Love Affair

George Orson Welles (May 6, 1915 – October 10, 1985) was an American actor, director, screenwriter, and producer who is remembered for his innovative work in film, radio, and theatre. He is considered to be among the greatest and most influential filmmakers of all time

Episode Transcript

(00:19):
Resenting Orson Wells as the Third Man. The lives of Harry Lime, the
fabulous stories of the immortal character,originally created in the motion picture The Third
Man with zither music by Anton Kara. That was the shot that killed Harry

(00:50):
Lime. He died in a sewerbeneath Vienna. As those of you know
who saw the movie The Third Man, Yes, that was the end of
Harry Lime. It was at thebeginning. Harry Lime had many lives.
I can recount all of them.How do I know, Veryston, because

(01:11):
my name is Harry Lime. Friends. The story of my marriage, my
first marriage and believe you me,my last. It all began in the
funny little city of Beccorata. Thereisn't much to do there except get married.

(01:34):
Principal local occupation, of course,is getting rich, and that's what
brought me to Beccarata. It's hiddenaways, you probably know, in a
remote corner of Saudi Arabia, minesof black gold oil. There e stop
the landscape as far as you cansee, and huddled beneath these modern steel
skeletons lies a city as old asthe East. Curio dealers hawk their wares
in the narrow winding streets, beggarsdoors in shadowed doorways, robed Arabs mingle

(01:56):
with Europeans in soiled whites, andthe city drowses with all the indolence of
Asia. An ideal place for amurder and a double crossing oil, oil
to grease the skids of fortune forhairy lime, and now orson wells as

(02:55):
hairy lime. The third man inlove Affair the Corota Saudi Arabia, Harry
Locke. That's me, a happyyoung bachelor strolling along the narrow street that
led from the grand hotel to thenative bazaarre. Oh, noble one,

(03:21):
a moment of your time. I'msorry, friend, I am not the
beggar, Oh heaven born. Iam teller of fortune. Yes, but
the past, the present, thefuture, I see all, I tell
all, Oh greatest of great lords, May your back never been thank you,
May your beard never grow white thana little back shesh. And I

(03:43):
read you for it, thanks verymuch. Sure, man, I'm busy
making my fortune. I don't needto have it told. Show me a
palm, noble one. Let mebut see the line of your desk.
Okay, okay, friend, wouldmake it snappy? Ah, the hand
of the wonder of the seeker.It's difficult to tell your fortune, my
lord, because you have no fortune. You have many fortune. Well that's

(04:06):
nice to hear, old man,but let's get down the cases. One
am I going to get rich?You will always be near to wealth and
see many women. That's good.Beautiful women, that's better. Dark women.
I like blondes too, But onlyone wife, also, redhead.
What's that about a wife, nobleone? You will only be married once?

(04:28):
Alon once is too much, callit mildly. I'm afraid you've got
your fortunes mixed up. You willtravel a great one quickly and across many
land and you travel with a wife. Okay, now you've had your front.
I'll say goodbye. Wait wait,you have not paid me. Why
should I? Friend, I'm HarryLyons. You don't know about me,
and fill a book and nobody's goingto write it without paying me royalties.

(04:49):
So long, old man, Stillthe same sweet generous Harry Lyons Swying.
What are you doing in Beccarada?Just exactly what you think? Checking up
on you? The same sweet loverabout Carl Schwying. They can be talking
almost anyway. It's the time forsalad's going going to this cafe here.

(05:13):
It doesn't look very clean. Idon't answer your needs. Don't you thank
you? Follow me? Really,it doesn't seem to be anyone around.
What do you want swying? Whatdo I want? I want to know
whether you've obtained the oil dises.That is what you're being paid for,
isn't it, mister lie I'm nottoo okay toying with me. I'm not
toying with you. What do youexpect? Everything in the city moves by

(05:35):
inches. I made friends him rollshow me with the alephant. I think
I've got him in a receptive mood. Actually, I'm sure it doesn't realize
how important oil it's going to behere in a few years. I can't
force him to sign them, Manute. Things don't work the way you know.
I know we have perfect confidency.And why did you come here to
make sure that our confidence wasn't mispleased? And do you think you might be
able to settle the matter of theoil? I have an appoint of the

