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The Third Man

Play trailer 1:29 Poster for The Third Man 1949 1h 44m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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99% Tomatometer 97 Reviews 93% Popcornmeter 50,000+ Ratings
Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find him dead. 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 Maj. Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna (Alida Valli).

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The Third Man

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Critics Consensus

This atmospheric thriller is one of the undisputed masterpieces of cinema, and boasts iconic performances from Joseph Cotten and Orson Welles.

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Critics Reviews

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Richard L. Coe Washington Post 07/26/2022
It’s all neatly sewn together and recalls the early Hitchcock spy chasers, The Lady Vanishes and the 39 Steps. The playing is fitted nicely to the director’s and writer’s specifications and there are some appealing portraits limned by Austrian actors. Go to Full Review Ed Potton The Times (UK) 09/08/2019
5/5
Seventy years on such sombreness seems timely, as does Harry Lime, Welles's deliciously elusive antihero. Go to Full Review Mark Feeney Boston Globe 08/06/2015
4/4
Krasker's camera reveals a dank, matte, defeated city - so dully vivid as to be a character unto itself - except that this Vienna becomes something altogether different seen at night or underground. Go to Full Review Sarah Boslaugh TheArtsStl Oct 11
9/10
...The Third Man is a banquet that offers so much of everything that you will never run out of things to enjoy within it, even as you may have already had too much of some other things it offers. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 03/27/2025
4/4
One of those rare birds that improves with subsequent viewings, which is saying a lot since an initial viewing immediately pegs it as a cinematic masterpiece. Go to Full Review Brian Susbielles InSession Film 09/04/2024
A+
In a film born out of rebuilding the future, Green, Reed, and the entire cast produce the fatalism of idealism of what a just world should have been, but that this life is, as always, a zero-sum game. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jacqueline R 05/21/2024 It was interesting and has a good twist to it. See more Lam N 05/21/2024 the choice for music is baffling. really takes you out of the movie. See more Johannes S @RT64416087 Feb 2 Holds up surprisingly well for such an old movie! Easy to see that it was groundbreaking during it's height. See more Luca D @JoeCamel7 Jan 22 Another great Welles movie with the only flaw being the Welles cliche in his movies where even though he's a horrible person, everyone adores him for some reason. I guess it's just a narcissistic thing he adds into all of his movies and it kinda ruins every movie of his. Other than that the soundtrack, plot, acting and cinematography were all top notch. See more jesse P. @jpilla76 Oct 15 One of my all time favs,maybe my all time favorite.plenty of classic scenes and maybe the best ending scene.great score and cinematography as well See more Arlen S @RT75490561 Sep 11 Simply one of the best movies ever made. Stands up completely today. My son saw this for the first time at 8 in the theater and he's watched it several times since. Shots of war ravaged Vienna that are actual war ravaged Vienna make this all the more important. Great acting throughout all with Orson Welles at his best, both incredible charming and magnetic yet vile and repulsive. The music puts an already great movie over the top. See more Read all reviews
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Cast & Crew

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Carol Reed

Director

Orson Welles

The Third Man

Joseph Cotten

Holly Martins

Trevor Howard

Major Calloway

Alida Valli

Anna Schmidt

Paul Hoerbiger

Porter

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The Third Man

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The Third Man

The Third Man (1949) The Third Man (1949) The Third Man (1949) Scene from the film THE THIRD MAN. Scene from the film THE THIRD MAN. Scene from the film THE THIRD MAN. View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Set in postwar Vienna, Austria, "The Third Man" stars Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins, a writer of pulp Westerns, who arrives penniless as a guest of his childhood chum Harry Lime (Orson Welles), only to find him dead. 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 Maj. Calloway (Trevor Howard) and falling head-over-heels for Harry's grief-stricken lover, Anna (Alida Valli).
Director
Carol Reed
Producer
Alexander Korda, Carol Reed, David O. Selznick
Screenwriter
Graham Greene, Alexander Korda, Graham Greene
Distributor
Spiegel Media GmbH, Continental Home Vídeo [br], Warner Home Vídeo, Selznick International Pictures, British Lion Films Ltd., Vintage Video
Production Co
London Film Production, British Lion Film Corporation
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Feb 1, 1949, Wide
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 1, 2009
Box Office (Gross USA)
$447.0K
Runtime
1h 44m
Sound Mix
Mono
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.37:1)
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