The Third Man
Quick Summary
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. The film stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, an American writer who travels to post-World War II Vienna to visit his friend Harry Lime, only to discover Lime has died under mysterious circumstances.
Martins begins to investigate Lime's death, uncovering a complex web of deceit and crime in the occupied city. He encounters various characters, including Lime's lover, Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), and the British police, who are also investigating Lime's activities. The film is renowned for its atmospheric cinematography, particularly its use of shadows and Dutch angles, and its iconic zither score by Anton Karas. Orson Welles makes a memorable appearance as the enigmatic Harry Lime. The film won the Grand Prix at the Cannes Film Festival in 1949.12
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
Joseph Cottenā¦naive writer in Carol Reedās The Third Man (1949). Cottenās other memorable roles included a shell-shocked veteran in Iāll Be Seeing You (1944), a serious Scotland Yard detective in Gaslight (1944), and the steady friend of a soldierās wife in Since You Went Away (1944). In Love Letters (1945), heā¦
Read Moreā¦naive writer in Carol Reedās The Third Man (1949). Cottenās other memorable roles included a shell-shocked veteran in Iāll Be Seeing You (1944), a serious Scotland Yard detective in Gaslight (1944), and the steady friend of a soldierās wife in Since You Went Away (1944). In Love Letters (1945), heā¦
Read More
Trevor Howardā¦in such motion pictures as The Third Man (1949), The Heart of the Matter (1953), The Key (1958), for which he won a British Academy Award, and Sons and Lovers (1960). In his later years he often portrayed a stiff-necked English military officer, notably in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962),ā¦
Read Moreā¦in such motion pictures as The Third Man (1949), The Heart of the Matter (1953), The Key (1958), for which he won a British Academy Award, and Sons and Lovers (1960). In his later years he often portrayed a stiff-necked English military officer, notably in Mutiny on the Bounty (1962),ā¦
Read More
Orson WellesFilms of the later 1940s: The Stranger, The Lady from Shanghai, and Macbethā¦famously Carol Reedās classic thriller The Third Man (1949), as the amoral Harry Lime. Welles would spend much of the next 25 years in Europe.
Read Moreā¦famously Carol Reedās classic thriller The Third Man (1949), as the amoral Harry Lime. Welles would spend much of the next 25 years in Europe.
Read More