One Two Three (1961 Billy Wilder)

Coke executive in Berlin has problems when boss's daughter comes to stay. Jimmy Cagney, Arlene Francis (very good - "Now that's a Scarlet Hazeltine if I ever saw one"), Horst Buchholz, Pamela Tiffin, Lilo Pulver (a dishy and somewhat mercenary secretary, below).

Great supporting cast: Hanns Lothar as the energetic assistant (who always comes in when Cagney and Pulver are kissing), and the three trade commissars - who are no doubt based on the three Russians from Ninotchka (which Wilder cowrote):

Hanns Lothar

Leon Askin, Peter Capell, Ralf Wolter. "OK. Minsk is out, Pinsk is in."

Beautifully structured (note the way various objects are introduced which have a plot or joke purpose: balloon; brolly; cuckoo clock; polka dot dress; chewing gum) and peppered with great jokes and pot-shots (some of contemporary reference that we no longer understand) which build up a great momentum. Dialogue and film often moves in threes. Cagney's energy, particularly in long dialogue-heavy scenes, fantastic (he apparently rehearsed by dancing through the lines to get the right timing).

Doctor "What's wrong?" "I'm missing the first act of the Valkyrie" (then the Wagner makes it into the soundtrack). Also jokes about 'umlaut'.

Sign painter hanging out of the car is the climax of all the people brought in to quickly help Americanize Buchholz:

Ed. Daniel Mandell - amazing credits since 1924

Based on Austrian play by Ferenc Molnár

Music André Previn contributes to usual funny Wilder bar scene (the 'Hotel Potemkin' in another little joke).

Ph Daniel L Fapp
PD Trauner

Previously 24 July 2011. Like many Wilders it just keeps getting better.

Note: Safe combination 22-5-17 sure sounds like a date reference to me. Could be the Hungarian Prime Minister Istvan Tisza resigning (Billy would have been 10)? It's not Audrey's birthday...