I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy...

Opening narrator: I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm. Constantinople suited me better. [Scenes of black market goods changing hands] Opening narrator: I really got to know it in the classic period of the black market. We'd run anything if people wanted it enough and had the money to pay. Of course a situation like that does tempt amateurs [Dead body seen floating in the river] Opening narrator: but, well, you know, they can't stay the course like a professional. Opening narrator: Now the city is divided into four zones, you know, each occupied by a power: the American, the British, the Russian and the French. But the centre of the city that's international policed by an international patrol. One member of each of the four powers. Wonderful! What a hope they had! All strangers to the place and none of them could speak the same language. Except a sort of smattering of German. Opening narrator: Good fellows on the whole, did their best you know. Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities. Bombed about a bit. Opening narrator: Oh, I was going to tell you, wait, I was going to tell you about Holly Martins, an American. Came all the way here to visit a friend of his. The name was Lime, Harry Lime. Now Martins was broke and Lime had offered him, some sort, I don't know, some sort of job. Opening narrator: Anyway, there he was, poor chap. Happy as a lark and without a cent.

I never knew the old Vienna before the war with its Strauss music, its glamour and easy charm. Constantinople suited me better. I really got to know it in the classic period of the black market. We'd run anything if people wanted it enough and had the money to pay. Of course, a situation like that does tempt amateurs. But, well, they, you know, they can't stay the course like a professional. Now the city, it's divided into four zones, you know, each occupied by a power, the American, the British, the Russian and the French. But the centre of the city, that's international, policed by an international patrol, one member of each of the four powers. Wonderful. What a hope they had, all strangers to the place, and none of them could speak the same language, except a sort of smattering of German. Good fellows, on the whole. Did their best, you know. Vienna doesn't really look any worse than a lot of other European cities. Bombed about a bit. Oh, I was gonna tell you. Wait. I was gonna tell you about Holly Martins, an American, came all the way here to visit a friend of his. The name was Lime. Harry Lime. Now, Martins was broke, and Lime had offered him some sort, I don't know, some sort of a job. Anyway, there he was, poor chap, happy as a lark and without a cent. - Passport, please. - Oh. - What's the purpose of your visit here? - Friend of mine offered me a job here. - Where are you staying? - With him. 15 Stiftgasse. - His name? - Lime. Harry Lime. - Okay. - Thought he'd be here to meet me. - Speak English? - English? Little. Little. Uh, 10 minutes too late. - Already gone. - Who? Um, his friends and the, uh... no. - Uh, coffin. - Coffin? Mr Lime's. An accident. Knocked over by a car, here in front of the house. Have seen it myself. Killed at once, immediately. Already in hell, or in heaven. Sorry for the gravediggers. Hard work. It is frost. Can you tell me, uh... who's the... A fellow called Lime.