Jeff Goldblum names the greatest theme song in cinema history: “That killed me”
A good movie theme has the power to instantly transport us to a film’s world before we’ve even had a moment to register what we’re listening to. As soon as you hear Celine Dion’s sweeping vocals in ‘My Heart Will Go On’, you immediately picture Jack and Rose on the grand staircase in Titanic, the camera moving around them as they’re finally reunited at long last. You can’t mistake the image of Darth Vader or Princess Leia with the Star Wars theme, either, crafted by one of the biggest composers in Hollywood, John Williams.
Similarly, his theme for Indiana Jones is unmistakable, making us think of Indy cracking his whip, while his music for Jurassic Park is another unforgettable piece that has soundtracked the childhoods of many film lovers across the world. The movie starred Jeff Goldblum in a major role, but off screen, he’s also quite the musical aficionado, and in 2014, he started regularly gigging with his jazz band, the Mildred Snitzer Orchestra.
Since then, he has released several albums, including 2019’s I Shouldn’t Be Telling You This (featuring the likes of Fiona Apple and Sharon Van Etten) and 2025’s Still Blooming, while also embarking on various tours. He might be best known as an actor in many huge movies – Goldblum has also found success with movies ranging from Independence Day, The Fly and Wicked – but he is no less the musician, spending much of his spare time playing piano.
Clearly, he knows a thing or two about music, so it makes sense that he feels passionate about a good film theme – they combine two of his greatest loves, after all. Goldblum once revealed the theme song that really changed everything for him, and that was the one from The Pink Panther Show. Beginning in 1969, the animated shorts were hugely popular, and Goldblum watched them all, falling in love with the Henry Mancini-composed theme.
It’s an absolute classic that anyone can recognise, associated with spying and suspicion. It’s a beautifully-composed piece that instantly strikes a chord with the listener – it’s somewhat seductive and intriguing, inciting a sense of mystery. Talking to the Grammys, Goldblum revealed, “When it comes to Henry Mancini, I saw the first run of The Pink Panther with my sister and it made a big impact on me. That killed me.”
He is a big fan of Mancini in general, who composed ‘Moon River’, which featured in the acclaimed romantic comedy-drama Breakfast at Tiffany’s, sung by Audrey Hepburn as Holly Golightly. “That was one of the first songs my first piano teacher, Tommy Emmel, gave me the sheet music for. I really sat and worked on that, and I started to get better at playing by playing that song,” Goldblum added.
The Pink Panther Show theme is certainly just as – if not more – iconic. Mancini managed to create a piece of music that has become so well-known that it transcends borders. Many filmmakers have used it since as a form of homage or parody, with the theme appearing in everything from Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle to the television show The Price Is Right.
