Tonight was a classic movie viewing. The brilliant "The Third Man", full feature, B/W Sound.
This particular print was an ex library print from Movieland international here in Plymouth around 35 years ago. Supplied in one of those classic library Brown plain boxes with the separator section for the reels to slot into.
We have joined this one up onto 3 x 800ft spools. The image is lovely and sharp with excellent contrast, it is on B/W stock and the sound is first class, especially via the Pioneer amp we use.
When we bought this we were fully aware that reel 1, the first 400 reel had a lot of thin black lines and for the first 50/100ft was also a bit splicey. hence the price tag of £40, (as written on its original box.
Reels 2, 3,4 and 5 are very good with just the odd light black line. Not too sure how only reel one has suffered in this way, but fortunately the image is often indoors or at night so the lines dont bother us.
I am going to go through reel one to see if i can improve things a bit and give the whole film a good clean up. This was our first viewing of this print since 2010. This is an absolute classic of a movie and Walton did a first class job getting this out and with such great quality. The one thing you do not see with these images is how sharp it is and how good the contrast is.

The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed and written by Graham Greene. It stars Joseph Cotten, Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. The film takes place in post-World War II Vienna. It centres on Holly Martins, an American who is given a job in Vienna by his friend Harry Lime, but when Holly arrives in Vienna he gets the news that Lime is dead. Martin’s then meets with Lime's acquaintances in an attempt to investigate what he considers a suspicious death.
The atmospheric use of black-and-white expressionist cinematography by Robert Krasker, with harsh lighting and distorted "Dutch angle" camera technique, is a major feature of The Third Man. Combined with the iconic theme music, seedy locations and acclaimed performances from the cast, the style evokes the atmosphere of an exhausted, cynical, post-war Vienna at the start of the Cold War.
Greene wrote the novella of the same name as preparation for the screenplay. Anton Karas wrote and performed the score, which featured only the zither. The title music "The Third Man Theme" topped the international music charts in 1950, bringing the previously unknown performer international fame. It is considered one of the greatest films of all time, celebrated for its acting, musical score and atmospheric cinematography.[5]
In 1999, the British Film Institute voted The Third Man the greatest British film of all time. In 2017 a poll of 150 actors, directors, writers, producers and critics for Time Out magazine saw it ranked the second best British film ever.

It's many years since I saw 'The Third Man' on TV, and don't remember anything about it. I do have the original theme music on a 78rpm disc. Looks a great print Tom.

The print looks great Tom.

I tell you what Tom, that is one mighty fine ex rental print!
I don't think I've seen another looking as clean!!

These are clearly not the sections with the fine lines.

Its pretty good Andy, just a shame about reel one. If you click on any of the first four images you will see the lines, its weird really, now its joined onto 800ft reels when you start part one, you get a perfect first 10ft or so, then, as the music starts, you get a number of splices, all go through fine but there is a couple where there is a small jump, after the narrators introduction the splices are done, the film settles well but for the remainder of part one there is a lot of thin black lines, then, suddenly half way through the first 800 reel where part two is spliced the whole thing is suddenly very good and fortunately, stays that way for the rest of the film.