1961 Classic Track Won an Oscar for 'Best Original Song' 64 Years Ago

In the early ’60s, Audrey Hepburn was one of Hollywood’s biggest on-screen starlets and starred in a 1961 film whose hit track still resonates today. Created by Henry Mancini and Johnny Mercer, the song won an Oscar 64 years ago and other accolades.

“Moon River” was created by Mancini and Mercer for Hepburn to perform in the iconic film Breakfast at Tiffany’s. The romantic comedy film was directed by Blake Edwards and based on the 1958 novella by Truman Capote, with Hepburn and George Peppardin the leading roles. Its storyline focuses on a young female escort looking for a rich, older man to marry while living in New York City. She soon meets a young man who has moved into her building with hopes of becoming a writer.

Breakfast at Tiffany’s became a lasting success, having made $14 million at the box office and received critical acclaim from fans and critics. The movie ended up being nominated for five Oscars, with Hepburn nominated for Best Actress. While having not won in the category, the film did win for Best Original Song with the track “Moon River.”

The track revitalized Mercer’s career as a songwriter, which had stalled in the mid-50’s as rock ‘n’ roll was taking over the charts. He wrote the song inspired by his childhood in Georgia and his memories of picking huckleberries. “Moon River” was originally meant to be titled “Blue River,” with a Paramount Pictures executive having once suggested removing the track from the film due to a poor preview. It was reported that Hepburn was outraged at the suggestion and said some colorful language.

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“Moon River” would also go on to receive a Grammys Record of the Year and Song of the Year at the 1962 award ceremony. For the album version, the song was recorded by Mancini and an orchestra, but without Hepburn’s vocals in the chorus. It reached the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 11, with the track also having been sung by soul singer Jerry Butler in 1961.

Butler’s track was released at the same time as Mancini’s and also reached the Billboard Hot 100 charts at No. 11 and the Easy Listening charts at No. 3. The popular movie track also became the theme for Andy Williams, who recorded the track in 1962. He would sing the first eight bars of the song at the start of The Andy Williams Show. His version was preserved by the Library of Congress, with Mancini’s having been inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.