THE ASTOR REVIEW

A collaboration between director Reed and screenwriter Graham Greene resulted in this dark suspense thriller. An American arrives in postwar Vienna to meet an old friend Harry Lime only to find that Lime has been killed in an accident. The American makes his own investigation and learns more than he bargained for about his friend. The famous zither music by Anton Karas perfects the drama and atmosphere. AJP

IMDB SYNOPSIS

An out of work pulp fiction novelist, Holly Martins, arrives in a post war Vienna divided into sectors by the victorious allies, and where a shortage of supplies has lead to a flourishing black market. He arrives at the invitation of an ex-school friend, Harry Lime, who has offered him a job, only to discover that Lime has recently died in a peculiar traffic accident. From talking to Lime's friends and associates Martins soon notices that some of the stories are inconsistent, and determines to discover what really happened to Harry Lime.