The Third Man – Theatre Aficionado at Large

“The Third Man”

British director Carol Reed won an Oscar for the 1968 film adaptation of Oliver! But for my money, I think if there’s a film for which he deserved to win it was The Third Man. (Reed did win the 1949 Palm D’Or for this noir classic). Written by Graham Greene, it’s an astounding cold war suspense thriller starring Joseph Cotten as hack American writer Holly Martins who arrives in Vienna to work for his childhood friend Harry Lime. Upon his arrival, he learns that Lime is dead. There’s something suspicious about the whole affair and Martins sets about getting to the bottom of the truth.

To say I love this movie would be an understatement. If I had to pick a favorite, this would probably be it. Reed’s direction is superlative; Robert Krasker won an Oscar for his master class in cinematography. Then there’s the musical score, which is one of the most unusual and most effective scores ever written for a film. Anton Karas (with whom I share a birthday) composed the theme using only the zither. The theme actually became a pop hit and was given a fair amount of radio play in the early 1950s.

This is one of those films that if I stumble upon it on TV, I watch it through to the end. It’s also the only film to make the AFI and BFI 100 movies of all time. If I was forced to pick a favorite film of all time, this would probably be it.

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"Five Minutes, Mr. Welles"

“What is your favorite film of all time?” (Spoilers ahead)

Not the easiest question to answer. When I’m asked, an immediate list pops up in my head and from Vertigo to Gone with the Wind and The Godfather. However, I’ve found that when asked that question there is one particular film that always pops into my head: Carol Reed’s 1949 The Third Man starring Joseph Cotten. A certain Mr. Orson Welles took part in the film, providing the unique character called Harry Lime, who makes one of the most famous entrances in film history. Cotten, who is drunk, is calling out to an unseen figure in a dark doorway after midnight in Cold War Vienna, only to have a disgruntled neighbor throw open the shutters revealing his best friend, who was supposed to be dead, standing there with a casual smirk on his face. All underscored by Anton Karas’ famed zither.

I love the film; from beginning to end. Whenever it’s on I find myself stopping what I’m doing to watch it, and even upgraded from the first Criterion DVD release to their second more comprehensive 2-disc edition. It’s doubtful that Joseph Cotten was ever better (okay, Shadow of a Doubt perhaps…) as the rather innocent Holly Martins, a hack alcoholic writer who arrives in Vienna to join his best friend, only to discover he had died. Alida Valli played the woman in both their lives. Trevor Howard is the droll British MP officer who is out for the truth about Lime. The way the film is staged and shot, with Robert Krasker’s brilliant Oscar-winning cinematography, combined with the story and characters always manages to strike the right chord with me. The film was co-produced by David O. Selznick and British-based Alexander Korda, giving the film the unique distinction of being on both the AFI and BFI’s top 100 movies list, clocking in at #1 on the latter.

Welles was notoriously difficult on the set, often evading crew members and avoiding shooting on his own whims. When he refused to film in the Vienna sewers, only working in soundstages in London. Numerous doubles were used in location long shots, including the assistant director. In a scene where his hands were needed for an important show involving a sewer grate, Welles was nowhere to be found and director Reed’s hands were used instead. However, Welles greatest contribution to the entire film was in a scene toward the climax of the film on a ferris wheel for which he wrote his famous “cuckoo clock” monologue.

Actor Vincent D’Onofrio first played Orson Welles in a brief cameo appearance in Tim Burton’s biopic Ed Wood, though his voiced was dubbed by another actor. The actor later wrote and starred in this short film called Five Minutes, Mr. Welles, a tongue-in-cheek film noir homage to the famed auteur relayed the (fictionalized) moments leading up to the filming of his most famous scene in The Third Man. It unfolds rather like a small two person one-act play, with Janine Theriault playing his personal assistant. Have a look:

Some Random Movies I Love

I have a touch of the OCD (and don’t we all?) and was going through my DVD collection, which at this writing is I think 809 and counting. Yes. That’s a lot. But my brother, who is a filmmaker and he should know, always insisted that a good film library is key to any true cinema aficionado. Okay, he didn’t say it quite like that, it’s my spin. But you get the gist.

