The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, and Orson Welles. The term 'Third Man' refers to the character of Harry Lime, played by Orson Welles, who is the third man in a group of three criminals. The other two characters are Holly Martins, played by Joseph Cotten, and Major Calloway, played by Trevor Howard. The answer to the crossword clue 'ABEL' is a reference to the character of Harry Lime's friend, played by Erich Ponto, who is also known as 'ABEL the Policeman'.