The Third Man
About The Third Man
In postwar Vienna, Austria, Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime, only to learn he has died. Martins develops a conspiracy theory after learning of a "third man" present at the time of Harry's death, running into interference from British officer Major Calloway, and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna.
The Third Man is a 1949 mystery thriller film directed by Carol Reed. The film is filed under film noir, missing person, grim, and cemetery.
Joseph Cotten stars as Holly Martins, Alida Valli as Anna Schmidt, Trevor Howard as Major Calloway, and Orson Welles as Harry Lime. At 105 minutes long, it arrived in August 1949.
The screenplay is by Graham Greene. American members can watch it on Artiflix, BFI Player Amazon Channel, and Cineverse.
Night of the Living Dead, Dark Waters, and M make useful companions to The Third Man, all filed under black and white and suspenseful. TMDB voters put it at 7.9 out of 10 across 2,213 votes and it carries a NR rating.