Vienna/The Third Man
Created | Updated Jan 28, 2002
Anybody who is visiting Vienna and knows this terrific movie with Orson Welles (and directed by Carol Reed) should plan in an extra half-day to visit some of the original places where scenes were taken. It's really interesting to see the familiar surroundings in real life,
and also a terrific opportunity to explore Vienna's development from the bombed-out hell-hole that it was when the movie was made to the wonderfully (and expensively) restored city it is today. The trouble is that even though located close together, the locations aren't easy to find. However, there are several tours on offer, and they even take you down to the subterranean canals underneath the city!
Just don't believe everything you are told - the story about the perfume is a myth (you'll see). Nevertheless, a lot of interesting information is provided, and you get to go places you couldn't by yourself. To get on a tour (there are several competitors), just go to the tourist information center close to St.Stephen's Cathedral. However, you should plan ahead a few days since the tours seem to be booked out early on; also, they don't come cheap!
To me, the most intriguing location is the one where the famous door-scene (Welles stepping out of the shadows of the entrance when he is discovered by Cotton) was shot. The original buildings are still there, left untouched. It's one of those places in Vienna you wouldn't expect to find before turning around the corner.
Also, if you're interested to see the movie in its English language version, there's a theatre on the Burgring (the "Burgkino") which
owns a copy (extremely rare!) and the movie is played there almost every weekend and sometimes during the week.
and also a terrific opportunity to explore Vienna's development from the bombed-out hell-hole that it was when the movie was made to the wonderfully (and expensively) restored city it is today. The trouble is that even though located close together, the locations aren't easy to find. However, there are several tours on offer, and they even take you down to the subterranean canals underneath the city!
Just don't believe everything you are told - the story about the perfume is a myth (you'll see). Nevertheless, a lot of interesting information is provided, and you get to go places you couldn't by yourself. To get on a tour (there are several competitors), just go to the tourist information center close to St.Stephen's Cathedral. However, you should plan ahead a few days since the tours seem to be booked out early on; also, they don't come cheap!
To me, the most intriguing location is the one where the famous door-scene (Welles stepping out of the shadows of the entrance when he is discovered by Cotton) was shot. The original buildings are still there, left untouched. It's one of those places in Vienna you wouldn't expect to find before turning around the corner.
Also, if you're interested to see the movie in its English language version, there's a theatre on the Burgring (the "Burgkino") which
owns a copy (extremely rare!) and the movie is played there almost every weekend and sometimes during the week.
