Mention James Cagney's name, and most people will mention one of his gangster films like G-Men or The Public Enemy or at a push will mention one of his just as memorable Song & Dance roles like Footlight Parade or Yankee Doodle Dandy. While it is true he could be both Tough and Elegant, largely forgotten was Cagney's wonderful ability to play comedic Characters. (Who can forget his film stealing role as the tyrannical Captain in Mister Roberts).
One such film that highlights his comedy talent, was Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three. Made in 1961, it shows us a 62 year old Cagney still at the top of his game 30 years after he became a star.
Set in a post war yet pre détente Germany, the film is a fast, frantic, romantic, hilarious farce set against the non too funny backdrop of the Cold War which to be honest was far from 'cold' when the movie was made with the Cuban Missile Crisis just months away and American tolerance of the 'red menace' at an all time low.
Cagney plays MacNamara, a tough-talking Middle Management executive for Coca-Cola trying to secure the Coca-Cola rights on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain. He Hates Communists, Hates Fascists, and loves his work. He is short tempered, sharp tongued and quick witted. He has two women in his life his wife Phyiliss, played fantastically by the always fantastic Arlene Francis, and his yummy blonde and easily corruptible secretary Ingeborg (Lilo Pulver). His organised yet double life is thrown into turmoil when his bosses 17 year old yet wild insatiable daughter Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin) arrives with the bosses strict instructions to 'look after her'. Instead of staying for the intended two weeks she stays for two months and appears to have successfully curtailed her wayward lifestyle, until one night she fails to return to the MacNamara home, frantic with worry for her safety (and the safety of his Job), MacNamara is calling everybody and his dog in West Berlin that may have a clue to her whereabouts. His Driver finally admits that since her arrival in Germany she's been crossing the Brandenburg Gate into East Germany every night has been courting and now married to a fully fledged card carrying communist called Otto (Horst Buchholz). Knowing that this will be the final nail in his coca-cola coffin if his boss ever finds out, MacNamara proceeds to concoct a plan to erase the marriage from the books and have Otto incarcerated in the East by having him arrested for being an American Spy. MacNamara pleased with his handy work returns home to find out that Scarlett is in a 'family way' with Otto's baby, now he must get Otto Back from the clutches of the East German forces, and pass him of as a blue-blooded, non commie capitalist entrepreneur.
The friction between Cagney and Buchholz on camera is brilliant yet the two actors constantly fought off set with Cagney labelling Buchholz as the most un-cooperative active he had ever worked with with Cagney even threatening to 'put him, (Buchholz) on his ass' which made the interplay between their respective characters all the more realistic as two people that detest the sight of each other.
Red Buttons makes an early movie appearance as an American MP and steals his scene by doing an impersonation of Cagney circa 1931 right in the face of Cagney circa 1961, which even though his back is to camera you can tell Cagney is cracking up though forever the professional, he gathers his composure well enough to complete the scene. There is also a blink-and-you'll-miss it in-joke where Cagney threatens to hurl a half grapefruit in Buchholz face in homage to the memorable scene he did 30 years before with Mae Clarke in The Public Enemy Another classic line is when Cagney utters rival screen gangster Edward G Robinson's immortal final line from Little Ceaser 'Mother of Mercy is this the end of Rico'.
From the opening titles the pace of this movie is set with the fast paced sabre-dance theme. Cagney refuses to let the film slow down either from the moment he first appears on screen he shows more vitality and energy than the rest of the cast combined and still moves with the agility of someone half his age.
I love this movie and is a perfect example of a sixties screwball sex-farce. typical Wilder, but a role a little different than Cagney was used to playing, but he rose to the challenge perfectly. It was to be another 20 years before Cagney made another Movie, but hell, he needed a long rest after giving it his all in this one.
Jack Lemmon once said that the film would have been much better had a more comedic actor been cast as Otto, I personally would have loved Lemmon himself in the role, but in 1960's Hollywood, any actor willing to play an anti-American communist was committing occupational suicide such was the paranoia surrounding Communism.
