The Third Man Theme
Encyclopedia
"The Third Man Theme" is an instrumental
written and performed by Anton Karas
for the soundtrack to the film The Third Man
(1949).
Karas was working as a zither
player when director Carol Reed
, during location scouting
for the film, heard him playing in a beer garden
. Reed wanted music that wasn't a waltz but would be appropriate to the city of Vienna
, in which the film was set, so he asked Karas if he would write and record the film's score
. Karas agreed, and he wrote the theme based on a melody in a practice book. The zither had not previously been widely used in English or American music, but the theme became popular with audiences of the film soon after its premiere.
The tune was originally released in the U.K. in 1949, where it was known as 'The "Harry Lime" Theme.' Following its release in the U.S. in 1950 (see 1950 in music
), "The Third Man Theme" spent eleven weeks at number one on Billboard
s U.S. Best Sellers in Stores chart, from April 29 to July 8. Its success led to a trend in releasing film theme music as singles.
A guitar
version by Guy Lombardo
also sold strongly. Four other versions charted in the U.S. during 1950. According to Faber and Faber
, the different versions of the theme have collectively sold an estimated forty million copies.
"The Third Man Theme" is informally known in Japan as the "Ebisu Beer Theme," which is still used in Ebisu beer commercials to this day. For this reason, it is also used at Ebisu Station
on the JR Yamanote line
to inform passengers of incoming trains.
Instrumental
An instrumental is a musical composition or recording without lyrics or singing, although it might include some non-articulate vocal input; the music is primarily or exclusively produced by musical instruments....
written and performed by Anton Karas
Anton Karas
Anton Karas was a Viennese zither player, best known for his soundtrack to Carol Reed's The Third Man.-Early life:...
for the soundtrack to the film The Third Man
The Third Man
The Third Man is a 1949 British film noir, directed by Carol Reed and starring Joseph Cotten, Alida Valli, Orson Welles, and Trevor Howard. Many critics rank it as a masterpiece, particularly remembered for its atmospheric cinematography, performances, and unique musical score...
(1949).
Karas was working as a zither
Zither
The zither is a musical string instrument, most commonly found in Slovenia, Austria, Hungary citera, northwestern Croatia, the southern regions of Germany, alpine Europe and East Asian cultures, including China...
player when director Carol Reed
Carol Reed
Sir Carol Reed was an English film director best known for Odd Man Out , The Fallen Idol , The Third Man and Oliver!...
, during location scouting
Location scouting
Location scouting is a vital process in the pre-production stage of filmmaking and commercial photography. Once scriptwriters, producers or directors have decided what general kind of scenery they require for the various parts of their work that is shot outside of the studio, the search for a...
for the film, heard him playing in a beer garden
Beer garden
Beer garden is an open-air area where beer, other drinks and local food are served. The concept originates from and is most common in Southern Germany...
. Reed wanted music that wasn't a waltz but would be appropriate to the city of Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, in which the film was set, so he asked Karas if he would write and record the film's score
Film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
. Karas agreed, and he wrote the theme based on a melody in a practice book. The zither had not previously been widely used in English or American music, but the theme became popular with audiences of the film soon after its premiere.
The tune was originally released in the U.K. in 1949, where it was known as 'The "Harry Lime" Theme.' Following its release in the U.S. in 1950 (see 1950 in music
1950 in music
-Events:*January 3 – Sam Phillips launches Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee.*August – Herbert Howells' Hymnus Paradisi is premiered at the Three Choirs Festival.*Malcolm Sargent becomes chief conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra....
), "The Third Man Theme" spent eleven weeks at number one on Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
s U.S. Best Sellers in Stores chart, from April 29 to July 8. Its success led to a trend in releasing film theme music as singles.
A guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
version by Guy Lombardo
Guy Lombardo
Gaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
also sold strongly. Four other versions charted in the U.S. during 1950. According to Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber
Faber and Faber Limited, often abbreviated to Faber, is an independent publishing house in the UK, notable in particular for publishing a great deal of poetry and for its former editor T. S. Eliot. Faber has a rich tradition of publishing a wide range of fiction, non fiction, drama, film and music...
, the different versions of the theme have collectively sold an estimated forty million copies.
Other versions
The full soundtrack album was ready for release when The Third Man came out, but there wasn't a lot of interest in it. Instead, labels focused on the catchy main theme and released it as a single.- The zither-based Anton Karas version excerpted from the film soundtrack was released by Decca in 1949 across Europe with different catalog numbers. It was a 10-inch 78rpm single with The "Harry Lime" theme on the "A" side and The Cafe Mozart Waltz on the "B" side. This became the most common version heard by European listeners.
- Decca F.9235 (United Kingdom), Decca NF.9235 (Germany).
- Decca M.32760 (Netherlands).
- Decca 671 (Italy).
