ONE, TWO, THREE (1961)

 

Directed By: Billy Wilder

Written By: Billy Wilder & I.A.L. Diamond 

Based on the play “Egy, Ketto, Harom” By: Ferenc Molnar 

Cinematography: Daniel L. Fapp

Editor: Daniel Mendell 

Cast: James Cagney, Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Arlene Francis, Lilo Pulver, Howard St. John, Hanns Lothar, Leon Askin, Ralf Wolter, Karl Lieffen 

C.R. "Mac" MacNamara is a high-ranking executive in the Coca-Cola company, assigned to the corporate office located in West Berlin. Mac's dreams are to climb the corporate ladder in the company to eventually become the head of Western European Coca-Cola Operations. One day, Mac receives a call from his boss, W.P. Hazeltine, to look after his 17-year-old socialite daughter, who is coming to West Berlin, while he is on a trip. Soon enough, Mac finds himself in the undesirable circumstances of trying to take care of this young whirlwind and manage all of the problems she causes.

The movie escaped me for many years as I missed seeing it and a recent Billy Wilder perspective at my local repertory theater. So finally getting to see this late Wilder movie was bittersweet even though I still have yet to see it on the big screen.

It’s a little more political than I expected. This film is still a joy only for the chaos that seems to be happening from the beginning to a comedic blizzard throughout. James Cagney’s character is the ringmaster. Who tries to keep it together and contained and usually bleeds into something else that causes another set of problems. 

As there are contained scenes that are filled with farce and all kinds of comedy from slapstick to physical to wordplay. That involves ridiculous characters who seem over the top but become endearing.

As James Cagney’s character is trying to get a promotion wishes as well seem to be a crumbling marriage, a dysfunctional family, a mistress who is his secretary, and other foreign dignitaries. All at once and once he has to babysit your boss's daughter, and she sneaks out because of all sorts of problems he has to clean them up, especially when his boss decides to make a surprise visit. 

What are the interesting aspects that in all the people he tries to help even if it's for selfish reasons. They always seem to battle against him even when it is for their own best interest. 

It truly is a film of its time. Wilder has never shied away from more of the controversial subjects and is maybe a bit bawdy. As well, it seems quaint. Now I can only imagine at the time this film, caused a mini uproar over the decision and the behavior of some of its characters.

At certain points, it does get a little bit too silly for its own good especially when it comes to the character of Otto. Cool comes off as more annoying and might’ve inspired Archie Bunker and Meathead a bit over a decade later on the sitcom ALL IN THE FAMILY. 

For me, the film is a laugh right as you’re just amazed that how much can go wrong and still work out not to mention how much how many plates can be spinning all at once in a scene and they may fall nothing ever seems to break and that is a perfect way to describe this film. There is so much going on, but you can easily follow it and it never truly lets you down.

It’s a shame that Cagney did not enjoy making this film, so much that he retired from acting after being in this movie and didn’t make another acting appearance until RAGTIME. which was his last role. It feels like we lost more performances From the man. Who is in top form here.

The film is fast-paced, and while there are all kinds of lunacy going on, if it were not for James Cagney‘s character being the ringmaster and handling all these disasters and trying to find an answer while putting out all these fires, the film truly would be lost.

Grade: B