Blu-Ray Review: One, Two, Three

James Cagney had one of the most interesting career arks in twentieth century Hollywood. He started out in cinema playing the tough guy in films during the 1930s and 1940s. The likes of Angels with Dirty Faces, The Public Enemy and White Heat made his name. Frustrated with being typecast, he always wanted more and didn’t disappoint when given the opportunity. Cagney started out in vaudeville and also did a number of musicals and comedies in an impressive CV. One, Two, Three was one of his last.

C.R. ‘Mac’ MacNamara (Cagney) is one of Coca Cola’s top executives in Europe. Based in West Berlin, he has his sights set on the head of European operations position in London and is confident of getting it. That’s until he receives a call from his boss (Howard St. John) from headquarters in Atlanta who tasks Mac and his wife (Arlene Francis) with looking after his wayward socialite teen daughter, Scarlett (Pamela Tiffin). When she runs off with a handsome card-carrying communist (Horst Buchholz), he has a day to save his career.

One, Two, Three is a cute satire and whirlwind cold war comedy. Billy Wilder, an émigré himself, revels in the absurdities and hypocrisy at the time. Delving deeply into the recriminations and after-effects of Europe’s bleakest periods. However, the release couldn’t have come a worse time, coinciding with the wall going up seperating east and west Berlin. Cagney pulls all the strings and everyone else dances to his tune. One, Two, Three is a fast-paced post-war farce which never lets up.

Special features:

Limited Edition O Card slipcase [2000 copies ONLY]
1080p presentation on Blu-ray
LPCM audio (original mono presentation)
Optional English SDH subtitles
Brand New and Exclusive Interview with film scholar Neil Sinyard
Feature Length Audio Commentary by Film Historian Michael Schlesinger
A Collector’s booklet featuring new essays by film scholar Henry K. Miller, critic Adam Batty, and archival material