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.
Starring
Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard
Box Office
$1.2M
Updated Feb 16, 2026
WHERE TO WATCH
DROPTHE_ GOSSIP
Year context
The Third Man was released 77 years ago in 1949.
Overview
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 die...
The Third Man is a Thriller, Mystery film with a runtime of 1h 45m.
CAST (20)
Joseph Cotten
Holly Martins
Alida Valli
Anna Schmidt
Trevor Howard
Major Calloway
Orson Welles
Harry Lime
Paul Hörbiger
Karl the Porter
Ernst Deutsch
'Baron' Kurtz
Erich Ponto
Dr. Winkel
Siegfried Breuer
Popescu
Hedwig Bleibtreu
Anna's Landlady
Bernard Lee
Sergeant Paine
Wilfrid Hyde-White
Crabbin
AC
Alexis Chesnakov
Col. Brodsky the Russian Liaison Officer (uncredited)
TG
Thomas Gallagher
Taxi Driver (uncredited)
HH
Herbert Halbik
Hänsel the Little Boy with Ball (uncredited)
HN
Hannah Norbert
Actress at Josefstadt Theater (uncredited)
Eric Pohlmann
Waiter at Smolka's (uncredited)
Carol Reed
UK Version's Opening Narrator (uncredited)
Annie Rosar
The Porter's Wife (uncredited)
FS
Frederick Schrecker
Hansel's Father (uncredited)
HS
Hugo Schuster
Waiter (uncredited)
BOX OFFICE
$1.2M
Revenue
DETAILS
Release
Status
Released
Runtime
105 min (1h 45m)
Language
English
Country
Rating
7.9/10 (2,043 votes)
Popularity
3
Box Office
$1,226,098
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is The Third Man about?
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.
How long is The Third Man?
The Third Man has a runtime of 105 minutes (1h 45m).
Who stars in The Third Man?
The cast of The Third Man includes Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard, Orson Welles, Paul Hörbiger.
How much did The Third Man make at the box office?
The Third Man earned $1,226,098 worldwide at the box office.
What is the rating of The Third Man?
The Third Man has a rating of 7.9 out of 10 based on 2,043 votes on TMDB.
GENRES (2)
Thriller
Mystery