James Cagney & Horst Buchholtz - Torture/Rescue/Chase Scene - "One, Two, Three" (1961)

James Cagney, Horst Bucholtz, Pamela Tiffin
This was Cagney's last film until 1981. He probably had to rest for twenty years after starring in this fast-paced comedy that seems to be setting some kind of land-speed record. Cagney is an executive for Coca-Cola in Berlin, who has to deal with the commies on one hand, and an out-of-control bosses daughter on the other. The pace of the film is set from the opening credits, with the furious theme song. A hilarious film.

Category:

Entertainment

Tags:

• James Cagney
• Horst Bucholtz
• 1960s
• Cold War
• Comedy
• Billy Wilder

[htuomnom]

It's to bad you can not put the full movie on you tube.

[haranoe]

@555paint I don't intend being the usual pain in the ass by insisting... I will only add that: 1. back then there was a far clearer, more easily simplified perception of what was wrong and what had to be fought, while today there are so many points to be taken into account from so many perspectives that it's much more difficult to reduce it all to the puppetry of this film 2. today, access to and flow of information is incredibly more snippy and widespread.

[555paint]

@haranoe true, the contrast in the world was somewhat more stark in early 60s, on the other hand as i said we saw some few movie-polticial-comedies in post cold war e.g. Wag the Dog which a kinda of simple premise: start a war to divert domestic critcism.

[555paint]

@haranoe look i agree, i want more topical political comedies feature movies...like this one. I was just trying to figure out why they disappeared (more or less) and I am guessing cuz Late Nite has taken over that franchise and I think the public just doesnt want it anymore. Gotta remember when One Two Three came out there was no Late Nite. But I agree feature movies offer--or can offer--a lot more as demo in this movie

[haranoe]

@555paint But comedy shows offer comedy bites. It's like there were not feature movies anymore, only short commercial movies.

[555paint]

@haranoe I guess the cloest thing to a simliar political comedy these days would have be Wag the Dog but I think One Two Three placed in the context of the times was better, of course they had the advantage of Cagney and Wiilder etc. --hard to recreate that combination.

[555paint]

@haranoe well i agree there are no topical political comedies like this any more...for whatever reason--public doesnt like em anymore or late nite does the same job etc. In those days a poitical satire was rare but no it is relentless on late nite and hey let's face the poltiticans do a good enough job on their own now e.g. Weiner. Also a movie like this was necessary (I am guessing) back in those days to let off some pressure.

[haranoe]

@555paint Precisely because of the way he pokes fun at politics and beliefs, it goes beyond the era and the countries it depicts: I wish a comedy of the sort COULD be made today about our times. That's also the reason why the film was not widely appreciated back then: in such a sensitive topic in 1961, it shows both sides as what they pathetically were/are, instead of joining the partisanship and double-crossing it deeply criticizes even more than just light-heartedly satirizes.

[555paint]

@haranoe well i say cold war classic. it was topical comedy for the day and it was great but i am not sure it holds up in post cold war era.

[haranoe]

@555paint An all-time classic. PERIOD.

[555paint]

a cold war classic