The Third Man

The Third Man (Criterion #64).
1949 London Film Productions, Rialto Pictures, StudioCanal & Janus Films.
Starring: Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, Trevor Howard, Wilfrid Hyde-White, Bernard Lee
Director: Carol Reed
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American pulp western novelist Holly Martins (Cotten) has arrived in Vienna, just after the conclusion of World War II. He is there to meet an old friend, Harry Lime (Welles), who offered the writer an opportunity to work with him. Upon arrival at Lime's apartment, a shocked Martins learns that Lime was killed by a truck while crossing the street. At Lime's funeral, Martins meets two British MPs, Sergeant Paine (Lee), a big fan of Martins' books, and his superior Major Calloway (Howard). After returning to the hotel, Calloway advises Martins to leave Vienna, as he can do nothing more than get into trouble.

Martins starts investigating, and meeting with people close to Lime to discuss his sudden demise, including actress Anna Schmidt (Valli), who was also at the funeral. He becomes suspicious and wonders if Lime's death had really been an accident, especially after learning that three men were spotted carrying the body across the street, and not two as other witnesses had described. After a porter who works in Lime's apartment building is found murdered, Martins is suspected of being the culprit. He escapes the mob, and runs across Calloway again, who again urges the writer to leave Vienna. When Martins refuses, Calloway reveals the truth about Lime's dealings before his death, and how he would steal penicillin from military hospitals, and sold it in diluted form, killing or injuring many people. Convinced, Martins finally agrees to leave Vienna. Before departing, he goes to Anna's apartment to say goodbye, only to find a man lurking in the darkness, who is revealed to be Harry Lime (the third man!), alive and well.

Lime disappears into the night, and Calloway is called to the scene by Martins, who deduces that Lime used the sewer tunnels to move around undetected. The police find the body of an orderly in a military hospital in Lime's coffin. Lime himself tries to bring Martins in on his racket, but the author refuses, and reluctantly takes part in a sting operation to bring Lime to justice. The final conflict does not end well for any of the three main characters.

A well-written and performed thriller. Highly, highly recommended movie.