Sabre Dance - in Popular Culture

In Popular Culture

The "Sabre Dance" has been used in numerous films, animated films, TV series, video games and commercials over the years. Some notable TV shows that have used it include The Jack Benny Program (1961), A Piano in the House from The Twilight Zone (1962), The Onedin Line (1971 and 1972), The Benny Hill Show (1985), The Simpsons (1991-2011), Two and a Half Men (2004), What's New, Scooby-Doo? (2004), "Peterotica" from the Family Guy (2006), SpongeBob SquarePants (2007), The Big Bang Theory (2009).

The piece's popular familiarity has been enhanced by its traditional use as accompaniment by travelling circuses and on television variety shows such as The Ed Sullivan Show when novelty acts such as plate spinners appeared.

News program Teleprensa from El Salvador used a modern version of the song as intro for their newscasts in the 1980s during the Salvadoran Civil War.

The "Sabre Dance" is used in Road Runner (1985) from Atari Games and Aero the Acro-Bat (1993) video game in each of one of the game's soundtracks. It is also featured in the Classical Music radio station in Sleeping Dogs.

The National Hockey League team Buffalo Sabres used the piece as a theme song in the 1970s.

Films in which the "Sabre Dance" was used include:

  • The Barkleys of Broadway (US, 1949) - pianist Oscar Levant plays a piano transcription of the piece
  • One, Two, Three (US, 1961) - the piece reinforces James Cagney's energetic performance in the final act of the film as he plays a troubled executive making snap decisions to save his career.
  • The System (UK, 1964)
  • Amarcord (Italy, 1973)
  • Nu, pogodi! 6th episode "Countryside" (Soviet Union, 1973) - a portion was used in the train scene when the Wolf is trying to catch the Hare
  • Jumpin' Jack Flash (US, 1986)
  • Muuttolinnun aika (Finland, 1991)
  • Radioland Murders (US, 1994)
  • The Hudsucker Proxy (US/UK, 1994) - in a scene in which a newly-invented hula hoop is picked up and used by a young boy for the first time. The piece was arranged and integrated into the wider score by Carter Burwell, who also made use of Khachaturian's other well-known piece, the Adagio from Spartacus, as the movie's main theme.
  • Don't Drink the Water (US, 1994)
  • I Married a Strange Person! (US, 1997)
  • Vegas Vacation (US, 1997)
  • A Simple Wish (US, 1997)
  • 'The Blues Brothers 2000 (US, 1998) - when the main heroes encounter Russians in the grave and run, "Sabre Dance" can be heard for several seconds.
  • Kung Fu Hustle (Hong Kong, 2004) - the Sabre Dance plays in the background as Sing (Stephen Chow) infiltrates a mental institution to spring an assassin known as the Beast
  • Scoop (US/UK, 2006)
  • Sicko (US, 2007)
  • Ghost Town (US, 2008) - when the character of Ricky Gervais Bertram Pincus runs from a horde of ghosts through tunnel in the park, a violin version of "Sabre Dance" could be heard, performed by a ghost musician in tunnel.
  • Witless Protection (US, 2008)
  • Le Concert (France, 2009)
  • Paper Birds (Spain, 2010)

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