Past Present Future Live Film Special: The Third Man w/Misha Glenny
May 10, 2026
Misha Glenny, writer and broadcaster with deep knowledge of Cold War Europe, unpacks The Third Man and postwar Vienna. He explores Vienna’s divided, spy-haunted atmosphere. They delve into espionage connections around the film’s production. Conversation touches on casting, Orson Welles’ memorable presence, the zither theme’s odd fame, and debates over who shaped the movie’s tone.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Why The Third Man Needed To Be Set In Vienna
- Vienna's postwar layout made it uniquely cinematic because an international zone sat amid four occupying powers and a Soviet-controlled district created intense moral and physical borders.
- Misha Glenny links spies, divided jurisdictions, and real agents like Peter Smollett to how The Third Man exploits occupation-era ambiguity.
How The Crew Filmed In The Soviet Zone
- The production gained access to the Soviet-controlled Prater district through local connections, letting Reed film the iconic Ferris wheel scenes on location.
- Misha Glenny recounts that Peter Smollett likely persuaded the Russians to allow filming in their zone.
Vienna As An Imperial Capital Of Despair
- The Third Man captures Vienna's identity crisis: an imperial capital reduced to a marginal state yet still visually grand and morally compromised.
- Glenny ties Austria's postwar status as the 'first victim' to its retained spy culture and national ambivalence.