The Third Man

(Carol Reed, UK 1948, 93 min., 35mm)

Pulp fiction writer Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) searches post-World War II Vienna for his old friend, Harry Lime (Orson Welles). Soon, Holly's caught in a growing web of deceit, corruption, and political intrigue. One of the most intensely entertaining films of the 1940s, this collaboration of three artistic geniuses (Director Reed, Screenwriter Graham Greene, and Actor Welles) remains, arguably, the absolute pinnacle of English thrillers, referencing Alfred Hitchcock as much as star Welles’s own cinematic achievements. Anton Karas' classic zither score is just the icing on the cake. The film reached #63 on Sight and Sound magazine's list of The Greatest Films of All Time.