Orson Welles gets 4K restoration of ‘The Third Man’ for 100th birthday
Just in time for Orson Welles’ centennial, one of his iconic films, “The Third Man,” is headed back to theaters in a new 4K restoration.
The remastered version of director Carol Reed’s 1949 film noir classic starring Welles as a black marketeer in postwar Vienna will make its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival later this month before opening in New York (June 26), Los Angeles (July 3) and other U.S. cities.
New York-based distributor Rialto Pictures announced the news Wednesday, on Welles’ 100th birthday.
Written by novelist Graham Greene, who subsequently published a novella version, “The Third Man” tells the story of a hack writer (Joseph Cotten) who travels to Allied-occupied Vienna to follow up a job offer from a childhood friend (Welles). Once there, he becomes entangled in a web of murder and deception.
Widely regarded as one of the finest films of all time, “The Third Man” was a critical and commercial hit that won the Palme D’Or at Cannes, the British Film Academy’s prize for best British Film award and an Academy Award for Robert Krasker’s expressionistic black-and-white cinematography.
Deluxe carried out the restoration on behalf of StudioCanal.
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