Title Sequence and Soundtrack
The movie opens with one of the most famous, influential and controversial title sequences in movie history, the animated paper cut-out of a heroin addict's arm, designed and conceived by Saul Bass as a means of creating much more than a mere title sequence, but something that actually enhances the viewer's experience by contributing to a mood built within the opening moments of a film. Bass went on to create memorable title sequences for other renowned films, notably for Alfred Hitchcock's Vertigo, North by Northwest and Psycho.
Similarly, the film's jazz soundtrack (played by Shorty Rogers and His Giants with Shelly Manne) was a landmark in film history; it followed on somewhat from the score provided by Alex North for A Streetcar Named Desire (1951).
The famous theme music was written by Elmer Bernstein. Jet Harris released the theme as single in 1963, Sweet covered the theme song on the UK version of their album Desolation Boulevard, and Barry Adamson released a cover version on his 1988 album Moss Side Story.
Read more about this topic: The Man With The Golden Arm
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