Holly Martins (Joseph Cotton) arrives in postwar Vienna to visit his friend Harry Lime (Orson Welles) only to find that Harry is dead. When Major Calloway (Trevor Howard) claims that Harry was a black marketeer, Holly begins to investigate Harry's mysterious death. He discovers that Harry is still alive and is as corrupt as Calloway claimed. Holly's conscience is torn between Calloway and the beautiful Anna Schmidt (Alida Valli), Harry's lover who urges Holly to remain loyal to his friend. The Third Man (1949) is remembered for its compelling tale of mystery, Anton Karas' haunting zither score, and the blend of expressionism's jagged angles and film noir's shadows in Robert Krasker's Oscar-winning cinematography.

Further Reading:

Greene, Graham, and Carol Reed. The Third Man. New York, Simon& Schuster, 1968.