Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #161752 in Books
• Published on: 2000-09-14
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 224 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Charles Drazin has little time for the notion that a film is the product of the individual genius of its director. In his account of the making of one of British cinema's finest films, Drazin seeks to show that film-making is instead "about how individuals work together--or often don't work together". In the case of The Third Man, the clashes of personality during the production make an already interesting story all the more compelling; upon reflection, it is surprising that this is the first attempt at an objective, book-length chronicle of the making of the film.

Long before the production began, Drazin tells us, there was already "an atmosphere of mutual suspicion" between the British producer Alexander Korda and his American partner David O Selznick, portrayed here as an archetypal crass movie mogul. In this tense atmosphere, matters were made still worse by problems on set, such as Orson Welles turning up days late for the shoot then refusing to film in the Viennese sewers. Drazin considers that critics are far too kind to Welles ("the greatest ham in the business"), believing that the praise belongs much more to director Carol Reed: "a man whose real genius lay in collaboration".

This revisionist stance proves typical of the author's compelling approach to his subject, as he interviews a number of previously unsung heroes, and provides a wealth of fascinating information about the production. An appropriate balance is generally struck between opinion and fact, although it occasionally strays too far into the former, as when Drazin analyses the influences acting upon writer Graham Greene. This speculation aside, the book provides an informative and lucidly written account, which ends on a high point as Drazin recounts his own visit to Vienna in 1998 and tells us the story behind The Third Man's famous final shot. --John Oates

Amazon.co.uk Review
Charles Drazin has little time for the notion that a film is the product of the individual genius of its director. In his account of the making of one of British cinema's finest films, Drazin seeks to show that film-making is instead "about how individuals work together--or often don't work together". In the case of The Third Man, the clashes of personality during the production make an already interesting story all the more compelling; upon reflection, it is surprising that this is the first attempt at an objective, book-length chronicle of the making of the film.

Long before the production began, Drazin tells us, there was already "an atmosphere of mutual suspicion" between the British producer Alexander Korda and his American partner David O. Selznick, portrayed here as an archetypal crass movie mogul. In this tense atmosphere, matters were made still worse by problems on set, such as Orson Welles turning up days late for the shoot then refusing to film in the Viennese sewers. Drazin considers that critics are far too kind to Welles ("the greatest ham in the business"), believing that the praise belongs much more to director Carol Reed: "a man whose real genius lay in collaboration".

This revisionist stance proves typical of the author's compelling approach to his subject, as he interviews a number of previously unsung heroes, and provides a wealth of fascinating information about the production. An appropriate balance is generally struck between opinion and fact, although it occasionally strays too far into the former, as when Drazin analyses the influences acting upon writer Graham Greene. This speculation aside, the book provides an informative and lucidly written account, which ends on a high point as Drazin recounts his own visit to Vienna in 1998 and tells us the story behind The Third Man's famous final shot. --John Oates

Book Jacket
Fifty years after its opening in 1949 The Third Man remains unsurpassed as a masterpiece of British cinema. Whether it is Harry Lime's magical first appearance, or the celebrated cuckoo clock speech, or the climactic chase through the sewers beneath Vienna, or the haunting theme music of Anton Karas, the film contains some of the most memorable moments in movie history.

Bringing together such strong and disparate personalities as Graham Greene, Carol Reed, Orson Welles, David Selznick and Sir Alexander Korda, the film was an example of a group endeavour that depended as much on chance as design. At times the planning and making seemed more like a battle than a collaboration. And although the circumstances of its making were dramatic and eventful, until now that story has never been fully told. Drawing on both contemporary documents and accounts of the people involved, In Search of The Third Man explores the many myths that over the years have grown around this extraordinary piece of cinema, and seeks to unravel the facts from the fiction.

This is the story not only of a film, but of a pivotal moment in 20th-century history. Capturing with documentary precision the look and feel of a war-torn Vienna, The Third Man mirrored all the uncertainties and confusions of its time and anticipated the mood of the post-war age.

Customer Reviews

You will want to go 'In Search of The Third Man' yourself!
If you loved the film, then this book is a must. Charles Drazin has written a fantastic book which keeps the magic of the film alive and brings the reader behind the scenes of the making of the film with all the juicy stories you would expect of a book of this type. What I particularly liked were the parts where he has gone to Vienna himself in an attempt to retrace the steps of this glorious film. I must admit that on a recent trip to Vienna, I myself went around the city, book in hand, looking for the famous locations myself. With the help of the book I was able to find all the locations without having to go on the guided tour, including the grave used as Harry's in the Zentralfriedhof (and it's a big cemetry, with in excess of 2.5 million residents!). One small disappointment though was the rather simple explanation as to why the signs in Harry's apartment building have changed language over the years. I will not elaborate here but readers of the book will know what I am talking about.

Background story to the filming and music of 'The Third Man'
Rarely has a film captured the hearts and imagination like 'The Third Man' From the secret life of it's writer Graham Greene to the haunting zither music of Anton Karas; from the brilliant camera-lighting techniques to the choice of Orson Welles as the anti-hero Harry Lime. To this very day the phrase 'the third man' is used in newspapers to denote a mysterious shadow figure. Hardly a week goes by without hearing the familiar 'Harry Lime Theme' on some radio station or another.

Charles Drazin in his fascinating book "In Search of the Third Man" takes us back 50 years to the making of this wonderful film. I for one, couldn't put the book down for a day - the chapter on Anton Karas, the zither player, alone is worth the price of the book. How on earth did he find out all that stuff?

The myths and stories about the film are legion.From Orson Welles and his Cookoo Clock speech, how they managed filming in the storm drains (they were not sewers - I know as I discovered on a secret expedition there) to the incredible closing shot of the movie. Charles Drazin bypasses the conventional newspaperman's wisdom of: 'when the myth clashes with the fact - print the myth' His meticulous research proves that the real story is the more interesting and his photo section shows the film locations as they look today. You saw the film - don't miss this book.

An excellent book
"The Third Man" consistently gets a top film rating but like many great films the story behind the film is just as fascinating. And it gives you much more about Vienna, the ever-present heroine/villain of the film. Today Vienna does not like to think about the era of "The Third Man" very much, but if ever a film summed up a certain time then this is it. Well worth reading.