The Third Man (1949)

Director:

Carol Reed

Writers:

Graham Greene (by)
Graham Greene (screen play)
(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:

Death | Black Market | Writer | Police | Czech

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		(screen play)
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	....	set designer
Ferdinand Bellan	....	assistant art director
John Hawkesworth	....	set designer
Vincent Korda	....	set designer
James Sawyer	....	assistant art director

Sound Department
John Cox	....	sound supervisor
Jack Drake	....	sound editor
Red Law	....	sound recordist
Bert Ross	....	sound recordist
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	....	theme music: Zither Music Played by

Other crew
Alexander Korda	....	presented by
Peggy McClafferty	....	continuity
Elizabeth Montagu	....	advisor: Austrian
David O. Selznick	....	presented by
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

• Carol Reed's Production
• London Film Productions (as A London Film Production)

Distributors

• British Lion Film Corporation (1949) (UK) (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)
• Deutsche London-Film Verleih (1950) (West Germany) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• 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)
• Sascha-Verleih (1950) (Austria) (theatrical) (dubbed)
• 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)
• Geneon Universal Entertainment (2913) (Japan) (DVD) (Blu-ray)
• Home Vision Entertainment (HVE) (1995) (USA) (VHS)
• Jef Films International (2005) (USA) (VHS)
• Lion International Films
• Lionsgate (2010) (USA) (DVD) (licensce from: StudioCanal) (Blu-ray)
• Optimum Home Entertainment (2006) (UK) (DVD) (anniversary edition)
• Spiegel Media GmbH
• StudioCanal (2010) (Non-USA) (DVD) (Blu-ray: StudioCanal Collection)
• Universal Pictures Benelux (2006) (Netherlands) (DVD)
• VCI Home Video (1999) (USA) (VHS)
• Video Warehouse Inc. (????) (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

• Western Electric Recording  sound system

Also Known As:

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

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:

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 | 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

Filming Locations:

8 Schreyvogelgasse, Vienna, Austria

Company:

Carol Reed's Production

Trivia:

Harry Lime's character name may be derived from Graham Greene's own name. Henry=Harry Graham Greene (Green)= Lime. Others say he chose the surname because it "reminded him of the quicklime where murderers were buried."

Goofs:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): The line about the cuckoo clock being Switzerland's only contribution to culture is factually incorrect: the cuckoo clock comes from the Black Forest, across the border in S.W. Germany.

Quotes:

Harry Lime:What did you want me to do? Be reasonable. You didn't expect me to give myself up... 'It's a far, far better thing that I do.' The old limelight. The fall of the curtain. Oh, Holly, you and I aren't heroes. The world doesn't make any heroes outside of your stories.

Movie Connections:

Featured in AFI's 100 Years... 100 Movies: America's Greatest Movies (1998) (TV)

Soundtrack:

Das Alte Lied

A movie ahead of its time

The Third Man is a movie that looks and feels not like a movie of the 40s, but like a neo-noir of the late 60s/early 70s. This wonderful example of classic noir is one of the all time greatest films. It combines amazing visuals, sounds, dialogue, and acting to tell a thrilling story and comment about the atmosphere after WWII.

Of all the movies durring the studio era (pre-1960ish), there are three movies with cinematography that always stick out in my mind: Gregg Toland's work in Citizen Kane, Russel Mety's work in Touch of Evil, and Robert Krasker's work in The Third Man (all starring Orson Welles funny enough). I just recently saw a restored 35mm version of The Third Man. The crisp black and white visuals of a bombed out Vienna are so breath-taking. Shadows are everywhere. The unique way Krasker tilts the camera in some shots adding to the disorientation of the plot. And who can forget the first close-up of Welles with the light from an apartment room above splashing onto his face; one of the great entrances in movie history (Lime gives his old friend a smile that only Welles could give).

The cinematography is backed by strong performances by Welles, Cotten, and italian actress Vali. The writing of Greene is wonderful; you can see the plot twisting around Cotten tightly. But what makes The Third Man so great is its historical commentary (well not really historical since it was commenting on its own time, but to us it is historical). On one level The Third Man is a story of betrayal and corruption in a post-war, occupied Vienna. On the other hand, its giving the audience a glimpse of the mood of Europe after the great war. The uncertainty that the Cold War was bringing is evident through out the film; Cotten is constantly trying to figure out who to trust. Vienna is on the frontier of the new communist bloc (we even see the communists infiltrating Vienna trying to bring Vali back to her native Czechoslavakia). The zither music score combined with the stark images of bombed out Vienna are reminiscent of the frontier towns of American Westerns. So The Third Man is not only a wonderful film noir, but a unique look at the brief time between WWII and the height of the Cold War.