The Third Man

"He never grew up.
The world grew up around him that's all."
-as hear in the 1949 film,
"The Third Man"

Every once in a while you see a movie that 'sticks' with you for a day and 'the day after that'. I happened to see a motion picture from 1949 the other day called "The Third Man". The B&W cinematography was brilliant. If I were a photography instructor it would be a required film to watch on the first day of class.

"The Third Man" is a suspenseful mystery directed by Carol Green. The drama captured me through many of the images. Orson Welles has a role in the film along with classic stars from the early 1950s like Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Trevor Howard and Wilfrid Hyde-White. It is also an advantageous way to escape to Vienna in 1949.
The story follows an unemployed writer, Holly Martins, who arrives in a post war Vienna that is divided into sectors by the victorious allies (France, Britain, America and Russia). A shortage of supplies leads to a flourishing black market.

Holly arrives at the invitation of an ex-school friend named Harry Lime who has offered him a job. Suddenly, Harry Lime dies in a peculiar traffic accident. From talking to Lime's friends and associates Holly Martins soon notices that some of the stories are inconsistent. He is determined to discover what really happened to Harry Lime.


The director, Peter Bogdonavich, said, "Orson Welles used to refer to Black and White as the actors' friend. It's the lack of distraction. It focuses on the dramatic."


Twenty-five years ago today:

June 25, 1984
Monday

I looked pretty slick at work (as usual). I was told that I looked slick. Funny.

Bob Fadda gave me a few “slick” and “questionable” looks. I am sure the looks were because he had seen me last Saturday night at the “Bench and Bar”. Oh well…I only have eight more business days left in that office. Hoorah!

I went to the Day Cleaners after work.

I also had a good few solid bike hours. I stopped at Suzy Miller’s and spoke to her apartment mate, a black fellow. He’s a nice guy.

Now here I am wondering if I should exercise, shower, go out or what? It’s almost 9PM already.

Chris Cordellos telephoned me sooner than I had expected (at 9:35PM). It was a good, nice chat.
“I miss it down there and hangin’ out with ya,” Chris said in a soft, quiet voice, “Barb is bummin’ me out, yellin’ at me, tellin’ me that I’m good-for-nothin’ and that I’m going nowhere in life. You know what else?”
“What?” I asked, feeling scared as to what was coming next.
“She said I have no balls and that I use one friend and then I just flake another friend off.”
I felt bad for him.
I tried to give him words of support.
“She’s a bad influence. Don’t worry because you and I both know your self-worth is high.” I thought I sounded reassuring. It seemed to make him feel better.
We said “Good night.”

Now I will shower.