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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 100 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 Jul 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) Sep 8, 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 Aug 6, 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 Sean Burns WBUR’s Arts & Culture Sep 2, 2026
A chatty, propulsive mystery that still crackles with insouciant energy. Go to Full Review Maxwell Paparella Screen Slate Aug 21, 2026
Orson Welles and Cotten reprise the dynamic they had originated in Citizen Kane (1941): the maniacal ego, fit to burst, and the timorous, ineffectual voice of conscience, recovering from a lifetime of hero worship. Go to Full Review Chance Solem-Pfeifer Willamette Week Jul 1, 2026
To say “nothing is as it seems” would be accurate but trite. The deeper power of The Third Man is more like “nothing is as it was.” Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Jacqueline R May 21, 2024 It was interesting and has a good twist to it. See more Lam N May 21, 2024 the choice for music is baffling. really takes you out of the movie. See more David M @vicardave Sep 14, 2026 What a pleasure it is to come to a film like this with so little real knowledge of it other than its reputation. It is, of course, magnificent. It's strange, often disorienting air enhanced by its technical brilliance and the performances. The plot is simple but absorbingly effective, and the whole adds up to a justified tag of masterpiece. Little to say about it, other than its brilliance. See more Grant H @RT95929188 Sep 4, 2026 Call me a Philistine but it was a dull experience that only became more interesting with the arrival of Orson Welles in the final 30 minutes and his nihilistic observations on humanity and morality. See more Chloe H @RT87865665 Aug 15, 2026 This movie is absolute perfection. The music, the story, the acting, the direction. Perfection! See more Alexander G @agregory Jul 3, 2026 The greatest ending scene in any movie – I sometimes rewatch just that. The scene where Harry Lime’s face is revealed by the light from the window above is one of my favorite scenes of all time, and the instrumental theme song is also my favorite theme song. See more Read all reviews
The Third Man

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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

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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
Rerelease Date (Theaters)
Jun 12, 2026
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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