The Third Man (1949)

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Graham Greene (by)
Graham Greene (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

31 August 1949 (UK)

Genre:

Film-Noir | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Carol Reed's Classic Thriller

Plot:

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.

Plot Keywords:

Black Market | Czech | Writer | Police | Death

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	...	Maj. Calloway
Bernard Lee	...	Sgt. 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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Nelly Arno	...	Kurtz's Mother (uncredited)
Jack Arrow	...	International Patrol A (uncredited)
Harold Ayer	...	Soldier (uncredited)
Harry Belcher	...	Man Chasing Holly (uncredited)
Leo Bieber	...	Casanova Barman (uncredited)
Paul Birch	...	Military Policeman (uncredited)
Martin Boddey	...	Russian Military Policeman (uncredited)
Madge Brindley	...	Guest at Casanova Bar (uncredited)
Robert Brown	...	British Military Policeman in Sewer Chase (uncredited)
Ray Browne	...	International Patrol B (uncredited)
Paul Carpenter	...	International Patrol D (uncredited)
Marie-Louise Charlier	...	Stripper at club (uncredited)
Alexis Chesnakov	...	Col. Brodsky - Russian Liaison Officer (uncredited)
Guy De Monceau	...	International Patrol C (uncredited)
Reed De Rouen	...	American Military Policeman at Railroad Station (uncredited)
Jack Faint	...	Guest at Casanova Bar (uncredited)
Peter Fontaine	...	Minor Role (uncredited)
Thomas Gallagher	...	Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Michael Godfrey	...	International Patrol C (uncredited)
Vernon Greeves	...	International Patrol D (uncredited)
Herbert Halbik	...	Little Hansl - Boy with Ball) (uncredited)
Paul Hardtmuth	...	Hartman - Hall Porter at Hotel Sacher (uncredited)
Walter Hertner	...	Barman at Sacher's (uncredited)
Lily Kann	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Geoffrey Keen	...	British Military Policeman (uncredited)
Brookes Kyle	...	International Patrol B (uncredited)
Martin Miller	...	Headwaiter (uncredited)
Hannah Norbert	...	Actress at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
Eric Pohlmann	...	Waiter at Smolka's (uncredited)
Carol Reed	...	Opening Narrator - UK Version (voice) (uncredited)
Annie Rosar	...	Porter's Wife (uncredited)
Frederick Schreicker	...	Hansel's Father (uncredited)
Hugo Schuster	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Karel Stepanek	...	Actor at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
Gordon Tanner	...	International Patrol C (uncredited)
Ernst Ulman	...	Visitor at Literature Club (uncredited)
Helga Wahlrow	...	Josefstadt Theatre Actress (uncredited)
Jenny Werner	...	Hilde - Winkel's Maid (uncredited)

Directed by
Carol Reed

Writing credits
Graham Greene		(by)
Graham Greene		(screenplay)
Alexander Korda		story (uncredited)
Carol Reed		uncredited
Orson Welles		uncredited

Produced by
Hugh Perceval	....	associate producer
Carol Reed	....	producer
Alexander Korda	....	producer (uncredited)
David O. Selznick	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Anton Karas		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Robert Krasker		(photographed by)

Film Editing by
Oswald Hafenrichter

Set Decoration by
Dario Simoni		(uncredited)

Makeup Department
George Frost	....	makeup artist
Joe Shear	....	hairdresser (as J. Shear)
Peter Evans	....	assistant makeup artist (uncredited)

Production Management
T.S. Lyndon-Haynes	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Guy Hamilton	....	assistant director
Jack Causey	....	second assistant director (uncredited)
Jack N. Green	....	third assistant director (uncredited)
George Pollock	....	second unit director (uncredited)
Gino Wimmer	....	assistant director: Austria (uncredited)

Art Department
Joseph Bato	....	sets designed by with
Ferdinand Bellan	....	assistant art director
John Hawkesworth	....	sets designed by with
Vincent Korda	....	sets designed by
James Sawyer	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
Jack Drake	....	sound editor
Red Law	....	sound recording
Bert Ross	....	sound recording
Jack Davies	....	boom operator (uncredited)
John Glen	....	assistant sound editor (uncredited)

