One, Two, Three (1961) Review

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(More customer reviews)I have always loved this movie for two reasons: James Cagney and James Cagney. A lesser-known Billy Wilder comedy gem, this film moves like greased lightning. An out and out farce, the modern audience may not appreciate some of the Cold War jokes, but the movie is still well-worth anyone's while to see Cagney's brilliant performance and the non-stop machine-gun delivery of one-liners and asides.
The head of Coca Cola in Cold War divided Berlin (but before the Wall), is saddled with the twit daughter (she of the over-active hormones), of one of his Coke Atlanta Office superiors. She becomes involved with an East German communist bohemian/activist, the parents from Atlanta are on the way, and all the fun begins.
The jokes are rapid fire and non-stop. The cast impeccable. I can't imagine anyone other than Cagney doing his role (its that indelible). In its own way a daring little picture, the world was incredibly tense when this movie came out, much like it is today but for different reasons. Berlin was one of the world's "hot spots" and a face-off point with the Soviet Union and a possible spark for Armageddan. Wilder found humor in that tension and the laughs that resulted were relief at the discovery of the human comedy within the Cold War. He put a human face on the communists and found in their foibles the same age-old human weaknesses of greed & lust & envy. In other words, they were the same as us. That meant there was hope.
But the heck with that, its funny as hell. Take the ride.

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James Cagneygives one of the richest, funniest, most breathlessly paced performances of his career(The New York Times) in this Billy Wilder comedy that defrosts the Cold War with gales of laughter!C. R. MacNamara (Cagney), a top-ranking executive stationed in West Berlin, is charged with the care of his bossvisiting daughter. But when he learns that she's gone and married a fierce young communistand that his boss will be arriving in town in 24 hoursMac must transform the unwilling beatnik into a suitable son-in-law or risk losing his chance for advancement! Before you cansayone, two, three,his plans have spun out of control and into an international incident that could infuriate the Russians, the Germans and, worst of all, his own suspicious wife (Arlene Francis)!

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