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The Third Man (1949)
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Overview
User Rating:
Release Date:
3 September 1949 (UK) moreTagline:
Carol Reed's Classic Thriller morePlot:
Arriving in Vienna, Holly Martins learns that his friend Harry Lime, who has invited him, recently died in a car accident. full summary | full synopsisAwards:
Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations moreNewsDesk:
(17 articles)
What I Watched, What You Watched: Installment #1 (From Rope Of Silicon. 19 July 2009, 3:06 AM, PDT)
Passionate Movie Fans Get Their Wish for Oliver!
(From ReelzChannel. 24 June 2009, 11:33 AM, PDT)
User Comments:
A Flawless Classic moreCast
(Complete credited 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 |
Additional Details
Parents Guide:
View content advisory for parentsRuntime:
104 min | USA:93 minCountry:
UKColor:
Black and WhiteAspect Ratio:
1.37 : 1 moreSound Mix:
Mono (Western Electric Recording)Certification:
Iceland:12 | Netherlands:6 (DVD rating) | South Korea:15 (2003) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG | USA:Approved (PCA #14125) | West Germany:12 | New Zealand:GFun Stuff
Trivia:
During meetings between Graham Greene and Carol Reed with David O. Selznick, Greene was less than impressed with Selznick, who had (according to Selznick's own son) "become something of a parody of himself". Greene later mocked Selznick's dependency at the stage on the drug Dexedrine, better known as "speed". Coincidentally, Reed also became hooked on Dexedrine while shooting the time-consuming film. Both Reed and Selznick were operating on as little as 2 hours of sleep a day. moreGoofs:
Continuity: When Calloway and the police stand waiting for Harry to arrive at the station, an elderly balloon man tries to sell them a balloon. His balloons have designs printed on them. Calloway has the Seargant buy one to get rid of the old man but the balloon has no printing on it as the shot of the police was filmed later in London. moreQuotes:
Calloway: Go home Martins, like a sensible chap. You don't know what you're mixing in, get the next plane.Martins: As soon as I get to the bottom of this, I'll get the next plane.
Calloway: Death's at the bottom of everything, Martins. Leave death to the professionals.
Martins: Mind if I use that line in my next Western?
more
Soundtrack:
The Third Man Theme moreFAQ
A Note Regarding SpoilersIs "The Third Man" based on a novel?
Who was the third man?
more
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This is a rare film that is flawless in every respect. It combines great acting and memorable characters with a fascinating story, taking place in an interesting setting and adding a creative musical score. "The Third Man" is remembered for many things - for Orson Welles' wonderful performance in his appearances as Harry Lime, for its wonderfully appropriate musical score, and for its nicely conceived plot surprises. Adding to these is Joseph Cotten's fine portrayal of Holly Martins, which holds the rest of it together - it is his character who initiates most of the action, and also through whom we view everything and everyone else.
The story starts, after a nicely done prologue, with Martins arriving in Vienna, and finding out that his friend Harry is not only dead but is accused of running a particularly destructive black market racket. Martins sets out at once to prove his friend's innocence, getting into an immediate scuffle with the police, and it seems at first to set up a conventional plot about clearing the name of a friend - but the actual story that follows is much deeper and much better. It is just right that Martins is an innocent who writes cheap novels for a living, and he gets a pretty memorable lesson in fiction vs. reality. There are some great scenes (the Ferris-wheel confrontation being as good a scene as there is in classic cinema) leading up to a memorable climactic sequence, and a good supporting cast, with Alida Valli as Anna being very good in complementing Lime and Martins. The setting in crumbling post-war Vienna and the distinctive zither score go very nicely with the story.
This is a fine, flawless classic, and while obviously belonging to an earlier era, it deserves a look from anyone who appreciates good movies.