One, Two, Three
Billy Wilder's Explosive New Comedy
Synopsis
In Cold War-era West Berlin, American Coca-Cola executive C.R. 'Mac' MacNamara is tasked with playing babysitter to his boss' spoiled 17-year-old daughter Scarlett, who proves more difficult than anticipated when she reveals that she is pregnant by a Communist.
Main Cast
James Cagney
C.R. MacNamara
Horst Buchholz
Otto Ludwig Piffl
Pamela Tiffin
Scarlett Hazeltine
Arlene Francis
Phyllis MacNamara
Liselotte Pulver
Fräulein Ingeborg
Hanns Lothar
Schlemmer
Howard St. John
Wendell P. Hazeltine
Leon Askin
Peripetchikoff
Ralf Wolter
Borodenko
Karl Lieffen
Fritz
Trailer
User Reviews
John Chard
Amazing Cagney performance in a film that has no resonance now. C.R. MacNamara is the head of Coca-Cola's bottling interests in Germany, he is a forceful man who wants to be all that he can be. He hopes to be the head of European operations for the company and is well on his way until the teenage daughter of Coca-Cola big wig Wendell P. Hazeltine shows up and he is asked to baby-sit her for a two week trip thru the continent. I wish I could have been around to watch this on its release in 1961, for I'm sure I would of laughed my head off at the relevant jokes of the time. Full of communist bluster dialogue and jokes in keeping with the times, One, Two, Three has all the trademarks of a classic Billy Wilder/I.A.L. Diamond picture. Yet viewing it now, one finds that the jokes are tired and weary, and although the frenetic pace of the film is incredible {it really is like a scattergun exploding upon the viewers senses}, the film is something of an archaic oddity. Boasting a quite brilliant performance from James Cagney, the picture is never less than watchable, but the advent of time means the film is stuck firmly in 1961, regardless of the fine work from lead man and director alike. 6/10
