Carol Reed
A master of shadowy suspense and moral ambiguity, he directed one of cinema's most celebrated thrillers, 'The Third Man'.
1906–1976 (age 70)·English film director·Birthday: December 30·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Carol Reed’s journey from stage actor to one of Britain’s foremost film directors was defined by a sharp eye for atmospheric tension and complex characters. His early work in the 1930s showed promise, but it was the post-war period that cemented his reputation. In a remarkable creative streak, he delivered a trilogy of films—'Odd Man Out,' 'The Fallen Idol,' and 'The Third Man'—that plunged audiences into worlds of betrayal, lost innocence, and crumbling European cities. His collaboration with writer Graham Greene was particularly potent, resulting in a visual style where wet cobblestones and canted camera angles became characters themselves. While later ventures like the musical 'Oliver!' brought him Oscar glory, it is the haunting, cynical beauty of his noir-inflected classics that defines his enduring legacy.
The Greatest Generation
1901–1927
Grew up during the Depression, fought World War II, and built the postwar economic boom. Defined by shared sacrifice, institutional trust, and a belief that hard work and loyalty would be rewarded.
Carol was born in 1906, placing them squarely in The Greatest Generation. The events that shaped this generation — world wars, depression, and rapid industrialization — shaped the world they entered and the choices available to them.
#1 When Carol Was Born
The biggest hits of 1906
Carol's Life & Times
The world at every milestone
1906Born
San Francisco earthquake devastates the city
President: Theodore Roosevelt
1911Started school
Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire kills 146 in New York
President: William Howard Taft
1919Became a teenager
Treaty of Versailles signed; Prohibition ratified
President: Woodrow Wilson
1922Could drive
King Tut's tomb discovered in Egypt
President: Warren G. Harding"April Showers" — Al Jolson
1924Could vote
First Winter Olympics held in Chamonix, France
President: Calvin Coolidge"It Had to Be You" — Isham Jones
1927Turned 21
Lindbergh flies solo across the Atlantic; The Jazz Singer premieres
President: Calvin Coolidge"My Blue Heaven" — Gene Austin
1936Turned 30
Jesse Owens wins four golds at the Berlin Olympics
Gas: $0.19/galPresident: Franklin D. Roosevelt"The Way You Look Tonight" — Fred AstaireBest Picture: The Great Ziegfeld
1946Turned 40
United Nations holds its first General Assembly
Gas: $0.21/galHome: $5,150Min wage: $0.40/hrPresident: Harry S. Truman"Prisoner of Love" — Perry ComoBest Picture: The Best Years of Our Lives
1956Turned 50
Elvis Presley appears on The Ed Sullivan Show
Gas: $0.30/galHome: $10,050Min wage: $1.00/hrPresident: Dwight D. Eisenhower"Heartbreak Hotel" — Elvis PresleyBest Picture: Around the World in 80 Days
1966Turned 60
Star Trek premieres on television
Gas: $0.32/galHome: $14,200Min wage: $1.25/hrPresident: Lyndon B. Johnson"The Ballad of the Green Berets" — SSgt Barry SadlerBest Picture: A Man for All Seasons
1976Turned 70
Apple Computer founded; US bicentennial
Gas: $0.59/galHome: $29,300Min wage: $2.30/hrPresident: Gerald Ford"Silly Love Songs" — WingsBest Picture: Rocky
Key Achievements
- Won the Academy Award for Best Director for the musical film 'Oliver!' in 1968.
- Directed 'The Third Man,' a film consistently ranked among the greatest in world cinema for its visual style and narrative tension.
- Created a seminal trilogy of post-war British cinema with 'Odd Man Out' (1947), 'The Fallen Idol' (1948), and 'The Third Man' (1949).
- Was knighted in 1952 for his services to the British film industry.
Did You Know?
He was the illegitimate son of the famed actor-manager Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree.
Orson Welles, who starred in 'The Third Man,' claimed to have directed parts of the film, though Reed and others disputed this.
He began his career as an actor on the stage before moving into film direction.
“I like a film to have a beginning, a middle and an end, but not necessarily in that order.”
