The Third Man: Chutes and Ladders

[filfoster]

Has anyone else noticed that Holly Martins walks under a ladder in the scene after his arrival in Vienna? That's bad luck in the U-S-of-A and certainly portends what's to become of him in the movie. Could Carrol Reed have been that sly? (Well, yes of course he could have but does anyone else think so?)

 

[martinsantos]

That's a funny detail, and I think that Reed wanted to put it. From the begining we know that Cotten will have trouble... A lot of it.

 

[John in Covina]

The implications fo walking under a ladder as bad luck is clearly the value the director was going after.
Otherwise there is no reason to have him go under a ladder, without a reason then there would be no ladder scene.