This movie can never be remade as it is too racially and politically intolerant for today's politically correct audiences to digest with comfort, which doesn't really upset me as the performances is this movie could never be bettered
One such film that highlights his comedy talent, was Billy Wilder's One, Two, Three. Made in 1961, it shows us a 62 year old Cagney still at the top of his game 30 years after he became a star.
Set in a post war yet pre détente Germany, the film is a fast, frantic, romantic, hilarious farce set against the non too funny backdrop of the Cold War which to be honest was far from 'cold' when the movie was made with the Cuban Missile Crisis just months away and American tolerance of the 'red menace' at an all time low.
Cagney plays MacNamara, a tough-talking Middle Management executive for Coca-Cola trying to secure the Coca-Cola rights on the eastern side of the Iron Curtain. He Hates Communists, Hates Fascists, and loves his work. He is short tempered, sharp tongued and quick witted. He has two women in his life his wife Phyiliss, played fantastically by the always fantastic Arlene Francis, and his yummy blonde and easily corruptible secretary Ingeborg (Lilo Pulver). His organised yet double life is thrown into turmoil when his bosses 17 year old yet wild insatiable daughter Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin) arrives with the bosses strict instructions to 'look after her'. Instead of staying for the intended two weeks she stays for two months and appears to have successfully curtailed her wayward lifestyle, until one night she fails to return to the MacNamara home, frantic with worry for her safety (and the safety of his Job), MacNamara is calling everybody and his dog in West Berlin that may have a clue to her whereabouts. His Driver finally admits that since her arrival in Germany she's been crossing the Brandenburg Gate into East Germany every night has been courting and now married to a fully fledged card carrying communist called Otto (Horst Buchholz). Knowing that this will be the final nail in his coca-cola coffin if his boss ever finds out, MacNamara proceeds to concoct a plan to erase the marriage from the books and have Otto incarcerated in the East by having him arrested for being an American Spy. MacNamara pleased with his handy work returns home to find out that Scarlett is in a 'family way' with Otto's baby, now he must get Otto Back from the clutches of the East German forces, and pass him of as a blue-blooded, non commie capitalist entrepreneur.
The friction between Cagney and Buchholz on camera is brilliant yet the two actors constantly fought off set with Cagney labelling Buchholz as the most un-cooperative active he had ever worked with with Cagney even threatening to 'put him, (Buchholz) on his ass' which made the interplay between their respective characters all the more realistic as two people that detest the sight of each other.
Red Buttons makes an early movie appearance as an American MP and steals his scene by doing an impersonation of Cagney circa 1931 right in the face of Cagney circa 1961, which even though his back is to camera you can tell Cagney is cracking up though forever the professional, he gathers his composure well enough to complete the scene. There is also a blink-and-you'll-miss it in-joke where Cagney threatens to hurl a half grapefruit in Buchholz face in homage to the memorable scene he did 30 years before with Mae Clarke in The Public Enemy Another classic line is when Cagney utters rival screen gangster Edward G Robinson's immortal final line from Little Ceaser 'Mother of Mercy is this the end of Rico'.
From the opening titles the pace of this movie is set with the fast paced sabre-dance theme. Cagney refuses to let the film slow down either from the moment he first appears on screen he shows more vitality and energy than the rest of the cast combined and still moves with the agility of someone half his age.
I love this movie and is a perfect example of a sixties screwball sex-farce. typical Wilder, but a role a little different than Cagney was used to playing, but he rose to the challenge perfectly. It was to be another 20 years before Cagney made another Movie, but hell, he needed a long rest after giving it his all in this one.
Jack Lemmon once said that the film would have been much better had a more comedic actor been cast as Otto, I personally would have loved Lemmon himself in the role, but in 1960's Hollywood, any actor willing to play an anti-American communist was committing occupational suicide such was the paranoia surrounding Communism.
This movie can never be remade as it is too racially and politically intolerant for today's politically correct audiences to digest with comfort, which doesn't really upset me as the performances is this movie could never be bettered