Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, black-market opportunist Harry Lime.
An out of work pulp fiction novelist, Holly Martins, arrives in a post war Vienna divided into sectors by the victorious allies, and where a shortage of supplies has lead to a flourishing black market. He arrives at the invitation of an ex-school friend, Harry Lime, who has offered him a job, only to discover that Lime has recently died in a peculiar traffic accident. From talking to Lime's friends and associates Martins soon notices that some of the stories are inconsistent, and determines to discover what really happened to Harry Lime.
Written by Mark Thompson <mrt@oasis.icl.co.uk>
Carol Reed had three separate film units working most days of production: a daytime unit, a nighttime unit and a sewer unit. Reed insisted upon directing each unit, resulting in him working 20 hour days.
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Goofs
Continuity:
The position of Anna's neck ribbon when she and Holly first talk.
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Quotes
Crabbin:
[inviting Holly Martins to give a lecture at the local Cultural Reeducation Society]
We do a little show each week. Last week we had "Hamlet." The week before we had... something. Sgt. Paine:
The striptease, sir. Crabbin:
Yes, the Hindu dancers. Thank you, sergeant. See more »