Another Movie Guide

The Third Man Remains Alive in Vienna

Movie enthusiasts from around the world have been trooping to the Austrian capital, Vienna. They are on a hunt for an old film that continues to be shown in the city. For these film lovers, the movie “The Third Man” is worth a visit more than getting a taste of the Sachertorte and Vienna’s renowned hot coffee.

The Third Man is an old movie that premiered in London six decades ago specifically in September 1949. To the discerning film lovers, this classic movie set and shot partly in Vienna is not like any old film. It tells of a broke American writer Holly Martins who looks into the mysterious death of his old friend Harry Lime in Vienna. He found out later on that Lime is alive and got involved in the illegal trafficking of diluted penicillin.

What’s surprising is that while The Third Man is famous among people outside of Austria, residents of Vienna are not very interested in the movie perhaps due to the negative portrayal of the Viennese folks in the film. This attitude continues up to now despite the film’s gaining an Oscar award and the grand prize in the Cannes Film Festival. According to an Austrian historian, though, the film is more than just entertainment as it is an educational tool that can help people understand what life then in Vienna was at the height of the Cold War.

And because of this cult film, Vienna today offers varied tours for fans of The Third Man. There’s an above ground walking and sewer tour that will bring fans to the city’s extensive sewer system where Lime was shot dead by Martins. The tour that takes two and a half hours has been participated in by people from the U.S., Australia and Japan.

There’s also a private museum filled with photos, posters and other stuff related to the movie. This museum is a result of an avid fan’s collection that includes movie soundtracks. In there, an audio terminal plays samples of the 400 covers of the film’s theme music that even includes a version done by The Beatles.

Finally, watching the classic movie itself is possible at the Vienna Burg Cinema. Each week, the film is being shown there three to four times and according to the owner of the cinema, the screening is always well attended.

Vienna.net is the premier Vienna tourism and information portal, with extensive insider tips to Vienna’s attractions.