'The Third Man' Gets Special Release for Orson Welles's 100th Birthday
Happy 100th birthday to Orson Welles, who is looking better than ever thanks to a major new restoration. Welles was born May 6, 1915, and even though he passed away in 1985, he got himself trending on his birthday in 2015. That's when you know you're a #legend.
In honor of Welles' 100th b-day, Rialto Pictures is releasing "The Third Man" in a major 4K restoration. It's the first-ever for the 1949 Carol Reed classic -- considered by many to be one of the greatest movies of all time -- which stars Orson Welles as Harry Lime and Joseph Cotten as Holly Martins. According to a media release, the new restoration will have its world premiere this month in the "Cannes Classics" section of the Cannes Film Festival, with U.S. openings at New York's Film Forum on June 26 (2-week run) and L.A.'s Nuart on July 3. Showings in San Francisco, Washington, DC, Seattle, Philadelphia and other major markets will follow.
Of course, Welles is also credited with directing (and writing) some of the greatest films of all time himself -- including "Citizen Kane," "Touch of Evil," and "The Magnificent Ambersons" -- but he has far more acting credits. Still, if you have yourself a merry little Welles marathon in his honor, you can celebrate his achievements any way you'd like. Just don't forget what Welles said himself: "If you want a happy ending, that depends, of course, on where you stop your story."