The Third Man Overview:

The Third Man (1949) was a Film Noir - Mystery Film directed by Carol Reed and produced by Carol Reed, David O. Selznick, Alexander Korda and Hugh Perceval.

The film was based on the novel of the same name written by Graham Greene published in 1949.

Academy Awards 1950 --- Ceremony Number 23 (source: AMPAS)

AwardRecipientResult
Best CinematographyRobert KraskerWon
Best DirectorCarol ReedNominated
Best Film EditingOswald HafenrichterNominated
.

BlogHub Articles:

The Third Man

By Barry P. on Dec 4, 2022 From Cinematic Catharsis

(1949) Directed by Carol Reed; Screenplay by Graham Greene; Based on a novella by Graham Greene; Starring: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Paul H?rbiger, Ernst Deutsch, Erich Ponto; Available on Blu-ray and DVD Rating: ***** “Carol Reed is the kind of director who&... Read full article


The Third Man At 70

By 4 Star Film Fan on Oct 16, 2019 From 4 Star Films

Oh, how I love The?Third Man (or The 3rd Man). Regardless of how you write it, Carol Reed‘s post-war noir is one of those special films that was a case of love at first sight.? I knew some of the reasons already, but watching the film with a friend (on his first viewing) teased them out even m... Read full article


The Third Man (1949): Out of the Rubble

By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 2, 2017 From 4 Star Films

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? T... Read full article


The Third Man (1949): Out of the Rubble

By 4 Star Film Fan on Nov 2, 2017 From 4 Star Films

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? T... Read full article


The Third Man (1949, Carol Reed)

By Andrew Wickliffe on Jul 16, 2016 From The Stop Button

The Third Man runs just over a hundred minutes and takes place over a few days. It’s never clear just how many; director Reed and writer Graham Greene are both resistant to the idea of making the film too procedural. Greene’s scenes, even when they’re expository, still strive again... Read full article


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Quotes from

Crabbin: [inviting Holly Martins to give a lecture at the local Cultural Reeducation Society] We do a little show each week. Last week we had "Hamlet." The week before we had... something.
Sgt. Paine: The striptease, sir.
Crabbin: Yes, the Hindu dancers. Thank you, sergeant.


Harry Lime: What did you want me to do? Be reasonable. You didn't expect me to give myself up... 'It's a far, far better thing that I do.' The old limelight. The fall of the curtain. Oh, Holly, you and I aren't heroes. The world doesn't make any heroes outside of your stories.


Anna Schmidt: You know, you ought to get yourself a girl.


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Facts about

The ending was the subject of contention during production. Surprisingly, Graham Greene, known for his bleak, depressing stories, wanted the film to have a "happy ending", with Holly Martins embracing Anna Schmidt after Lime's funeral; whereas David O. Selznick, known for his love of "Hollywood endings", advocated that Anna should ignore Holly after the funeral. Carol Reed agreed with Selznick and the sad ending was used. Reed, however, felt insecure about the length of the nearly 2-minute shoot he filmed where Martins waits for Anna and she walks by him without acknowledging his presence.
The tunnels featured in this film are part of the Wienkanal, which channels the Wien River through central Vienna out to the Danube River. The main tunnel is the huge arched structure through which the river flows a distance of about 1.6km. The gated side passages are connections to a wet weather sewer overflow, and the chamber with the balconies is the overflow point. The spiral staircase is one of 6 exits from the main culvert. Tours are run through the system on a daily basis. Events are occasionally held down the tunnels in commemoration of the film and its characters.
The original script included a return appearance by Charters and Caldicott, the two English cricket enthusiasts who first appeared in Alfred Hitchcock's The Lady Vanishes, and later in Carol Reed's Night Train to Munich. However, the two characters were streamlined into the role of Mr. Crabbin, played by Wilfrid Hyde-White.
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