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The Third Man

  • 1949
  • Approved
  • 1h 33m
IMDb RATING
8.1/10
186K
YOUR RATING
POPULARITY
1,879
464
The Third Man (1949)
Trailer for The Third Man: 4k Restoration
Play trailer1:31
3 Videos
99+ Photos
Film NoirHard-boiled DetectiveWhodunnitMysteryThriller

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.

  • Director
    • Carol Reed
  • Writers
    • Graham Greene
    • Orson Welles
    • Alexander Korda
  • Stars
    • Orson Welles
    • Joseph Cotten
    • Alida Valli
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • IMDb RATING
    8.1/10
    186K
    YOUR RATING
    POPULARITY
    1,879
    464
    • Director
      • Carol Reed
    • Writers
      • Graham Greene
      • Orson Welles
      • Alexander Korda
    • Stars
      • Orson Welles
      • Joseph Cotten
      • Alida Valli
    • 569User reviews
    • 216Critic reviews
    • 97Metascore
  • See production info at IMDbPro
    • Top rated movie #211
    • 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

    Photos249

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    Top cast52

    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
      • Orson Welles
      • Alexander Korda
    • All cast & crew
    • Production, box office & more at IMDbPro

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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 reviews569

    Review
    Review
    Featured review
    8/10

    Orson Welles story in post war Vienna.

    A real classic, beautifully presented. Cinematography, music, story and cast were all pretty much perfect.

    In the story our protagonist (Joseph Cotten), a writer, travels to Vienna a city still recovering from the effects of the war, now divided into separate zones.

    Our protagonist has come to attend the funeral of his charismatic friend, who was seemingly killed in an accident. However something doesn't seem right and foul play it soon suspected. An alluring young woman is introduced (Alida Valli) who herself has secrets she wishes to keep. A web of lies and corruption begin to unravel and our hero must make a choice about how loyal he can remain to his old friend.
    • LW-08854
    • Dec 26, 2023
    • Permalink

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    FAQ26

    • How long is The Third Man?Powered by Alexa
    • 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
      • February 1, 1950 (United States)
    • Countries of origin
      • United Kingdom
      • United States
    • Official site
      • StudioCanal International (France)
    • Languages
      • English
      • German
      • Russian
      • French
    • Also known as
      • El tercer hombre
    • 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
      • $1,406,393
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Tech specs

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

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