Did seeing 'The Third Man' change your life in any way? I know it did mine and is a question I have asked many friends, men and women alike. When the film had just been released in Ireland I went to the local Fairview Grand cinema on a Saturday and there was the movie that was to decide my life direction in a most positive way.
For some reason The Third Man caused a sensation here in Ireland and its influence lingers on even to the present day. It packed out the cinemas for a long time and culminated with Anton Karas performing in a Dublin Theatre. Newspapers to this day frequently use a 'third man' phrase in in a story headline. "Third Man accused of robbery" or some such. Hardly a week goes by but the 'Harry Lime Theme' as played by Anton Karas is not heard on a radio station. This week alone there were three playings on radio, Zanussi white-ware used in in a TV advert and a travel film about London used it, albeit incorrectly, when showing the London Eye ferris wheel! In my own case, having seen the movie as a new teenager, I determined that I wanted to take up photography/filming AND learn to play the zither. I did both as it happened and later I hitched-hiked across Europe to meet Anton Karas in Vienna. What a thrill it was to meet him and to visit the still undisturbed film locations.
I met a girl who, quite by accident, revealed that she had the Anton Karas Decca 78 record, so that clinched our commitment! I still have that record. Like most Irishmen I emigrated to London where I consolidated my ambition to make films, The Third Man always being the 'gold standard', by attending a Film School. This led on to my joining the new Irish TV service as a Director.
At least two colleagues of mine went on to a career in radio, the movie having been the catalyst. Another guy is a movie reviewer! I have every record and CD ever made featuring Anton Karas but I would give my right arm to find the actual original studio recordings of him playing the background music for the film. Can anyone help? Is there no end to the fascination this film has for people? My collection has grown again with the discovery of the Michael Rennie BBC 'Third Man' series and of course this excellent documentary 'Shadowing the Third Man'. Frederick Baker has written and directed a surprising film in its own right. He has used the superimposed montage to great effect, echoing the slanted camera of the parent film! Don't miss Charles Drazin's excellent book 'In Search of the Third Man' with a load of new and interesting photographs and material. He made a very welcome and authoritative appearance in this documentary, both in front of and behind the camera.
So that is my story, told as I too walk that long avenue and I hope others might share their thoughts and experiences of that greatest of all films, 'The Third Man'. Tim Costello, Dublin, Ireland.