Visual Effects by
W. Percy Day	....	matte painter (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Denys N. Coop	....	camera operator (as Denys Coop)
Stanley Pavey	....	additional photography (as Stan Pavey)
Edward Scaife	....	camera operator (as E. Scaife)
John Wilcox	....	additional photography
Monty Berman	....	camera operator: "b" camera (uncredited)
J. Bicknell	....	camera loader (uncredited)
Alan McCabe	....	clapper loader (uncredited)
Geoff Meldrum	....	focus puller (uncredited)
John von Kotze	....	focus puller: second unit (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Ivy Baker	....	wardrobe
Gene Hornsby	....	assistant wardrobe: women (uncredited)
George Murrey	....	wardrobe master (uncredited)
Dickie Richardson	....	assistant wardrobe: men (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Peter Taylor	....	assembly cutter
Derek Armstrong	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Ken Behrens	....	assistant editor (uncredited)
Noreen Best	....	cutter (uncredited)
David Eady	....	assistant editor (uncredited)

Music Department
Anton Karas	....	music player: zither

Other crew
Alexander Korda	....	presenter
Peggy McClafferty	....	continuity
Elizabeth Montagu	....	advisor: Austrian
David O. Selznick	....	presenter
Angela Allen	....	script supervisor: second unit (uncredited)
Teresa Bolland	....	production secretary (uncredited)
Robert Dunbar	....	production assistant: second unit (uncredited)
Enid Jones	....	unit publicist (uncredited)

Production Companies

• London Film Productions (as A London Film Production)
• British Lion Film Corporation

Distributors

• British Lion Film Corporation (1949) (UK) (theatrical)
• Deutsche London-Film Verleih (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical)
• Sascha-Verleih (1950) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Selznick Releasing Organization (1950) (USA) (theatrical)
• Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation (1956) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Action Gitanes (????) (France) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Asociace Ceských Filmových Klubu (ACFK) (2007) (Czech Republic) (theatrical)
• Asociácia slovenských filmových klubov (ASFK) (2007) (Slovakia) (theatrical)
• Electric Pictures Ltd. (1994) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• New Star (2011) (Greece) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Optimum Releasing (1999) (UK) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Rialto Pictures (1999) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• BIM Distribuzione (2005) (Italy) (DVD)
• Canal+ (????) (France) (TV)
• Contender Entertainment Group (2005) (UK) (DVD) (re-release)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (DVD)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Criterion Collection, The (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (10 dvd box set)
• Criterion Collection, The (2008) (USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Divisa Home Video (2011) (Spain) (DVD)
• Front Row Filmed Entertainment (2008) (United Arab Emirates) (DVD) (Middle East)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Jef Films International (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Lion International Films
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (anniversary edition)
• Spiegel Media GmbH
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Vintage Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2002) (UK) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2004) (UK) (DVD) (special edition)
• Warner Home Video (????) (UK) (VHS)

Other Companies

• Warner Home Video  package design and summary
• Western Electric Recording  sound system

Also Known As:

"The 3rd Man" - USA (poster title)

Runtime:

104 min | USA:93 min

Country:

UK | USA

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 | Japan:G (2009) | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (re-rating) (re-release) (1994) | UK:PG (tv rating) | USA:Not Rated | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Norway:11 | Spain:13 | Sweden:15 | UK:PG (video rating) (1989) (2004) (2006) | USA:Approved (PCA #14125) | West Germany:12 | New Zealand:G

Filming Locations:

8 Schreyvogelgasse, Vienna, Austria

Company:

London Film Productions

Trivia:

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.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: In the two separate back projection shots of Calloway, Martens and Paine, supposedly traveling in a jeep at night in Vienna, a double-decker London bus can be seen in background.

Quotes:

Calloway:[to Holly Martins] You were born to be murdered.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "The Kids in the Hall: Episode #1.3" (1989)

Soundtrack:

Das Alte Lied

Astounding Visuals Make It A Treasure

Story - pretty good.

Cinematographry - amazing!

If you want to enjoy the camera-work, please see this on the Criterion DVD. That's not a plug for the company. It's just that no one else has ever offered a cleaner version of this film. After suffering for years with lousy VHS transfers of this gem, it was nice to see it given justice.

To me, the visuals here make this DVD worth owning because the story is okay, but nothing super. To an average first-time viewer, the first hour of this film can drag. I found that to be the case on my first viewing, but the more I watch this, the better the story seems to have gotten for some reason. Despite his billing, Orson Welles has a small role in here. He doesn't even appear until after 65 of the film's 104 minutes have elapsed. Meanwhile, Joseph Cotten dominates the story, along with Alida Valli, sort of a poor man's Ingrid Bergman. Those two are okay but the story picks up dramatically after Wells finally appears.

In addition to the fabulous cinematography, an unique feature of this movie is the music, which is very strange for a film noir. It's lighthearted music from a zither, almost circus-like in its sound and melody....but I liked it. It helps make this movie different.

The visuals involve a lot of nighttime photography, lots of shadows and cobblestone streets. The tilted camera angles and the closeups - all traits of Wells the director, are here to enjoy