Anton Karas facts for kids
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Anton Karas (born July 7, 1906, died January 10, 1985) was a famous musician from Austria. He played the zither, which is a stringed instrument. He is most known for creating the music for the 1948 movie The Third Man. A lucky meeting with the movie's director led to his big break. The movie's success and its popular theme song changed Anton Karas' life forever.
Early Life of Anton Karas
Anton Karas was born in Vienna, Austria. His mother was Theresia Streckel. Later, his mother married Karl Josef Karas, a factory worker. Anton was one of five children in his family.
From a young age, Anton loved music. He dreamed of leading a band. However, his family did not have much money. Still, he and his two brothers and two sisters were allowed to learn instruments. Anton found his first zither in his grandmother's attic when he was 12 years old.
When he was 14, Anton became an apprentice. He learned to be a tool and die maker. At the same time, he took music classes in the evenings. He finished his apprenticeship in 1924. He then worked in a car factory for a short time.
In 1924, he also started studying at the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna. After losing his factory job, he began earning money as an entertainer. He often played his zither in a traditional Austrian wine tavern called a Heuriger. He soon made more money than his father. He continued his music studies until 1928.
Anton Karas' Career Journey
Anton Karas got married in 1930. His daughter was born three months later. From 1939 to 1945, he served in the German army. He was part of the anti-aircraft warfare unit. He even took his zither with him to Russia. He lost some instruments during the war. But he always found another zither to play.
How The Third Man Changed His Life
In the summer of 1948, director Carol Reed was getting ready to film The Third Man. He was in Vienna, looking for the right music for his movie. One day, he visited a Heuriger (wine tavern). There, he heard Anton Karas playing the zither.
Carol Reed was amazed by the simple zither melodies. He asked Anton Karas to compose the music for his film. Karas was surprised. He told Reed that he had never written music before. But the director insisted.
Reed invited Karas to England to work on the music. Karas soon felt homesick. He wanted to return to Austria. Reed told him he could go home once the music was finished. Under this pressure, Anton Karas wrote his famous "Harry Lime Theme."
The movie was a huge success. The music played a big part in its popularity. Anton Karas' life changed completely. He traveled all over the world. He performed for many famous people. This included members of the British Royal family. Princess Margaret invited him to play in London. He also played for Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. He performed for members of the Swedish royal family and even Pope Pius XII.
By the end of 1949, over half a million copies of "The Harry Lime Theme" were sold. This was a huge number for that time. The success of the music also made zither sales go way up.
The film opened in Austria on March 10, 1950. Some people in Vienna were not happy with the movie at first. It showed their city as destroyed after the war. Vienna's newspaper critics did not like the film, except for its music. When Karas returned to Austria in July 1950, he was welcomed by the Chancellor. Most importantly, the public loved the movie. In his hometown, people waited in long lines for tickets. Tickets were sold out eight days in advance.
Anton Karas did not enjoy being a big star. His famous song became known as a "one-hit wonder." He later said, "I never was a star, and never felt like one." He added that he was just "pushed from one place to the other." His only wish was to be back home.
He continued to tour in 1951. He traveled to places like Montreal and Las Vegas. He also toured Japan in 1962, 1969, and 1972. In Japan, he performed for Emperor Hirohito.
In 1953, Karas opened his own heuriger (wine bar) in Vienna. He named it Zum Dritten Mann (The Third Man). It became a popular spot for movie stars. Famous actors like Orson Welles and Gina Lollobrigida visited it. It also became a big tourist attraction.
However, Karas was not happy with this. He preferred to play for local people. He wanted to perform for those who understood his language and music. Because of this, he retired from the public eye in 1966. He explained, "I'm not a tourist guy." He felt that what he was doing there was not truly "Vienna Heuriger" music.
The first few notes of "The Third Man Theme" are carved on his grave marker in Vienna.
