxi! Well, I'm getting this fair.” 1:55
2:13Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi cab is parked at a taxi stand with a driver visible inside and a passenger leaning out the window. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
2 people observed.
2:24Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi is being lifted by a crane while a man hangs from the crane's hook above the taxi. The background shows a city skyline with tall buildings.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A man in a blue shirt and beret drives a yellow taxi, reacting with anger. Another man in a white shirt leans out of a black and red taxi, which is shown from behind against a sky.
2 people observed.
Model synopsis: A woman in a red dress sits on the hood of a red car, then a man in a white shirt swings a lasso from a vehicle, and finally the red car drives away with the woman inside. The setting is an urban street with modern buildings.
2 people observed.
2:57Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi is shown airborne against a plain background. No people are visible or audible, and no dialogue or on-screen text appears in this beat.
2:59Model synopsis: A cartoon-style orange car is shown tilted on two wheels against a stylized city background. The scene is static and depicts no people or movement beyond the car's angled position.
3:04Model synopsis: A single figure in a black dress with red trim is shown mid-motion, arm extended, against a plain interior wall. No dialogue or other characters are present in this beat.
1 person observed.
3:10Model synopsis: A cartoon taxi driver is visible inside a vehicle, holding a steering wheel, with a passenger in the back. The scene is set during the day, as indicated by the bright exterior visible through the window.
2 people observed.
3:12Model synopsis: A cartoon woman in a black dress and white apron is shown clinging to a lamppost on a street. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
1 person observed.
3:14Model synopsis: A streetlamp is shown bent over at the top, with a car partially visible on the left and a building facade in the background. No people or spoken dialogue are present in this beat.
3:20Model synopsis: A cartoon woman stands atop two vehicles under a clear sky. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
3 people observed.
Model synopsis: A man in dark clothing walks across a paved lot, passing between two parked cars. He is visible in two frames at 206s and 208s, and a line at 3:26 says 'Oh, oh.'
1 person observed.
“Oh, oh.” 3:26
3:30Model synopsis: A cartoon character in a black suit holds another character in a red shirt above his head. The scene is a static shot with no visible environment or dialogue.
2 people observed.
3:31Model synopsis: A man in dark clothing carries a woman in light clothing across a paved area with parked cars. The scene is viewed from a high angle, showing only the two figures and parts of surrounding vehicles.
2 people observed.
Model synopsis: A person in dark clothing is seen falling or floating against a plain background. A red trolley car is shown on tracks with houses and trees visible in the background.
1 person observed.
3:42Model synopsis: A single animated figure is shown against a blue sky with clouds. No dialogue or additional context is provided in this beat.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A single animated character is shown in four frames against a blue sky with clouds. The character changes pose and clothing across the frames, suggesting a sequence of motion or transformation.
1 person observed.
3:50Model synopsis: A cartoon character with a red shirt and black skirt stands against a blue sky, arms outstretched. No dialogue or additional context is provided in this beat.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A cartoon woman stands on a red car near a brick tunnel as a train approaches; inside the car, a large man in a blue shirt is visible. The scene is set outdoors during the day, with no named characters or specific time period indicated.
2 people observed.
Model synopsis: A character in a blue shirt holds a stop sign near railroad tracks while another character in a vehicle reacts. The setting is an open, rural landscape with hills and a tree.
3 people observed.
“Hmm, there's something fishy going on around here. I've had enough!” 4:27
Model synopsis: A large man in a blue shirt stands on a red vehicle while a small dog-like character is on the ground nearby. The vehicle appears to be airborne or tilted, and the man is holding onto it as the small character falls or is thrown from it.
2 people observed.
4:54Model synopsis: A cartoon man in a white shirt is kneeling in a dark puddle on green grass, drinking from a yellow spout attached to a large can labeled 'SPINACH'. The sky is purple and pink, suggesting dusk or dawn, but no clock or dialogue confirms the time.
1 person observed.
4:57Model synopsis: A cartoon character sits on grass beside a road in a hilly landscape with a cliff and a shed visible. No dialogue or on-screen text is present in this beat.
1 person observed.
Model synopsis: A red vehicle is airborne over a cartoon character in a hole; two characters are shown flying through the sky; a character is seen on a rooftop. A voice says 'You ain't eatin' no spinach in this picture.'
5 people observed.
“Oh, no.” 4:58 · “You ain't eatin' no spinach in this picture.” 5:00
5:46Model synopsis: A cartoon woman in a red dress smiles while a large man with a beard and a pink hat appears behind her. A suitcase labeled 'FARE' is visible beside them.
2 people observed.
5:58Model synopsis: The frame displays a production credit for 'a.a.p. ASSOCIATED ARTISTS PRODUCTIONS, INC.' on a textured blue background. No people, actions, or dialogue are present in this beat.
6:02Model synopsis: The final beat of the film is a black screen with no visible or audible content. No people, objects, or on-screen text are present in the single frame provided.
Machine transcription of the Archive copy's audio with Whisper large-v3-turbo (temperature 0); the model heard it as en. 16 segments kept, 11 dropped as the kind of hallucination the model produces over music and silence. Each timestamp links to the Archive's player at that second. This has not been checked against the film and can be wrong.
Every free film of 1954 with a copy
By the average clip vector of the keyframes; a measurement, not a judgement