The Third Man

Selected by the Executives Branch. 
Free for Museum Members.

Graham Greene set his screenplay for this original thriller in post-WWII Vienna, effortlessly mixing intrigue and romance in his tale of a naïve writer trying to solve the murder of an old friend. Joseph Cotten is our hapless hero, Alida Valli is the mysterious woman he hopelessly falls for, and Orson Welles is the shadowy figure who may hold the key to the mystery. Produced in partnership by two iconic showmen, David O. Selznick and Alexander Korda, the film won an Oscar for Robert Krasker’s moody black-and-white cinematography and was nominated for Carol Reed’s direction and Oswald Hafenrichter’s editing.