The Third Man
“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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Cast
27 people
Joseph Cotten
Holly Martins
Known for
Citizen Kane
Shadow of a Doubt
Alida Valli
Anna Schmidt
Known for
Eyes Without a Face
Suspiria
Trevor Howard
Major Calloway
Known for
Gandhi
Brief Encounter
Orson Welles
Harry Lime
Known for
Citizen Kane
Touch of Evil
Paul Hörbiger
Karl the Porter
Known for
Spies
The Story of Vickie
Ernst Deutsch
'Baron' Kurtz
Known for
The Golem: How He Came into the World
Isle of the Dead
Erich Ponto
Dr. Winkel
Known for
The Punch Bowl
Siegfried Breuer
Popescu
Also in
Orient Express
Philine
Hedwig Bleibtreu
Anna's Landlady
Also in
Fahrt ins Leben
The Angel with the Trumpet
Bernard Lee
Sergeant Paine
Known for
From Russia with Love
Whistle Down the Wind
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Crabbin
Known for
My Fair Lady
Buck Rogers in the 25th Century
Alexis Chesnakov
Col. Brodsky the Russian Liaison Officer (uncredited)
Also in
Never Let Me Go
Operation Diplomat
Carol Reed Director · Graham Greene Screenplay Anton Karas Composer
Worldwide gross $1.2M · United States release February 2, 1950 · Produced in United Kingdom
Box office
Worldwide gross
$1,226,098
Production
London Films Productions
Production
British Lion Films
Production
London Film Productions
Production
United Kingdom
Produced in
Languages
Original language
English
Spoken on screen
English · German · Russian
Release dates
Germany · August 31, 1949
Theatrical
United Kingdom · September 1, 1949
Theatrical
United States · February 2, 1950
Theatrical
United States
May 7, 1999 · Theatrical · re-release
Australia
March 3, 1950 · Theatrical
October 26, 1984 · Physical · VHS
Austria
March 10, 1950 · Theatrical
Brazil
January 1, 1950 · Theatrical
Canada
February 2, 1950 · Theatrical
November 22, 2024 · Theatrical · 75th Anniversary Re-Release
China
October 24, 2026 · Premiere · Classic Film Festival (4K Restoration)
Denmark
October 19, 1949 · Theatrical
Finland
January 13, 1950 · Theatrical
France
September 2, 1949 · Premiere · Cannes Film Festival
October 12, 1949 · Theatrical
Greece
February 5, 1950 · Theatrical
Ireland
December 30, 1949 · Theatrical
Italy
November 30, 1949 · Theatrical
Japan
September 9, 1952 · Theatrical
Netherlands
June 29, 2002 · TV · Nederland 2
July 25, 2002 · Physical · DVD
February 13, 2013 · Physical · Blu ray
September 19, 2024 · Theatrical · 4K restoration
Norway
October 26, 1949 · Theatrical
Slovakia
September 13, 2007 · Theatrical
South Korea
August 9, 2008 · Theatrical
Sweden
October 26, 1949 · Theatrical
United Kingdom
September 2, 1949 · Theatrical · London
March 18, 1994 · Theatrical · re-release
July 16, 1999 · Theatrical · re-release
June 21, 2015 · Premiere · Edinburgh International Film Festival
June 26, 2015 · Digital · digitally re-mastered version
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Some details come from TheTVDB.