The "Harry Lime" Theme / The Cafe Mozart Waltz - Anton Karas
Why included: Best Sellers In Stores Billboard #1 hit in Apr-July 1950 for 11 weeks
A-side: The "Harry Lime" Theme
Apple Music link: https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-harry-lime-theme-from-the-third-man/1452513643?i=1452513652
Rumors say that the soundtrack to the famous British film The Third Man inspired the Spongebob soundtrack, and you know, this theme makes a pretty good case for that being the truth (doesn't it match the show's spirit so well?). It captures that "lazy floating driftwood" vibe so perfectly as it frolics and bounces along its steady but stately pace. Plucking the melody on a zither gave the song a rich central European vibe, but doesn't the melody sound a bit too jumpy and playful to sound like an authentic 19th-century Viennese waltz? The whole thing has this lighthearted, faux-royal ambiance to it that I find pretty funny and endearing, and I'm not at all surprised that such a memorable theme lasted in the charts for so long. It is quite interesting though a connection was found between a serious film noir and a cartoon show, but in the world of music, practically anything can share a spiritual bond.
B-side: The Cafe Mozart Waltz
Sounds like a variation of the A-side with the same sort of feel and zither instrumentation. If you liked the "Harry Lime" Theme, this is something to hear if you want more of the exact same thing. Great sound, of course!
Verdict: Recommended
When soundtracks these days are dime a dozen, it's great when a movie theme can rise above it and have its own individual charm. Just goes to show that the public can often recognize good stuff when they hear it: this was a #1 hit for a deserved 11 weeks, far longer than the Ames Brothers' and Andrew Sisters' offerings put together. Even today, the richness of its spirit and sound still make it quite enjoyable, and while it won't change your life, it's the perfect soundtrack for a lazy, sunny day in the pool where inertness transforms into a blissful state.
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