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The Third Man

  • 19491949
  • ApprovedApproved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
174K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,052
525
The Third Man (1949)
Trailer for The Third Man: 4k Restoration
Play trailer1:31
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Film-NoirMysteryThriller
Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.Pulp novelist Holly Martins travels to shadowy, postwar Vienna, only to find himself investigating the mysterious death of an old friend, Harry Lime.
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
174K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,052
525
  • Director
    • Carol Reed
  • Writers
    • Graham Greene(by)
    • Orson Welles(uncredited)
    • Alexander Korda(story)
  • Stars
    • Orson Welles
    • Joseph Cotten
    • Alida Valli
  • Director
    • Carol Reed
  • Writers
    • Graham Greene(by)
    • Orson Welles(uncredited)
    • Alexander Korda(story)
  • Stars
    • Orson Welles
    • Joseph Cotten
    • Alida Valli
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 533User reviews
    • 215Critic reviews
    • 97Metascore
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #191
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 5 wins & 4 nominations total

    Videos3

    The Third Man: 4k Restoration
    Trailer 1:31
    Watch The Third Man: 4k Restoration
    The Third Man
    Trailer 2:24
    Watch The Third Man
    The Third Man - Rialto Pictures Trailer
    Trailer 1:30
    Watch The Third Man - Rialto Pictures Trailer

    Photos245

    Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli in The Third Man (1949)
    The Third Man (1949)
    Joseph Cotten in The Third Man (1949)
    Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949)
    Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949)
    Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949)
    Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949)
    The Third Man (1949)
    Orson Welles in The Third Man (1949)
    The Third Man (1949)
    Joseph Cotten and Alida Valli in The Third Man (1949)
    Joseph Cotten and Trevor Howard in The Third Man (1949)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Orson Welles
    Orson Welles
    • Harry Lime
    Joseph Cotten
    Joseph Cotten
    • Holly Martins
    Alida Valli
    Alida Valli
    • Anna Schmidt
    • (as Valli)
    Trevor Howard
    Trevor Howard
    • Maj. Calloway
    Paul Hörbiger
    Paul Hörbiger
    • Karl
    • (as Paul Hoerbiger)
    Ernst Deutsch
    Ernst Deutsch
    • Baron Kurtz
    Erich Ponto
    Erich Ponto
    • Dr. Winkel
    Siegfried Breuer
    Siegfried Breuer
    • Popescu
    Hedwig Bleibtreu
    Hedwig Bleibtreu
    • Anna's Landlady
    Bernard Lee
    Bernard Lee
    • Sgt. Paine
    Wilfrid Hyde-White
    Wilfrid Hyde-White
    • Crabbin
    Nelly Arno
    • Kurtz's Mother
    • (uncredited)
    Jack Arrow
    • International Patrol A
    • (uncredited)
    Harold Ayer
    Harold Ayer
    • Soldier
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Belcher
    • Man Chasing Holly
    • (uncredited)
    Leo Bieber
    • Casanova Barman
    • (uncredited)
    Paul Birch
    Paul Birch
    • Military Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    Martin Boddey
    Martin Boddey
    • Russian Military Policeman
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Carol Reed
    • Writers
      • Graham Greene(by) (screen play)
      • Orson Welles(uncredited)
      • Alexander Korda(story) (uncredited)
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

    Double Take: Showstopping Biopic Transformations

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    Photos

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The Vienna Police Dept. has a special unit that is assigned solely to patrol the city's intricate sewer system, as its network of interlocking tunnels make great hiding places for criminals on the run from the law, stolen property, drugs, etc. The "actors" playing police officers in the film were actually off-duty members of that unit.
    • Goofs
      In the two separate back projection shots of Calloway, Martins and Paine, supposedly traveling in a jeep at night in Vienna, a double-decker London bus can be seen in the background.
    • Quotes

      Harry Lime: Don't be so gloomy. After all, it's not that awful. Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long, Holly.

    • Crazy credits
      Opening credits prologue: V I E N N A
    • Alternate versions
      The UK version features introductory voice-over by the director Carol Reed; in the US version Joseph Cotten provides the voice-over, as his character Holly Martins. The UK version runs 104 minutes, versus the US version at 93 minutes, which was cut by producer David O. Selznick to give the film a tighter pace. Both versions have been released on video in the U.S., but as of today the most common is the longer British cut. A video comparison between the narrations appears on the U.S. Criterion Collection DVD.
    • Connections
      Edited into American Cinema: Film Noir (1995)
    • Soundtracks
      The Third Man Theme
      (1949) (uncredited)
      Written by Anton Karas
      Performed by Anton Karas on a zither

    User reviews533

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10
    Oblique Noir...
    Holly Martins has just arrived in Vienna, but he's found himself with a small dilemma, his mate Harry has just died, with a car he did collide, although the circumstance is causing him some bother. As he peels back several lids of several cans, it transpires Harry was a wanted man, had his fingers in some pies, to do with medical supplies, the authorities were not his biggest fan.

    Dark and deceptive goings on, above and below the streets of Vienna post WWII, with some outstanding and perpetually incredible performances against a background of shadows, shifting perspectives and immoral behaviour.
    helpful•12
    2
    • Xstal
    • Dec 24, 2022

    FAQ8

    • What is 'The Third Man' about?
    • Is "The Third Man" based on a book?
    • Was post-war Vienna really divided into four sections?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • September 3, 1949 (Turkey)
    • Country of origin
      • United Kingdom
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Russian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • The 3rd Man
    • Filming locations
      • 8 Schreyvogelgasse, Vienna, Austria(doorway where Harry Lime first appears)
    • Production company
      • London Film Productions
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Gross US & Canada
      • $1,067,364
    • Opening weekend US & Canada
      • $13,576
      • May 9, 1999
    • Gross worldwide
      • $1,226,507
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 33 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.37 : 1

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