10 Oscar Songs That Outshined Their Movies

Only the most encyclopedic movie savants may be familiar with the films Captain Carey, U.S.A., Here Come the Waves, and the animated short Wet Blanket Policy. It is more likely you know the songs they introduced: “Mona Lisa,” “Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive,” and “The Woody Woodpecker Song.” All three were Oscar-nominated for Best Original Song — “Mona Lisa” took home the statuette — and each went on to eclipse the film for which it was written.

On March 15, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will once again bestow Oscar immortality on another nominee in the Best Original Song category. Many Oscar-winning and -nominated songs are inextricably linked to the movies they were featured in — think “Theme from Shaft.” But others have taken on lives of their own to become standards while the films themselves have faded from memory.

Here is a playlist of 10 Oscar-nominated and Oscar-winning tunes (along with the year of they appeared at the Oscars) that have endured long after their films’ fade-out.

Baby, It’s Cold Outside (1948)

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The New York Times called the 1949 MGM musical “Neptune’s Daughter” another example of “a great big beautiful musical, full of slickness and Technicolored plush, models and Xavier Cugat rhythm and Esther Williams in a water ballet, and everybody is happy — if they like that sort of thing.” But from this came the Oscar-winning naughty novelty song that became an unlikely holiday classic and a subject of debate over lyrics such as, “Say, what’s in this drink?” Fun fact: It was written by Frank Loesser as a duet to sing with his wife at parties.

Silver Bells (1951)

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This beloved Christmas song was introduced in “The Lemon Drop Kid,” one of Bob Hope’s best films and a holiday viewing perennial for viewers of a certain age. Bing Crosby, Elvis Presley, Stevie Wonder, and Zooey Deschanel, as part of the duo She & Him — well, who hasn’t recorded this one? This entry is a bit of a cheat as “Silver Bells” was not even nominated for an Academy Award. It joins a jaw-dropping list of songs snubbed by the Academy, including “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” and “New York, New York.”

High Hopes (1958)

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“A Hole in the Head” starring Frank Sinatra is not ranked among Frank Capra’s best films, but it did produce this Oscar-winning song by Jimmy van Heusen and Sammy Cahn. Sinatra went on to adapt it to be sung at rallies for presidential candidate John F. Kennedy. As for me, my classmates and I sang this paean to perseverance at Wayne Thomas Elementary assemblies.

Call Me Irresponsible (1963)

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New York Times critic Bosley Crowther was not a fan of “Papa’s Delicate Condition,” starring Jackie Gleason as the eccentric father of Corinne Griffith, upon whose memoir this film was based. “When he has to sing a sentimental ditty to a dressmaker’s dummy, he makes it so phony and mawkish that it causes a sensitive soul to squirm,” he wrote. The film is mostly forgotten, but that song, “Call Me Irresponsible,” was recorded by artists ranging from Frank Sinatra and Connie Francis to Bobby Darin and Michael Bublé.

More (1963)

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The controversial documentary “Mondo Cane” wastes no time setting its exploitative, sensationalistic tone. In its opening moments, a struggling dog is dragged into a kennel while a narrator intones, “All the scenes that you are about to see are real and were shot as they were taking place. If sometimes they seem cruel, it is only because cruelty abounds on this planet.” You get the idea. But   it introduced this Grammy-winning and Oscar-nominated ballad that was once a staple of wedding playlists and was recorded by Andy Williams, Marvin Gaye, Brenda Lee, and, yes, Frankie Avalon, among others.

My Kind of Town (1964)  

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Mileage may vary on your reaction to “Robin and the 7 Hoods,” a musical take on the Robin Hood legend, with Frank Sinatra as a benevolent Chicago gangster. But it introduced one of his signature songs, Sammy Cahn’s Oscar-nominated ode to the Windy City. Another song, “Style,” sung by Sinatra, Dean Martin, and Bing Crosby, also became a Rat Pack favorite.

For All We Know (1970)

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The 1970 romantic comedy “Lovers and Other Strangers” was recognized recently following Diane Keaton’s death as her auspicious feature debut. But it is best known for introducing this Oscar-winning song, which went on to become yet another wedding staple, and one of the Carpenters’ biggest hits.

You Light Up My Life (1976)

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Wait, it was a movie? Yes, it was, and not particularly well received by critics, although it was a box office hit, thanks to Joseph Brooks’ Grammy- and Oscar-winning title song as recorded by Debby Boone. It topped the charts for 10 weeks. In the film, the charming Didi Conn lip-syncs to a version sung by Kasey Cisyk.

Last Dance  (1977)

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“Thank God It’s Friday” is a relic of the disco era. But it did produce this Donna Summer hit that went on to win the Academy Award and Golden Globe for songwriter Paul Jabara. It is the highlight in a film to which Roger Ebert gave a one-and-a-half-star review.

How Do You Keep the Music Playing (1982)

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“Best Friends” is not the first film that springs to mind when selecting favorite films of its stars, Burt Reynolds and Goldie Hawn. But this sparkling rom-com introduced this Oscar-nominated song composed by Michel Legrand with lyrics by Alan and Marilyn Bergman. It has been memorably covered by Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra, and Tony Bennett.