(05:56):
Elephant late this afternoon. He's outof the summer palace now. It's about
forty miles in the city. WhenI get back here in touch with you.
If it's a grand hotel, I'llbegun by this afternoon, Harry.
But I do have others working forme. I'll know it. If you
try to double cross your government'll getthe leasas Schweik by the money. I
brought you a draft to pay foryour services to date here and thank you
all. Yeah, what's this?And this hardly covers my hotel and I

(06:17):
forgetting it. You tried, Yourfinal payment will be waiting for you the
Bank International. Then you have concludednegotiations anyone at the bank, No one
I don't know, Harry. Thenno, I'm still burning about the size
of the checks. I left Schwigheaded for the bank in and I said,
you know, I'm not surprised tolearn the Schwei's government at other agents

(06:40):
in Decorada. But I wondered howit was possible for someone employed by the
bank to know when the elephant itacceded to my requests. So I ended
the shabby monument to finance. Isearched the bland in scrutable faces behind the
cages, but they told me nothingwell, and come to cash the check.
My pleasure rods and slid the infuriatinglittle piece of grave paper through the
opening the win of the chief,lovely looking land. If you care for

(07:00):
the park, Mark bdied murderous type. He glanced down at the check and
then up with me. You areHarry Lyon. Yes, I am a
credential, so that won't be necessary. You are already well known in this
city. It's very flattering. Howdo you want this, mister Lyon.
I don't care about the denominations,but I want an American money. American,
Yeah, you say I'm an American. I'm sentimental about American money.

(07:24):
Very well, mister Lyon. Hereyou are sir one two three for five
hundred dollars. Thank you. However, with the current rate of exchange,
I might advise you to pardon me. Mister Lyon. I apologize for approaching
you on the street, but Imust speak to you at once, or
you my name would not mean anythingto you. But I can tell you

(07:44):
this, I am no friend ofcars bike that's got any enemy of cars
rise as a friend of mine.What can I do for you? It
is a matter of what I cando for you. To begin with,
May I drive you back to yourhot day. I have my own cards.
You do not own account of misterLime and the s it way you
have rented you not used today.You left it in the hotel garage to
be serviced. You want it ingood running order for your trip to the

(08:05):
Alafin summer Palace later in the day. I've been delighted to accept a left
back the hotel. That's your carthere, Yes, Gregory, the car
is my own. Incidentally, thereare some governments that are not as cautious,
but there are purse strings. Asthe employers of your mister Spike,
Gregory, we will drive mister Limeto the counter. Teil, do not
hurry. Oh man, you knowall about my car, my engagement to

(08:31):
no apparently, my business, youand Begorada. What more would you like
to know? I think you dome an injustice. Missed the line.
I do not seek anything. Iwish to give you something here when you
want kidnapped for this kind of money, mist of the line. We are
both here in Decorata for the samething. But there are two major differences.
You want the oil liss for thecountry who gave you that check you

(08:52):
just cashed at the bank. Iwant the lisus for another power state.
You have been successful and I havenot been. I have no signed agreements.
Have authoritative sources tell me that ithas become a personal thing between you,
and they are laughing. You haveexercised great charm on him. He
will sign the leases made out byyou to whatever power you select. Maybe

(09:16):
I want you to make out acontract for my company. Tries already give
me several payments, payments, howdo they compare with the money you now
hold in your hand? And theydon't compare. But I can't accept this
money already assured, Try carry lime. I know you, I know how
your mind works. I have workedwith men like you for years. Your
loyalties belong to the highest bidder.In your hand, you hold the largest

(09:41):
price yet offered for your surrivices.When you present the contract, so they
are laughing. Tomorrow, I amsure they will contain the name of the
right country. And later I waswanting to at the bar the hotel.
I wasn't clutching the money Barren andoffered me in my title first anymore,
Huhart was making a comforting bulge inmy wallet. A long Mahogany gate to

