Anton Karas
A Viennese zither player whose haunting melody for 'The Third Man' became one of cinema's most instantly recognizable themes.
1906–1985 (age 79)·Austrian musician and composer·Birthday: July 7·The Greatest Generation
Biography
Anton Karas was scraping out a living playing his zither in Heurigen, the rustic wine taverns of postwar Vienna, when director Carol Reed heard him in 1948. Reed, scouting for authentic local sound for his film noir 'The Third Man,' was captivated. He brought Karas to London for six weeks, where the musician composed and recorded the now-famous score, plucking the strings of his instrument with a relentless, hypnotic rhythm. The 'Third Man Theme,' or 'The Harry Lime Theme,' became a global sensation, topping charts and selling millions of records. Overnight, Karas transformed from a tavern musician into an international star, though he remained deeply connected to Vienna, eventually owning his own Heuriger. His score did more than define a film; it etched the sound of a shadowy, divided Vienna into the world's cultural memory.
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.
Anton 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 Anton Was Born
The biggest hits of 1906
Anton'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
1985Died at 79
Live Aid concerts raise money for Ethiopian famine
Gas: $1.12/galHome: $62,900Min wage: $3.35/hrPresident: Ronald Reagan"Careless Whisper" — Wham!Best Picture: Out of Africa
Key Achievements
- Composed and performed the entire zither soundtrack for the classic 1949 film 'The Third Man.'
- His single "The Third Man Theme" ("The Harry Lime Theme") sold over 500,000 copies in its first year in the UK alone.
- Won the Grand Prix du Disque in 1950 for his recording of the film's theme.
Did You Know?
He learned to play the zither, a traditional Austrian string instrument, entirely by ear.
Director Carol Reed insisted his name appear alone on the film's opening credits: "Zither music by Anton Karas."
The success of the theme allowed him to buy a tavern in Vienna, which he named 'Zum Dritten Mann' ('At the Sign of the Third Man').
“The zither is not a gentle instrument; it has a spine of wire.”
