The Third Man

The Third Man
The Third Man
	Theatrical release poster
Directed by	Carol Reed
Screenplay by	Graham Greene
Produced by	Carol Reed; Alexander Korda; David O. Selznick;
Starring	Joseph Cotten; Alida Valli; Orson Welles; Trevor Howard;
Cinematography	Robert Krasker
Edited by	Oswald Hafenrichter
Music by	Anton Karas
Production; company	London Films
Distributed by	British Lion Film Corporation (United Kingdom); Selznick Releasing Organization (United States);
Release dates	1 September 1949 (United Kingdom); 2 February 1950 (United States);
Running time	104 minutes
Countries	United Kingdom; United States;
Languages	English; German;
Box office	£277,549 (UK) (equivalent to £12,386,000 in 2023)

The Third Man is a 1949 film noir directed by Carol Reed, written by Graham Greene, and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles and Trevor Howard, set in post-war Vienna. The film centres on an American, Holly Martins (Cotten), who arrives in the city to accept a job with his friend Harry Lime (Welles), only to learn that Lime has died. Martins decides to stay in Vienna and investigate his death.

The atmospheric use of black-and-white expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, harsh lighting, and subtle "Dutch angle" camera technique are major features of The Third Man, combined with the theme music by Anton Karas, bombed-out locations, and acclaimed performances from the cast. The style evokes the atmosphere of an exhausted, cynical, post-war Vienna at the start of the Cold War.

Greene wrote the novella as preparation for the screenplay. Karas's title composition "The Third Man Theme" topped the international music charts in 1950, bringing international fame to the previously unknown performer. The Third Man is considered one of the greatest films of all time, celebrated for its acting, musical score, and atmospheric cinematography.^[6]

In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Third Man the greatest British film of all time. In 2011, a poll for Time Out ranked it the second-best British film ever.^[7]

^ "Alexander Korda Credits". -B.F.I. Accessed 10 January 2016
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d "The Third Man (1949)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
^ "The Third Man". Art & Hue. 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
^ ^a ^b "The Third Man (1949)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.
^ Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p489
^ Halliwell, Leslie and John Walker, ed. (1994). Halliwell's Film Guide. New York: Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-06-273241-2. p 1192.
^ "100 best British films: the full list". Time Out. London. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011.

[1] "Alexander Korda Credits". -B.F.I. Accessed 10 January 2016

[afi-2] "The Third Man (1949)". AFI Catalog of Feature Films. Retrieved 7 October 2023.

[Art_&_Hue-3] "The Third Man". Art & Hue. 2018. Retrieved 2 February 2018.

[bfi-4] "The Third Man (1949)". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on 2 March 2016. Retrieved 22 March 2020.

[5] Vincent Porter, 'The Robert Clark Account', Historical Journal of Film, Radio and Television, Vol 20 No 4, 2000 p489

[6] Halliwell, Leslie and John Walker, ed. (1994). Halliwell's Film Guide. New York: Harper Perennial. ISBN 0-06-273241-2. p 1192.

[Time_Out_(2011)-7] "100 best British films: the full list". Time Out. London. 9 February 2011. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011.

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