(10:05):
forgetfulness was deserted except for George Harris. George's sort of glorified tourists guide who
sometimes brought parties of American travelers tosee the quaint charm of ancient decorata.
Quaint Yet I'm not crowding him.I'm who We're here first, so you
couldn't be crowding me, all right, And you're crowding me. And it's
a long barn. There's anything silly. Look, he's a long bar with

(10:26):
one drinker at one and one ofthe other command hairs breakdown. Have a
drink with me. I'm it mayinterest you to know that when I bring
tourists here, I give him alittle indotrination lecture, and part of it
consists of a warning to keep awayfrom a very unsavory American expatriate for the
name of Harry Lime. You thinkI'm capable of contaminating you and your camera
toting babbits, that's quite know whatyou're capable of. But the tourists who

(10:48):
can afford to include a side tripto the Orient and their rightinery obviously have
money. There's no sense in wavinga branch of honeysuckle in front of a
bee. I guess that's my cueto buzz off. Mister Harris worry about
my trying to get even with youfor all the nasty things you said.
I much rather have my revenge whenyou are not prepared for it. I

(11:11):
wasn't hungry when I walked into thedining salone. George Harris followed me,
headed for a table festooned with hisparty of Taurus. Usually, his party
consisted of by carbinet of soda,addicts, fugitives from Board of Directors meetings,
and generously proportioned dowagers enjoying the moneytheir late husbands had worked themselves to
death accumulating with. This time,there was a new note, a lovely,
fresh looking girl. She had thesort of innocence that only a Reynolds

(11:33):
could have captured, or a hairylime. When she got up from the
table, I followed. At thepiazza, there wasn't a hovering mother,
a chaperone, or a tourist guideside. Ah. I say, you
didn't draft your handkerchief. What ifyou had? I could have picked it
up and returned it to you.We could have started talking. I would

(11:56):
have offered to show you the city. I have a guide. Thanks,
yes, I know I could showyou places. George Harris wouldn't dream of
taking a seventeen year old girl toI'm nineteen. Oh, I've been wondering
now, I've been wondering about afew other things too. You must be
the Harry Lyme, mister Harris wastelling you. For surely I'm not the
only man in Beccarada capable of speculatinga bit about a beautiful American girl.

(12:16):
I'm terribly sorry, mister Lyme,but the others will be coming out from
lunch soon, and I mustn't beseen talking to you here in broad daylight.
But it won't be broad daylight forever. Whatever perhaps will need this evening.
This. Perhaps the girl was areal looker. But with all the

(12:41):
look shoe was pushed to the backof my mind as I got to the
Summer Palace the Elephant. Later thatafternoon, I rented Citron. I was
behaving nicely, and I guess Iwasn't watching the road do carefully, because
suddenly the ordinarily deserted strip of pavementbecame crowded and I had to pull to
a stop. Arabs riding borrows crowdedabout the car. There was some half
casts on foot climbing on the runningboards in front of the car was three
or four. Every one's pretty firstlooking customers with old fashioned muskets slung over

(13:03):
their shoulders. Hey, hey,what's all this about. I'm on my
way to see your ruler. IfI'm detained, you'd be very angry,
I say, isn't there's somebody herewho speaks English? I speak Englishman?
Were you? You're the chief telephonethe bank, and as you know,
that's one of my occupations. Moveover, mister Lyon. We have many

(13:26):
things to talk about before you haveyour meeting with ya. Lafine Orson Wells

(13:46):
returns in just a moment as thethird man, and now Orson Wells.

(14:35):
As the third man continues with loveof things. The beady eyed, pockmarked
Arab was sitting next to me onthe front seat of my rented citru.
The near equatorial afternoon was growing cold, the leather of the cars upholstry,

(14:58):
damp and climbing under my head.There's the motley crew outside the car,
crowded close. I made an instinctivegesture toward the bulgie wallet had rested in
my inside pocket. If you're thinkingof reaching for a gun, mister Lyme,
I might inform you that these fewfriends represent only a portion of mister

(15:18):
Schwigs's representatives in baccurata. So you'rea schwigs Man in the bank precisely.
Or you can relax. I wasn'treaching for a gun. I have no
need to relax, mister Lyme.But you appear a try from nervous.
Oh no, not at all.But perhaps your gesture towards your pocket was
only to assure yourself that your walletwas still sick. Are you getting in?

