In post-WWII Vienna nothing is what it seems. Western pulp fiction
writer Buck Dexter is actually British hack writer Rollo Martins.
He's come to visit his schoolboy chum Harry Lime, but arrives just in time
for Harry's funeral. The gentleman who catches a ride back from the
services with Martins, is really a British policeman; turns out, old pal
Harry was a black marketeer, selling doctored penicillin that is responsible
for numerous deaths. Harry's grieving girlfriend is a Russian refuge
staying in Vienna on forged documents. The local Cultural
organization that keeps pestering Martins to speak to them mistakenly believes
that he is the critically acclaimed writer, Benjamin Dexter. But
the thing that is most misleading turns out to be the "death" of Harry
Lime, as Martins discovers when he starts trying to find the rumored third
man who witnessed Harry's death.
When Graham Greene was asked to come up with a script for Carol Reed
to film, he saw an opportunity to flesh out the bare bones of an idea--suppose
someone saw an old friend, supposedly dead, on the street one day.
Of course, Greene & Reed & Orson Welles turned this idea into the
great movie The
Third Man (1949). For the novel, Greene returned to the scenario
and rendered the whole story as he originally envisioned it. Most
of the changes are fairly minor--freed of the presence of Joseph Cotten,
Martins is English not American--but sadly missing is the famous line from
the movie, which Welles apparently wrote himself, about Italy under the
amoral Borgias producing magnificent culture while Switzerland's hundreds
of years of democracy has produced only chocolates and the cuckoo clock.
It does retain the great concluding chase through the sewers of the city,
which seem to physically embody the moral cesspool that Cold War Europe
was becoming. This is a work that presages LeCarre and much of the
ambivalent spy fiction of the 60's & 70's. It is perhaps not
quite up to the standards of the movie or of some of Greene's other books,
but those are high standards indeed.
(Reviewed:)
Grade: (A-)
Websites:
See also:
Graham Greene (
6 books reviewed)
Thrillers
Graham Greene Links:
-(Henry)
Graham Greene (1904-1991)(kirjasto)
-ENCYCLOPAEDIA
BRITANNICA: your search: "Graham Greene"
-ESSAY:
'The Third Man' as a Story and a Film (GRAHAM GREENE, NY Times, March
19, 1950)
-Graham
Greene: THE CHESTERTONS (NY Review of Books, Jul 21, 1983)
-Graham
Greene: THE FBI AND PEARL HARBOR (NY Review of Books, Aug
12, 1982)
-Graham
Greene: YOU'RE WELCOME (NY Review of Books, Nov 8, 1979)
-Graham
Greene: INFORMATION WANTED (NY Review of Books, Sep 27, 1979)
-Graham
Greene: The Great Spectacular (NY Review of Books,
Jan 26, 1978)
-Graham
Greene: The Country with Five Frontiers (NY Review of Books,
Feb 17, 1977 )
-Graham
Greene Birthplace Trust, Home Page GGBT
-Anne
Sherry Graham Greene Page
-Graham
Greene (Biography, His Works, Other Web Resources)
-Graham
Greene
-Greeneland:
The World of Graham Greene
-(Henry)
Graham Greene (short bio, John D. Hamilton)
-OBIT:
Graham Greene, 86, Dies; Novelist of the Soul
-Featured
Author: Graham Greene With News and Reviews From the Archives of The
New York Times (NY Times Book Review)
-CATHERINE
WALSTON/GRAHAM GREENE PAPERS (Georgetown.edu)
-ESSAY:
Graham Greene's Vietnam (Tom Curry, Literary Traveler)
-ESSAY:
The (Mis)Guided Dream of Graham Greene (Robert Royal, First Things)
-ESSAY:
Why Greene fades on film (Quentin Curtis, UK Telegraph)
-ESSAY:
ëHe knew himself as no one else didí Novelist Shirley Hazzard talks
about her times with Greene on Capri (Desmond OíGrady, UK Telegraph)
-ESSAY:
An Edwardian on the Concorde: Graham Greene as I Knew Him (Paul
Theroux, NY Times Book Review)
-EXCERPTS:
from May we Borrow Your Husband?
-REVIEW:
The
Lives of Graham Greene (David Lodge, NY Review of Books)
-J.M.