Anyway, getting things in order I realize I always want people to see the movies I have and to enjoy them. So I figured why not recommend some here. It’s not my “greatest movies of all time” AFI pretentious bullshit sort of list. I kinda went randomly through and just jotted them down.

The Third Man (1949) – Okay, I had to put this one first to get it out of the way, because when I am pegged to name my favorite movie of all time, this is it. I’ve loved it and admired it since the first time I saw it. Joseph Cotten was never better. Carol Reed’s direction is among the best in film history, as well as his use of post-war Vienna as something noirish and sinister. And as always there’s the cuckoo clock monologue. And the jaunty and bizarre zither score.

Don’t Look Now (1973) – Julie Christie and Donald Sutherland are parents in Venice mourning the accidental drowning of their daughter. Directed by Nicolas Roeg, it’s symbolism is fierce and its suspenseful build starts out deliberately paced, but by the last twenty minutes of the shocking climax, it’s overwhelming. Detailed, nuanced and with one of the most famous love scenes in film history (which, really folks, is more beautiful and heart-breaking than ironic). Add a bizarre priest, a blind psychic and her sister, a series of murders and a Venice that is frighteningly sinister and unwelcoming and you’ve got one of the most impressionable horror films of the ’70s.

His Girl Friday (1940) – Cary Grant and Rosalind Russell star in the fast-paced, rapid fire remake of The Front Page (only with a gender-bend that improves upon the original) about a snake-oil salesman of an editor who is trying to keep his ex-wife and former star-reporter from getting remarried (but all the while landing the story of a convict being executed for political motivations). Satiric, screwball and brisk, its one of the most rewatchable comedies of the screwball era. I can never not watch it if it is on TV and will pop it in when I need a pick-me-up.

The Lion in Winter (1968) – I love Katharine Hepburn. I love Peter O’Toole. And together, they create one of the most riveting period dramas of all time in this adaptation of James Goldman’s play about Henry II and Eleanor of Aquitaine’s war over who will inherit the throne of England. Hepburn tied for the Oscar, in what I think is my second favorite performance of hers (trumped only by her spellbinding work in The Lion in Winter). Anthony Hopkins, Timothy Dalton and John Castle provide ample support.

Howards End (1992) – I’m a stickler for period films. Especially British costume period films. Merchant-Ivory’s adaptation of Forster’s novel is one of the most superb adaptations of a literary work to screen. Emma Thompson, one of my favorite actresses, won the Best Actress Oscar heading the cast which includes a headstrong Helena Bonham Carter, a staid Anthony Hopkins and a resplendent Vanessa Redgrave. Such attention is paid to detail and nuance in every facet.

The Remains of the Day (1993) – Consider it a double-bill. I love both movies so much, I’ve never been able to decide if I prefer one over the other. Made immediately following Howards End and it’s enormous success, Merchant-Ivory teamed once again with Emma and Anthony, this time taking us to the rural manse of a nobleman who is a Nazi-sympathizer working towards appeasement with the Germans prior to WWII. However, the heart of the story is the repressed and unspoken love between the housekeeper and butler (the latter being so good at his job, he fails to convey his feelings); with quietly devastating results. Damn, I love these two.

The Manchurian Candidate (1962) – A chilling satire on American politics and the Cold War scare (suggesting that the extreme of both the left and right become the same thing). Sinatra, Laurence Harvey and Janet Leigh star in this tale of brainwashing, Communist intrigue and assassination. The film becomes legendary as a result of Angela Lansbury’s scene-stealing supporting turn as Mrs. Iselin, one of the most memorable characters ever presented on film and a marvel of screen-acting from Lansbury, who should have won the Oscar for her performance, the best of her career. Forget the bland, insipid and totally unnecessary remake with Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington.

All About Eve (1950) – The greatest movie ever made about the theater. Even now, the dialogue crackles with caustic wit and the story remains timely. Bette Davis as Margo Channing. That’s about as iconic as you can get. Such perfect support from Anne Baxter, Celeste Holm, an Oscar-winning George Sanders and the always-dependable Thelma Ritter in one of her no-nonsense, down-to-earth roles. Davis has one of the best exit lines I’ve ever seen in a movie. I just picked up the recently released 2-disc special edition with a newly restored print. I’ll be writing about that when I get the chance to take a look.