(15:39):
I saw you get into Mordechai Varian'scar outside the bank today. It
would not be healthy to go againstmister Schwigs's vicious noll I am. I
have no intention of doing that.I thought the idea might have a familiar
if Monsieur Varin's offer was more interesting. Don't try it, mister Lyme.

(16:00):
Keep your promise to Schwaig, andthen get out of town before Varry knows
you completed our arrangements with the Alaphine. I'm not leaving town like at the
balance of the money, Schwaig goesme. He said, I'll be waiting
for me at the bank, Andso it will be, and the bank
will be closed by the time Ileave the Elephant's palace. Well, you
conclude the negotiations and then meet meat the bar of the hotel. Okay,

(16:22):
I will have the money waiting foryou there. All right, Oh
man, it's a deal, anddon't try any tricks. If you do,
I will know about it before youhave finished counting the money. My
ending with a high popen taytor Beccaradowas an infuriating ordeal of delay some or
other. The granting of oil rightsseemed to be inexecrably tied up with native

(16:45):
dances and ceremonies and rituals. Butthe best I could manage was to leave
the contracts with him and get anexchange a half promise that he would sign
them. I wondered if Schwig's fascinatingmessenger boy be content with the arrangements he
was waiting for me there. Allright, I can't prepared, but I
have been informed that the Alaphin didnot sign the contracts. Look, if

(17:07):
you know they were signed, youalso know I made them out the way
you wanted them, in favor ofthe Partschwagen you represent. My job.
He has finished, even if Iwanted to stick in back around until the
old door gets around the sign,and I couldn't not with Bannon in town.
I want the money. I've gotto come in to me. Now,
do you understand? Now, I'mnot sure Schwag would approve. You've
got the money in your side pocket. I can see the bulge. I'll
pull it out and start. Whatshot Lime? But but it knows it

(17:38):
must have been dead. Almost beforeI reached over into the money from the
side pocket, I could hear himtopple from his chair as Bannon and a
handful of thugs burst into the roomthrough the doorway which one of them had
shot him. They fired after meas I streaked out of the back door,
and I reached the rear of thehotel and jumped into the situation.
Stepped on the starter and as themotor card I clashed the gears, the
cur leaped toward a narrow, torturousstreet. I wasn't sure where it led,

(18:00):
but already I could hear other carsstarting behind me. Natives and animals
sprang out of my way as Ikareem down the winding street. Cars were
further away now, but ahead ofme I could see people milling about a
dimly lit cafe. There was afigure in white something I could see.
There was the girl, the Americangirl from the hotel. I don't know
why, but something made me stoptime, help me, help me jump

(18:23):
in, get me away from here, quickly, hold on out of the
way. Watch out? What wereyou doing? The Native quarter? George
Harris wouldn't take me where I wantedto go, and I wanted to see
the places, the places you spokeabout this afternoon. So I slipped out

(18:44):
of the hotel after dinner and Iwent to that Native cafe back there,
horrible place. Two natives came upto my table and I started to sneak
out, and they followed me.I was never so happy to see anyone
in my life. That's all right, I'll take care of you, be
all right, But I can't callyour nineteen years old American girl. Well,

(19:07):
my name's Marian Lawrence. Well Mary, I'm an orphan and distant relative
of mine. Died a few monthsago and left me a little money.
So I quit my job and decidedto take a world cruise. And to
George Harris, nor I I didn'ttake one of those plan crews, as
I just happened to join the conductedtour to Beccarada last weekend, and I
wish I'd never come. Now,you better send a wire to Harris.

(19:27):
Though we might notify your relatives orsomeone if you don't show up at the
hotel. Well, there's no oneto notify. I have no relatives of
friends over here. Have your passportwith him? No, I haven't.
Well, I know someone the otherboard who was very talented as an engraver.
However, we might obviate a lotof trouble by having him make out
your passports with some new names.Say, uh, mister and missus Joe

(19:51):
Smith of Cleveland, Ohio. Thatmight do for both of us. As
that sound to you, sounds reallyexciting, like we were spies or espionage
agents or something. It was workingperfectly. Marian was in thrall with excitement

(20:14):
on the romance of our adventure.It would take time for Varian, where
else might be following me, topick up the trail, but by the
time we'd crossed the border, allof that was changed. Marian and I
were mister and missus Josemith at Cleveland, Ohio, USA. Oh. Yes,
it was working perfectly because as faras I could tell, Marian was
the perfect bride, adoring, starryeyed, and really in love with me.
Because she was in love with me, she asked no embarrassing questions.

