The Third Man poster
7.9/10 1949 1h 45m Released

Hunted by men ... Sought by WOMEN!

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.

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Top Cast

Joseph Cotten
Joseph Cotten
Holly Martins
Alida Valli
Alida Valli
Anna Schmidt
Trevor Howard
Trevor Howard
Major Calloway
Orson Welles
Orson Welles
Harry Lime
Paul Hörbiger
Paul Hörbiger
Karl the Porter
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
Sergeant Paine
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Crabbin
Alexis Chesnakov
Alexis Chesnakov
Col. Brodsky the Russian Liaison Officer (uncredited)
Thomas Gallagher
Thomas Gallagher
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
Herbert Halbik
Herbert Halbik
Hänsel the Little Boy with Ball (uncredited)
Hannah Norbert
Hannah Norbert
Actress at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
Eric Pohlmann
Eric Pohlmann
Waiter at Smolka's (uncredited)

Reviews

CharlesTheBold

Holly Martens (Joseph Cotten) receives a job offer from his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) in postwar occupied Vienna. He arrives there only to find that Lime is dead and every witness has a different story. Being a pulp writer, Holly thinks he can solve the mystery. But this is a Graham Greene story, and the mystery is not just a whodunit but an exploration of evil. Tangling with a nihilistic band of…

John Chard

Nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don't. Why should we? The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles. Music is by Anton Karas and cinematography by Robert Krasker. When writer Holly Martins (Cotton) travels to Vienna to hook up with his childhood friend Harry Lime (Welles), he is distressed to find…

John Chard

Nobody thinks in terms of human beings. Governments don't. Why should we? The Third Man is directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotton, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Orson Welles. Music is by Anton Karas and cinematography by Robert Krasker. When writer Holly Martins (Cotton) travels to Vienna to hook up with his childhood friend Harry Lime (Welles), he is distressed to find…

CinemaSerf 7/10

Joseph Cotton ("Holly") arrives in post war Vienna to meet up with his former school friend "Harry Lime" - only to discover that he was recently killed in an automobile accident. Without his promised job, he starts to chat with the friends of the dead man and swiftly spots some inconsistencies that lead him to become suspicious. He determines to try and find out just quite what happened. It becomes harder and harder…

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FAQ about The Third Man

What is The Third Man about?
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…
When was The Third Man released?
The Third Man was released in 1949.
What genres does The Third Man belong to?
The Third Man is categorised as Thriller, Mystery.
Who stars in The Third Man?
The cast of The Third Man includes Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Orson Welles, Paul Hörbiger.