- The guitar-based version performed by Guy Lombardo and His Royal CanadiansGuy LombardoGaetano Alberto "Guy" Lombardo was a Canadian-American bandleader and violinist.Forming "The Royal Canadians" in 1924 with his brothers Carmen, Lebert, and Victor and other musicians from his hometown, Lombardo led the group to international success, billing themselves as creating "The Sweetest...
was recorded December 9, 1949 and was released in the US by DeccaDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
under catalog number Decca 24839 (1950). It was a 78rpm 10-inch single that had The 3rd Man theme on the "A" side and The Cafe Mozart Waltz on the "B" side. This was the version most familiar to American listeners. - The Norwegian-born pianist "Banjo-Lasse"Robert Levin (Norwegian pianist)Robert Levin was a Norwegian classical pianist and composer. Although he was an accomplished solo pianist and composer in his own right, Levin received international acclaim for his work as an accompanist with several of the world's most celebrated vocal and instrumental...
recorded the tune in StockholmStockholmStockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
on November 17, 1949 with Thorstein Sjögren's orchestra. It was released on the 78 rpm record HMV X 7567. - Telefunken came out with a single of the Anton Karas version for the West German market [Telefunken A-10-856] in 1950. It was re-released as a 7-inch 45rpm format single [U-45-856] in 1957.
- In 1950 the London RecordsLondon RecordsLondon Records, referred to as London Recordings in logo, is a record label headquartered in the United Kingdom, originally marketing records in the United States, Canada and Latin America from 1947 to 1979, then becoming a semi-independent label....
label (a sub-division of Decca UK) released the Anton Karas version in both a 10-inch 78rpm single [London 536] and a 7-inch 45rpm single [London 30005]. - Russ ConwayRuss ConwayRuss Conway was a British popular music pianist. Conway had 20 piano instrumentals in the UK Singles Chart between 1957 and 1963, including two number one hits.-Career:...
recorded a "honky tonk" piano version of the The "Harry Lime" theme with Geoff Love and his OrchestraGeoff LoveGeoff Love was a British easy-listening, and disco orchestra leader. He was born in the industrial town of Todmorden in the West Riding of Yorkshire. His father was a mixed race American-born guitarist and dancer, and his mother an actress. As a child, Love began to learn to play the violin but...
for Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
in 1958. It was released as a 7-inch 45rpm single [Columbia 45-DB 4060] with The Lantern Slide on the B-side. - Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass recorded a Latin-flavored go-goGo-Go dancingGo-go dancers are dancers who are employed to entertain crowds at a discotheque. Go-go dancing originated in the early 1960s when women at the Peppermint Lounge in New York City began to get up on tables and dance the twist...
version of the song arranged for brass instruments on his album !!Going Places!! (1965) for A&M RecordsA&M RecordsA&M Records is an American record label owned by Universal Music Group that operates under the mantle of its Interscope-Geffen-A&M division.-Beginnings:...
. - The BeatlesThe BeatlesThe Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
recorded an impromptu version during a jam session in 1969, but it has never appeared on any of their "official" albums. - The BandThe BandThe Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
played it on Moondog MatineeMoondog MatineeMoondog Matinee is the sixth album by Canadian/American rock group The Band released in 1973. It consists entirely of cover material taken from the group's love of R&B and blues music with one exception in their interpretation of the theme from the film The Third Man.The idea had been to replicate...
(1973) [Capitol 93592], an album of song covers, for Columbia Records. - The ShadowsThe ShadowsThe Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
recorded a version on their 33-1/3rpm double LP Hits Right Up Your StreetHits Right Up Your StreetHits Right Up Your Street is the fourteenth rock album by British instrumental group The Shadows, released in 1980 through Polydor Records and Pickwick Records. The majority of the album is in the form of covers by popular artists at the time.-Track listing:- Charts :...
(1981) for Polydor RecordsPolydor RecordsPolydor is a record label owned by Universal Music Group, headquartered in the United Kingdom.-Beginnings:Polydor was originally an independent branch of the Deutsche Grammophon Gesellschaft. Its name was first used as an export label in 1924, the British and German branches of the Gramophone...
. - An unidentified instrumentalist played the song in a scene in the movie xXxXXXXXX may refer to:* The number 30 in Roman numerals* The year 30 AD* Games of the XXX Olympiad, the 2012 Summer Olympic Games in London, England* Super Bowl XXX, held on January 28, 1996* A mark indicating "extra strong"* Alcoholic beverages...
.
Other utilization
"The Third Man Theme" was used in a 1982 TV mail-order record collection, Aerobic Dancing [Parade LP 100A], with Sharon Barbano."The Third Man Theme" is informally known in Japan as the "Ebisu Beer Theme," which is still used in Ebisu beer commercials to this day. For this reason, it is also used at Ebisu Station
Ebisu Station (Tokyo)
is a railway station locatedin the Ebisu neighborhood of Tokyo's Shibuya ward. The train station is named after Yebisu Beer, which used to be brewed nearby...
on the JR Yamanote line
Yamanote Line
The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its...
to inform passengers of incoming trains.