Weekly Contest Answer 07-23 to 07-29

The correct answer is A,
The Third Man.

The film directed by Carol Reed and
photographed by Robert Krasker
is noted for its atmospheric use of
contrasting shadows and light in a
tale of black market intrigue and
moral ambiguity set in
post-World War II
occupied Vienna.


The titular character casting the
shadow on the Austrian stamp is
Harry Lime, an evil blackmailer
played with great panache and
charm by Orson Welles.
The movie's atmosphere is heightened
by zither music. Director Reed wanted
a sound that would evoke the
atmosphere of Vienna.

He heard Anton Karas, a zither player,
performing in a beer garden.
Karas scored and performed
The Third Man Theme for the film's
soundtrack.

The song became a popular music
hit in its own right.
The zither is a traditional Tyrolian
instrument with 30 to 40 strings
over a soundboard played with
the fingers and a pick.
Graham Greene (1904-91) wrote the story
and screenplay on which
The Third Man was based.

Greene was an English journalist and author.
He also served as a British secret agent
for MI6 in Africa.

Greene disliked Americans in general
and Ronald Reagan in particular.
He was a lifelong friend of Soviet spy
Kim Philby and a personal friend of
Fidel Castro.