Cameron: On Graham Greene (NY Review of Books)
-Book
club discussion questions: End of the Affair (Warren Pages)
-REVIEW:
of The End of the Affair Mr. Greene's Intense Art (GEORGE
MAYBERRY, NY Times, October 28, 1951)
-REVIEW:
of Heart of the Matter (July 11, 1948, WILLIAM DU BOIS, NY Times
Book Review)
-REVIEW:
of The Quiet American (March 11, 1956, ROBERT GORHAM DAVIS, NY Times
Book Review)
-REVIEW: of The Quiet American by Graham Greene (C. P. Farley, Powell's)
-REVIEW:
John Bayley: God's Greene, NY Review of Books
The Captain
and the Enemy by Graham Greene
Graham
Greene by Neil McEwan
A Reader's
Guide to Graham Greene by Paul O'Prey
-Michael
Shelden: GREENE & ANTI-SEMITISM (NY Review of Books, Sep 21, 1995)
-Richard
West: Graham Greene and 'The Quiet American' (NY Review of Books, May
16, 1991)
-J.M.
Cameron: On Graham Greene (NY Review of Books, May 30, 1991)
-REVIEW:
John Bayley: God's Greene (NY Review of Books)
The Captain and the Enemy
by Graham Greene
Graham Greene by Neil McEwan
A Reader's Guide to Graham
Greene by Paul O'Prey
-REVIEW:
Joan Didion: Discovery (NY Review of Books)
Finding the Center: Two
Narratives by V.S. Naipaul
Getting to Know the General:
The Story of an Involvement by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Jonathan Raban: Innocents Abroad (NY Review of Books)
J'Accuse: The Dark Side
of Nice by Graham Greene
Monsignor Quixote by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
Robert Towers: Cautionary Tale (NY Review of Books)
Doctor Fischer of Geneva
or the Bomb Party by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Conor Cruise O'Brien: Greene's Castle (NY Review of Books)
The Human Factor by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
V.S. Pritchett: Rogue Poet (NY Review of Books)
Lord Rochester's Monkey
by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Conor Cruise O'Brien: A Funny Sort of God (NY Review of
Books)
The Honorary Consul by Graham
Greene
Collected Stories by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
Karl Miller: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (NY Review of
Books)
Midnight Oil by V.S. Pritchett
A Sort of Life by Graham
Greene
-RESPONSE:
Graham Greene: GREENE'S MEANING (NY Review of Books)
-REVIEW:
Denis Donoghue: The Uncompleted Dossier (NY Review of Books)
Travels with My Aunt by
Graham Greene
Blind Love, and Other Stories
by V.S. Pritchett
-REVIEW:
V.S. Pritchett: A Polished Dissenter (NY Review of Books)
Collected Essays including
The Lost Childhood by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Sybille Bedford: Tragic Comedians (NY Review of Books)
The Comedians by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
David Lodge: The Lives of Graham Greene (NY Review of Books)
Graham Greene: The Man Within
by Michael Shelden
Graham Greene: The Enemy
Within by Michael Shelden
The Life of Graham Greene
Volume II, 1939-1955 by Norman Sherry
Graham Greene: Three Lives
by Anthony Mockler
Graham Greene: Friend and
Brother by Leopoldo Duran and translated by Euan Cameron
The Graham Greene Film Reader:
Reviews, Essays, Interviews & Film Stories
-REVIEW:
of Green on Capri by Shirley Hazzard (DORIS BETTS, NANDO)
-REVIEW: of The Life of Graham Greene; Volume III: 1955-1991
by Norman Sherr (FRANKLIN FREEMAN, Touchstone)
Book-related and General Links:
BOOK:
-REVIEW:
Mystery Guide
AUTHOR:
-(Henry)
Graham Greene (1904-1991)(kirjasto)
-ENCYCLOPAEDIA
BRITANNICA: your search: "Graham Greene"
-ESSAY:
'The Third Man' as a Story and a Film (GRAHAM GREENE, NY Times, March
19, 1950)
-Graham
Greene: THE CHESTERTONS (NY Review of Books, Jul 21, 1983)
-Graham
Greene: THE FBI AND PEARL HARBOR (NY Review of Books, Aug
12, 1982)
-Graham
Greene: YOU'RE WELCOME (NY Review of Books, Nov 8, 1979)
-Graham
Greene: INFORMATION WANTED (NY Review of Books, Sep 27, 1979)
-Graham
Greene: The Great Spectacular (NY Review of Books,
Jan 26, 1978)
-Graham
Greene: The Country with Five Frontiers (NY Review of Books,
Feb 17, 1977 )
-Graham
Greene Birthplace Trust, Home Page GGBT
-Anne
Sherry Graham Greene Page
-Graham
Greene (Biography, His Works, Other Web Resources)
-Graham
Greene
-Greeneland:
The World of Graham Greene
-(Henry)
Graham Greene (short bio, John D. Hamilton)
-OBIT:
Graham Greene, 86, Dies; Novelist of the Soul
-Featured
Author: Graham Greene With News and Reviews From the Archives of The
New York Times (NY Times Book Review)
-CATHERINE
WALSTON/GRAHAM GREENE PAPERS (Georgetown.edu)
-ESSAY:
Graham Greene's Vietnam (Tom Curry, Literary Traveler)
-ESSAY:
The (Mis)Guided Dream of Graham Greene (Robert Royal, First Things)
-ESSAY:
Why Greene fades on film (Quentin Curtis, UK Telegraph)
-ESSAY:
ëHe knew himself as no one else didí Novelist Shirley Hazzard talks
about her times with Greene on Capri (Desmond OíGrady, UK Telegraph)
-ESSAY:
An Edwardian on the Concorde: Graham Greene as I Knew Him (Paul
Theroux, NY Times Book Review)
-EXCERPTS:
from May we Borrow Your Husband?
