Anton Karas
Anton Karl Karas (7 July 1906 – 10 January 1985) was an Austrian zither player and composer, best known for his internationally famous 1948 soundtrack to Carol Reed's The Third Man. His association with the film came about as a result of a chance meeting with its director. The success of the film and the enduring popularity of its theme song changed Karas' life. |
Birth and Death Data: Born Zwischenbrücken (quarter of Vienna), Died January 10, 1985 (Vienna (capital of and state in Austria) )
Date Range of DAHR Recordings: 1949 - 1950
Roles Represented in DAHR: composer, lyricist
= Recordings are available for online listening.
= Recordings were issued from this master. No recordings issued from other masters.
Recordings
| Company | Matrix No. | Size | First Recording Date | Title | Primary Performer | Description | Role | Audio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Victor | MBS-092241 | 10-in. | before 7/31/1950 | El tercer hombre | Orquesta Luis Arcaraz | Instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | E0VB-3201 | 10-in. | 2/7/1950 | The 3rd man theme | Ray McKinley Orchestra | Jazz/dance band | composer | |
| Victor | E0VB-3637 | 10-in. | 5/1/1950 | The 3rd man theme | Freddy Martin Orchestra ; Merv Griffin ; Martin Men | Male vocal solo, with male vocal solo and instrumental ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-2545 | 10-in. | 11/16/1949 | The 3rd man theme | Irving Fields Trio | Jazz/dance ensemble | composer | |
| Victor | D9VB-2546 | 10-in. | 11/16/1949 | The wedding samba | Irving Fields Trio ; Three Beaus and a Peep | Jazz/dance ensemble, with mixed vocal quartet | composer |
Citation
Discography of American Historical Recordings, s.v. "Karas, Anton," accessed December 24, 2025, http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116399.
Karas, Anton. (2025). In Discography of American Historical Recordings. Retrieved December 24, 2025, from http://adp.library.ucsb.edu/names/116399.
"Karas, Anton." Discography of American Historical Recordings. UC Santa Barbara Library, 2025. Web. 24 December 2025.
DAHR Persistent Identifier
Linked Open Data Sources
LCNAR: Karas, Anton - https://id.loc.gov/authorities/names/nr90001605
Wikidata: Anton Karas - https://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q45213
VIAF: https://viaf.org/viaf/14958590
MusicBrainz: Anton Karas - https://musicbrainz.org/artist/c635851e-7da6-41cf-9a8a-4674f2c27d4a
Fast: https://id.worldcat.org/fast/263981 - https://id.worldcat.org/fast/263981
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