(20:37):
There was an added feature to ithad become apparent that her little inheritance wasn't
so little at all. Her pursecontained a roll of large denomination bills,
big enough to choke a custom official. Did I embarrass you, dear insisting
on paying for my own clothes?Oh? No, you didn't embarrass me.
Oh well, I'm constantly being surprisedto find as you can buy Parisian
models on ast anywhere in the worldif you have the money. Do you

(20:59):
think it safe traveling by car?Don't you think maybe we'd better leave it
and take a train? Harry,I told you to get in the habit
of calling me Joe. I'm sorry. Why shouldn't I be safe? What
are you hinting at? Oh?Nothing, It's just that you told me
the car was ran, didn't Ithought? Well, stopped thinking. Oh
I saw a Merryan old girl,nervous, I guess see. Nerves lasted

(21:30):
all that week as we crossed borderafter border. Beccarado was a long way
back now, but I still keptimagining that I saw varion and crowds as
we went through custom offices. Ithought I caught a grinse of Schwig as
we ate dinner in a find aLittle restaurant Instamboul, even though I'd seen
him die, I got a swan. I saw the pockmarked face of the
chief teller of the bank in aNassional So we walked into a railroad office

(21:52):
in Bucharest. By the time we'dreached Vienna, I think I'd almost began
to enjoy my role as the somewhatBucolic tourists. Are you happy, Joe?
Dangerously? The way I feel?I might never want to leave you.
I'd hate to think of what allthis rich food would do to my
fingure if we stayed. I supposeneither of us or anything more to you
to drink. Well, it soundsas all as plenty for all of us.

(22:15):
Harris, George Harris, you don'tmind if I join you. You
talk like a compo man ami withthe FBI of the United States. By
the way, Harry Lyme, Ithink you might be interested in knowing that
the elephant got a little tired ofall you intrigued. The day after you
left, he awarded the oil leasesto the US. So then schwigs after
me too. What charges have yougot against me? Charges? We have

(22:37):
no charges against you. It stillisn't against the law to be a skunk?
Well, is there no charges againstbehind? You've just been helping the
Beccurata authorities track down your sweet littlebride. Why Mary, I'm sorry,
Harry the night you picked her upin beccuratas she was fleeing from the hotel
where she just shot and killed araging husband ready to leave. Marian,

(23:02):
just a minute, Marian, Iwant to get this straight. He's talking,
Harry. What he says it's Imean, I mean that's why you
came away with me. You meanI was the sucker you've been used to
me. Okay, I've been alot of things in my life. I've
even been married now, I've evenbeen a sucker. That's one that doesn't
go in the book. But George, I don't see how you traced us.
So the big bills your wife spenton the trip, you see her

(23:25):
doting husband, not you, theone she killed, cashed a large check
at the Bank International a few hoursbefore she did away with him. Luckily,
the chief teller made a list ofthe serial numbers. Come on,
Marian, oh goodbye. I'm bythe way where you're planning to be.
It may need you for the trial. You can always look for me.
Oh man, there's no law againstthat. Tell you what I'll give you
a little hint. The elephant maybehasn't signed that oil contract. I mean,

(23:45):
any little advice. After us,you'll probably find me in Beccarata for
a while. There's a fortune tellerI want to look up. I own
him some money. So long,Marian, goodbye, old man. May
your beard never grow quite, yourshadow never grow less. Harry Lime returns

(24:15):
in just a moment, and nowHarry Lime. Well friends. It was

(25:17):
a short marriage, but a verypleasant one. If you should settle down
somewhere and start enjoying easy living,rich food, and find like I don't
worry about what it'll do to yourfigure. It's about the fat. It
tends to develop between the ears thatthe we