-REVIEW: The
Lives of Graham Greene (David Lodge, NY Review of Books)
-J.M.
Cameron: On Graham Greene (NY Review of Books)
-Book
club discussion questions: End of the Affair (Warren Pages)
-REVIEW:
of The End of the Affair Mr. Greene's Intense Art (GEORGE
MAYBERRY, NY Times, October 28, 1951)
-REVIEW:
of Heart of the Matter (July 11, 1948, WILLIAM DU BOIS, NY Times
Book Review)
-REVIEW:
of The Quiet American (March 11, 1956, ROBERT GORHAM DAVIS, NY Times
Book Review)
-REVIEW:
John Bayley: God's Greene, NY Review of Books
The Captain
and the Enemy by Graham Greene
Graham
Greene by Neil McEwan
A Reader's
Guide to Graham Greene by Paul O'Prey
-Michael
Shelden: GREENE & ANTI-SEMITISM (NY Review of Books, Sep 21, 1995)
-Richard
West: Graham Greene and 'The Quiet American' (NY Review of Books, May
16, 1991)
-J.M.
Cameron: On Graham Greene (NY Review of Books, May 30, 1991)
-REVIEW:
John Bayley: God's Greene (NY Review of Books)
The Captain and the Enemy
by Graham Greene
Graham Greene by Neil McEwan
A Reader's Guide to Graham
Greene by Paul O'Prey
-REVIEW:
Joan Didion: Discovery (NY Review of Books)
Finding the Center: Two
Narratives by V.S. Naipaul
Getting to Know the General:
The Story of an Involvement by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Jonathan Raban: Innocents Abroad (NY Review of Books)
J'Accuse: The Dark Side
of Nice by Graham Greene
Monsignor Quixote by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
Robert Towers: Cautionary Tale (NY Review of Books)
Doctor Fischer of Geneva
or the Bomb Party by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Conor Cruise O'Brien: Greene's Castle (NY Review of Books)
The Human Factor by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
V.S. Pritchett: Rogue Poet (NY Review of Books)
Lord Rochester's Monkey
by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Conor Cruise O'Brien: A Funny Sort of God (NY Review of
Books)
The Honorary Consul by Graham
Greene
Collected Stories by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
Karl Miller: Father, Son, and Holy Ghost (NY Review of
Books)
Midnight Oil by V.S. Pritchett
A Sort of Life by Graham
Greene
-RESPONSE:
Graham Greene: GREENE'S MEANING (NY Review of Books)
-REVIEW:
Denis Donoghue: The Uncompleted Dossier (NY Review of Books)
Travels with My Aunt by
Graham Greene
Blind Love, and Other Stories
by V.S. Pritchett
-REVIEW:
V.S. Pritchett: A Polished Dissenter (NY Review of Books)
Collected Essays including
The Lost Childhood by Graham Greene
-REVIEW:
Sybille Bedford: Tragic Comedians (NY Review of Books)
The Comedians by Graham
Greene
-REVIEW:
David Lodge: The Lives of Graham Greene (NY Review of Books)
Graham Greene: The Man Within
by Michael Shelden
Graham Greene: The Enemy
Within by Michael Shelden
The Life of Graham Greene
Volume II, 1939-1955 by Norman Sherry
Graham Greene: Three Lives
by Anthony Mockler
Graham Greene: Friend and
Brother by Leopoldo Duran and translated by Euan Cameron
The Graham Greene Film Reader:
Reviews, Essays, Interviews & Film Stories
-REVIEW:
of Green on Capri by Shirley Hazzard (DORIS BETTS, NANDO)
FILM
-REVIEW:
The Third Man - Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert reviews this classic film
-REVIEW:
The Third Man (1949) (Tim Dirks, Filmsite)
-The
Third Man - David Macdonald
-The
Third Man - Apollo Leisure Guide
-Third
Man, The - Film Stills
-ESSAY:
Film Noir (Filmsite)
