MJB784 I love Billy Wilder, James Cagney and screwball comedies. One of my favorite movies is, I think, the definitive comedy of them all: Bringing Up Baby because every joke builds the next scene. I was looking forward to this because it seemed to be in the tradition of Bringing Up Baby in it's insanity. Yet, I didn't find it that insane or funny. The pacing seemed slow, I don't understand what was so funny about the daughter marrying a communist or the secretary that keeps clicking his heels, or any of the other elements in this movie. What was the joke?

JohnHowardReid How the mighty have fallen! Here's a Billy Wilder farce loaded with gimmicks and some of his favorite predilections, but it just doesn't come off! Wilder's direction is too heavy-handed. Likewise, the acting is too earnest and enthusiastic for a script that should have been played with the light touch of a soufflé. What was needed was a group of players with a collective tongue-in-cheek air about them. Plus the ability to throw away lines. Because – let's face it! – the dialogue is just not very funny. Cagney's pow-pow-pow rendition is all wrong. True, Maurice Chevalier might have got away with this approach, but Jimmy Cagney is definitely not a Chevalier. Alas, the support players try hard too, and that's jut the trouble. Only Lilo Pulver knows the score and acts accordingly. You can scratch the rest of the cast. They all try hard too – and that's just the trouble! To cap it all, even the technical credits fail to impress. In fact, one might be pardoned for deducing that the movie had been heavily subsidized by a prominent soft-drink company.

krautR-930-608582 As usual,I don't want to write much about the story of this movie,because others have done that more than enough.The title of this movie-"one,two,three"-reminds you (surely not accidental) of military and let's you assume that this movie has a brisk tempo.After having watched this movie you will know that this assumption was fully justified! James Cagney is playing the choleric manager McNamara outstandingly.His play strongly reminds me of the French actor Louis de Funes,who played choleric characters so often and so convincingly.Also the other characters give a very good performance.The ever-obedient and submissive Schlemmer (Hans Lothar),the fanatic East German communist Otto Piffl (Horst Buchholz),Mc Namaras sexy secretary Fraulein Ingeborg (Liselotte Pulver),Mc Namaras sarcastic wife Phyllis (Arlene Francis),the members of the Soviet delegation...Yes,and also Pamela Tiffin.She played the "silly goose" Scarlett Hezeltine (the daughter of McNamaras boss in Atlanta),and she played her convincingly.Yes,some might not like this character,but that only proves that convincing play.I read that in the original English version she speaks with a deep southern accent,which,I presume,shall underline her character as a silly goose.Maybe that's why some people don't like Pamela Tiffin in this movie.But that's an internal matter of the U.S.I should say that in the German version of "one,two,three" the East German policemen speak with a Saxonian dialect,although the whole story takes place in Berlin and the policemen would be likely to speak the local dialect "Berlinerisch".Their Saxon dialect is a clear allusion to Walter Ulbricht,the East German political leader at that time,who spoke with a strong Saxon dialect.What concerns the national stereotypes in this movie: Yes,they are rather dumb for today.By the way,when laughing about the German's obedience in this movie you should be aware that West-Berlin (as well as East Berlin,of course) until 1990 was,different from West-Germany,a pure military regime,where,in principle,the allied commanders had nearly absolute power and the right to decide about everything (in practise the only did it if they saw a need,of course): Who had the right to enter West-Berlin,whether a hill could be used for military purposes etc. McNamaras reaction to the refusal of the West Berlin senate allowing a coca-cola vending machine in their building is an allusion to that...But don't forget that this movie is from 1961 and at that time the end of the war was only 16 and "Stalins" death only 8 years ago! And don't forget Billy Wilders personal biography.And don't forget,how,for example,South eastern Asians were portrayed in Hollywood at that time (Oh,God...)And especially-don't forget that this movie was made during the cold war.During the making of "one,two,three" unfortunately the Berlin Wall was erected (the movie mentions that at the beginning) This and all the ensuing personal tragedies surely didn't help promote this movie,and the dangerous showdown between U.S. tanks and Soviet tanks at the newly erected wall two months later eroded the interest in a parody of the cold war.To expect the people in Germany (and elsewhere) to laugh about "one,two,three" at the time the movie was released (end of 1961) is like to expect people in the U.S. and elsewhere laugh about a movie making jokes of Islamist terrorism at the end of 2001,shortly after 9/11.And don't forget,the horrific Cuban crisis was approaching in 1962.That's the reason,why "one,two,three" is not timeless.I think it's really difficult for younger people putting themselves into its atmosphere,to understand its countless allusions etc. without having experienced the cold war.At least you should have some basic knowledge about the political situation at that time,especially the one in Berlin.

princebansal1982 I am a big fan of screwball comedies from 30's and 40's and somehow they always seem fresh. However movies like One, Two, Three seem to be really dated. All the jokes fall flat.I did like the movie in the start but it just went downhill. Nearly everybody in the movie is a stereotype. There is a blond dumb secretary, unscrupulous capitalist manager who sleeps with every secretary, wife who tolerates cheating, idealistic communist young guy and unscrupulous communist guys who will risk anything for a beautiful blond. I understand that this is a recipe for a good farce, but everything feels artificial and I didn't laugh once during the whole movie. And I laugh a lot during funny movies.I can see that it may have been funny when it was released but that is not the case now. By the way I have loved older comedies by Lubitsch, Hawks and Sturges which are still very funny.This movie falls in middle, not good enough to recommend to anybody but not so bad that I fret over time wasted in watching the film.