#64: REED, Carol: The Third Man (1949)

REED, Carol (United Kingdom)

The Third Man [1949]

Spine #64
DVD
OOP

Orson Welles stars as Harry Lime and Joseph Cotten plays his childhood friend, Holly Martins, in this all-time classic thriller scripted by Graham Greene and directed by Carol Reed. Martins searches for Lime through the seedy underworld of postwar Vienna and gets caught up in a web of love, deception, racketeering, and murder. The Third Man's stunning cinematography, twisting plot, and unforgettable zither score are immortalized in Criterion's pristine special edition, following the 50th anniversary theatrical re-release.

104 minutes
Black & White

Monaural

1:33:1 aspect ratio

Criterion Release 1999

Director/Writers

Screenplay by Graham Greene.

Carol Reed was 43 when he directed The Third Man.

Other Reed films in the Collection:

#523: Night Train To Munich (1940)
#754: Odd Man Out (1947)
#357: The Fallen Idol (1948)

The Film

Film Rating (0-60):

60

The Extras

The Booklet

Six-page wraparound featuring an essay by Michael Wilmington.

Commentary

Video introduction

By writer-director Peter Bogdanovich.

Abridged reading

Of Greene’s treatment, read by actor Richard Clarke.

The Third Man on the radio

(1) the 1951 “A Ticket to Tangiers” episode of The Lives of Harry Lime series, written and performed by Welles; and

(2) the 1951 Lux Radio Theatre adaptation of The Third Man.

Joseph Cotton’s

Alternate opening voiceover narration for the U.S. version.

Archival footage

Of composer Anton Karas and the film’s famous sewer location.

Collection

Of rare behind-the-scenes photos, with a brief production history.

Restoration demonstration

Original and re-release theatrical trailers
 

Extras Rating (0-40):

39

60 + 39 =

99

By Director
By Spine #