Character Relationship Map: The Third Man

Characters

• Holly Martins (played by Joseph Cotten) — protagonist

  American Western pulp novelist who travels to Vienna to find his friend Harry Lime. After learning of Lime's supposed death, he investigates alongside Anna Schmidt and Major Calloway, eventually disco...

• Anna Schmidt (played by Alida Valli) — protagonist

  Czech actress and Harry Lime's girlfriend. She mourns Lime's death with Martins, helps investigate the circumstances, and later discovers her passport is forged. After being persuaded by Martins to wa...

• Major Calloway (played by Trevor Howard) — supporting

  British Field Security Section officer present at Lime's funeral. He reveals Lime's black market penicillin scheme, assists Martins in tracking Lime, pursues him into the sewers, and orders Martins to...

• Harry Lime (played by Orson Welles) — supporting

  Childhood friend of Martins, officially reported dead but actually alive and running a cynical black market operation diluting and selling stolen penicillin. He meets Martins at a Ferris wheel, betray...

• Karl the Porter (played by Paul Hörbiger) — supporting

  Employed at Harry Lime's apartment building. He informs Martins and Anna about a third man helping carry Lime's body after the supposed accident. He is murdered before he can provide further details,...

• The Porter's Wife (uncredited) (played by Annie Rosar) — minor
• Popescu (played by Siegfried Breuer) — supporting

  Friend of Harry Lime mentioned by Kurtz. He is stated to have helped carry Lime to the side of the street after the reported accident.

• Sergeant Paine (played by Bernard Lee) — supporting

  British Field Security officer and fan of Martins' novels. He accompanies Calloway during the investigation, pursues Lime into the sewers, and is shot dead by Lime during the chase.

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• The Porter's Wife (uncredited) → Karl the Porter (wife)
• Major Calloway → Anna Schmidt (Power Interrogator) — Calloway exercises official authority over Anna's legal status.

  Calloway questions Anna after the authorities discover that her Austrian passport is forged.

• Sergeant Paine → Major Calloway (Professional Field Partner) — They work together as British Field Security officers.

  Paine accompanies Calloway during the investigation and joins the pursuit into the sewers.

• Anna Schmidt → Harry Lime (Romantic Girlfriend) — Their relationship shapes Anna's loyalty and vulnerability.

  The plot explicitly identifies Anna as Harry's girlfriend, and she mourns him before learning that he is alive.

• Holly Martins → Anna Schmidt (Romantic Interest) — Holly develops unreturned feelings for Harry's girlfriend.

  Holly confesses his feelings to Anna, and he waits for her after her second departure from Vienna.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• Sergeant Paine → Harry Lime (Conflict Pursuer) — Their confrontation escalates the final pursuit into lethal violence.

  Paine follows Harry into the sewers and is shot and killed by him during the chase.

• Sergeant Paine → Holly Martins (Social Supportive Acquaintance) — Paine offers Holly a friendly connection within the police investigation.

  Paine meets Holly at Harry's funeral and is identified as a fan of Holly's novels.

• Major Calloway → Holly Martins (Alliance Investigative Partner) — Calloway gradually converts Holly from an investigator into an active police ally.

  Calloway explains Harry's crimes to Holly, asks him to help with the arrest, and shows him dying children to change his decision.

• Major Calloway → Harry Lime (Conflict Police Pursuer) — Calloway leads the official effort to capture Harry.

  Calloway investigates Harry's penicillin operation, tracks him through the sewers, and shoots him after the chase.

• Harry Lime → Popescu (Alliance Criminal Associate) — Popescu is identified as one of Harry's associates in the staged death account.

  The plot states that Popescu helped carry Harry to the side of the street after the reported accident.

• Holly Martins → Harry Lime (Social Childhood Friend) — Their longstanding friendship drives Holly's investigation into Harry's supposed death.

  Holly arrives in Vienna specifically to find Harry, whom the plot identifies as his childhood friend.

Story Analysis

A friendship-driven investigation exposes moral corruption in occupied Vienna and ends with an irreversible act of justice.

Plot Progression

1. A Dead Friend in Vienna — Holly arrives in Vienna expecting work from Harry Lime, only to hear that Harry has died. At the funeral, Holly meets Anna and the officers who begin questioning the official story.
2. The Missing Third Man — Holly and Anna compare contradictory accounts of Harry's accident. A witness mentions a third man and is murdered before he can provide more information.
3. The Ghost Emerges — Calloway exposes Harry's deadly penicillin fraud, prompting Holly to give up the investigation. Harry then appears alive, transforming the mystery into a direct pursuit.
4. A Cynic on the Ferris Wheel — Holly confronts Harry and hears his ruthless justification for profiting from Vienna's suffering. Harry's betrayal of Anna and the police's plan intensify the moral conflict.
5. The Sewer's Final Shot — Seeing the victims of Harry's diluted penicillin convinces Holly to remain in Vienna. The pursuit ends underground with Paine's death, Harry's fatal shooting, and Anna's final rejection.