The Third Man (1949)

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Graham Greene (story)
Graham Greene (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 September 1949 (UK)

Genre:

Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Carol Reed's Classic Thriller

Plot:

Arriving in Vienna, Holly Martins learns that his friend Harry Lime, who has invited him, recently died in a car accident.

Plot Keywords:

Black Market | Post WWII | Car Accident | Police | Conspiracy

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

Cast

Joseph Cotten	...	Holly Martins
Alida Valli	...	Anna Schmidt (as Valli)
Orson Welles	...	Harry Lime
Trevor Howard	...	Major Calloway
Bernard Lee	...	Sergeant Paine
Paul Hörbiger	...	Karl - Harry's Porter (as Paul Hoerbiger)
Ernst Deutsch	...	'Baron' Kurtz
Siegfried Breuer	...	Popescu
Erich Ponto	...	Dr. Winkel
Wilfrid Hyde-White	...	Crabbin
Hedwig Bleibtreu	...	Anna's Old Landlady

Also Known As:

The 3rd Man (USA) (poster title)
El tercer hombre (Argentina) (Mexico) (Spain) [es]
Der dritte Mann (Austria) (West Germany) [de]
Le troisième homme (Belgium: French title) (France) [fr]
A harmadik ember (Hungary) [hu]
De derde man (Belgium: Flemish title) [un]
Den tredie mand (Denmark) [da]
Den tredje mannen (Sweden) [sv]
El tercer home (Spain: Catalan title) [ca]
Il terzo uomo (Italy) [it]
Kolmas mies (Finland) [fi]
O 3º Homem (Brazil) [pt]
O Terceiro Homem (Portugal) [pt]
O tritos anthropos (Greece) [el]
Treci covek (Serbia) [sr]
Trzeci czlowiek (Poland) [pl]

Runtime:

104 min | USA:93 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English | German | Russian

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

Iceland:12 | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (2003) | Brazil:14 | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #14125) | West Germany:12 | New Zealand:G

Filming Locations:

8 Schreyvogelgasse, Vienna, Austria

Company:

London Film Productions

Trivia:

This film tops the "BFI 100", a list of 100 of "the best British films ever" compiled by the British Film Institute (in 1999/2000). It is also included (at #57) on the American Film Institute's top 100 list compiled in 1996.

Goofs:

Continuity: Harry Lime's sewer scenes were shot in two locations (in UK studios and on location in Vienna's sewer). In the Vienna sewer location scenes you can see Harry's breath.In the sewer shots done in UK you cannot see his breath.

Quotes:

Anna Schmidt: You know, you ought to get yourself a girl.

Movie Connections:

Featured in The Ultimate Film (2004) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Third Man Theme

the best of all time

Unrelenting fascination is what I have every time I watch this movie. It never seems old. It's in my mind, haunting me, with its unearthly music and its dark, oblique photography. And that great Orson Welles' speech, and also the best entrance in movie history to go along with the best exit in movie history. It couldn't be better. I can't even express how I feel in words. Watch it again and again, and you'll be dazed!