| Film producer Alexander Korda envisioned a thriller set in a war-torn European capital. London? Paris? Rome? In the end, he chose Vienna. Graham Greene was commissioned to write the screenplay. In February 1948, Greene travelled to the city for two weeks to gather impressions and material. He stayed at the Hotel Sacher, then under British military administration—an ideal base for his explorations through the ruins and shadows of post-war Vienna, and for his discreet conversations with British intelligence officers (“my wartime connection with the SIS used to bring me useful dividends in those days,” he later remarked). Our illustrated tour begins at the Sacher, just as Greene’s did, and follows the traces of the city that sparked his imagination. Depending on opening times, we may also descend to view a section of the Wien River sewer system, made famous by the film’s climactic chase scene, and visit the remarkable Third Man Museum, dedicated to the film and its cultural legacy. |
