<table class="infobox vevent" style="width:22em; font-size: 90%" cellspacing="5"> <tbody><tr> <th colspan="2" class="summary" style="text-align:center; font-size:125%; font-weight:bold; font-size: 110%; font-style: italic">The Third Man</th> </tr> <tr class=""> <td colspan="2" class="" style="text-align:center;">
Cinema release poster</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Directed by</th> <td class="description" style="">
Carol Reed</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Produced by</th> <td class="" style="">
Carol Reed
Uncredited:
Alexander Korda
David O. Selznick</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Written by</th> <td class="" style="">
Graham Greene</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Starring</th> <td class="" style="">
Joseph Cotten
Alida Valli
Orson Welles
Trevor Howard</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Music by</th> <td class="" style="">
Anton Karas</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Cinematography</th> <td class="" style="">
Robert Krasker</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Editing by</th> <td class="" style="">
Oswald Hafenrichter</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Distributed by</th> <td class="" style="">
British Lion Films (UK),
Selznick International Pictures (US)</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Release date(s)</th> <td class="" style="">2 September 1949</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Running time</th> <td class="" style="">104 minutes</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Country</th> <td class="" style="">United Kingdom</td> </tr> <tr class=""> <th scope="row" style="text-align:left; white-space: nowrap">Language</th> <td class="" style="">English</td> </tr> </tbody></table>
The Third Man is a 1949 British
film noir, directed by
Carol Reed and starring
Joseph Cotten,
Alida Valli,
Orson Welles and
Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score.<sup id="cite_ref-0" class="reference">
[1]</sup> The
screenplay was written by novelist
Graham Greene, who subsequently published the
novella of the same name (which he had originally written as a preparation for the screenplay).
Anton Karas wrote and performed the score, which used only the
zither; its
title cut topped the international music charts in 1950.