History ThemeTuneCameo / LiveActionFilm

[[redirect:ThemeTuneCameo/LiveActionFilms]]

* In ''Film/RaisingArizona'', when H.I. runs into the supermarket from the cops, a muzak version of the movie's theme song is playing.
* Happens [[OnceAnEpisode once a movie]] in the ''Film/SpiderManTrilogy''. In the first one, it's during the montage wherein New York gets to know Spider-Man -- a vaguely stoner-ish guy plays guitar on the subway, singing a song whose notes are those of the original ''[[WesternAnimation/SpiderMan1967 Spider-Man]]'' TV cartoon, though the lyrics are quite a bit more ridiculous. In ''Film/SpiderMan2'', a busker is twice shown plucking a fiddle and singing the cartoon theme; the movie uses her as a bit of a GreekChorus whose words haunt Peter. In ''Film/SpiderMan3'', a parade in Spidey's honor includes the theme performed by a full brass band. One wonders who wrote it in-world and why... Incidentally, ''Spider-Man 3'' is the only one of the three not to have it appearing at the end of the closing credits (the first film has the actual theme from the TV cartoon, the second has a rendition by Music/MichaelBuble).
** A chiptune version of it is used as Peter's ringtone in ''Film/TheAmazingSpiderman2''
** It's used again at the very beginning of ''Film/SpiderManHomecoming''.
* The 2003 remake of ''Film/{{SWAT}}'' has Hondo's team in a bar, singing along with the (instrumental) theme song from the original 70's version. The re-vamped theme finally appears over the end credits.
* ''Film/JamesBond''
** The ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' title tune was originally going to be "Mister Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", which does play extensively as an instrumental in the soundtrack -- and is played by a nightclub band.
** In ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'', there is one scene where Bond walks past a cleaner, who starts whistling the ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' theme, and during the "gadget scene", some old Bond themes can be heard; OHMSS theme can be listened often in the film, such as during the snow chase towards the end. The Bond series seemed to be quite fond of this trope.
** In ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'', a New Orleans lounge singer sings a Motown-style reprise of the title theme.
** In ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'':
*** [[Creator/ChristopherLee Scaramanga's]] funhouse features a piano version of the theme song.
*** When Bond passes Sheriff J.W. Pepper in a speedboat, a snippet of the theme from ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' plays.
** In ''Film/ForYourEyesOnly'', the code to the room containing the identigraph is part of the tune "Nobody Does It Better", the theme song of ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''.
** In ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'', when Bond arrives in India, his contact Vijay disguised as a snake charmer identifies himself to him by playing a bar of Bond's theme music.
** In ''Film/LicenceToKill'', Sanchez fires some bullets at Bond and misses. The sound of the bullets ricocheting off the tanker is set to the Bond theme. This apparently was a EasterEgg on the part of the sound editor.
* The instrumental theme that appears at the beginning of ''Manga/IchiTheKiller'' reappears (at least twice) as the ringtone on the main villain's cell.
* ''Film/HarryPotter''
** Towards the end of ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePhilosophersStone'', Hagrid is playing the series' overture as the protagonists approach his hut.
** In ''Film/HarryPotterAndThePrisonerOfAzkaban'', when the Boggart turns into a giant snake, the snake theme from ''Film/RaidersOfTheLostArk'' is briefly heard. Both films, of course, were scored by John Williams.
* Taken to its logical extreme in the movie ''Film/TheLongGoodbye'' where with the exception of the opening and closing of the movie, the only song heard in the movie is various arrangements of the theme song, "The Long Goodbye" used diegetically. So when a character turns on the radio, that's the song that plays, when a character is at a bar there's a piano player singing that song, in the supermarket, a muzak version is playing on the overhead, and when the nudist, hippie, neighbors, are chanting, they're chanting the theme also.
* In Guillermo Del Toro's ''Film/PansLabyrinth,'' Ofelia asks Mercedes to sing her a lullaby. Mercedes hums a gentle, mourning tune, which just so happens to be [[IronicNurseryTune the movie's theme.]] This lends to the film's [[MindScrew complex]] affair with the boundaries of reality and fantasy.
* In the live-action ''Film/InspectorGadget'' movie, the theme tune practically haunts the title character -- it's even played by a chamber orchestra at a posh party he is attending.
* In ''Film/{{Brazil}}'', when Sam is entering a code into an elevator, eight notes of the theme song are played.
* In the 1952 version of ''Moulin Rouge!'', [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=0Acq8yG2Fy8 the main theme]] appears as [[http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=oLyKbOtASHA Jane Avril's song]] in the cabaret.
* In one of the film's more affecting sequences, Michael Corleone reminisces about his time in Sicily as his son sings an Italian version of "Speak Softly Love ("Love Theme" from ''Film/TheGodfather'')" in ''Film/TheGodfatherPartIII'', the main theme is also heard being played by music bands in several scenes during the movies.
* In ''Film/GhostbustersII'', Ray and Winston play a tape of the "Ghostbusters" theme song at a kid's birthday party (the ungrateful little yuppie larvae scream for [[Franchise/MastersOfTheUniverse He-Man]]). The movie also has characters saying the song's line, "Who you gonna call?"
* ''Film/{{Maverick}}'' whistles a tune from the soundtrack just before making his first on-screen attempt to use magic on a deck of cards. Maverick may be remembering the tune from when it was played in the background during his poker game the previous evening, suggesting that the tune may be diegetic (played by a band in the saloon where the game occurred).
* In the film ''Film/{{Serenity}}'', Jayne is strumming the theme to ''Firefly'' on his guitar when the crew first arrives on Haven.
* In ''Tourist Trap'', one of the secondary cues is played in "music-box" form when a switch is hit, lighting up a display of a wax mannequins.
* ''Film/{{Thor}}'' has a scene where "Walk" by the Music/FooFighters, the movie's ending theme, is playing on a bar jukebox.
* The main orchestral theme of ''Film/TheRing'' appears in the actual film as a tune that Samara used to sing as a child. Unsurprisingly, it's {{creepy|Child}}.
* At one point in Creator/DarioArgento's ''Film/{{Tenebre}}'', a character puts on a record that turns out to be the film's theme music. Another character shouts at her to turn it down, but she ignores the request, and it fades up into the foreground to accompany the following scene.
* The music that Davy Jones plays on his organ in ''Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanDeadMansChest'' is the same tune as the one played by the music box in his and [[spoiler: Tia Dalma/Calypso]]'s lockets. It's also one of the main musical themes of [[Film/PiratesOfTheCaribbeanAtWorldsEnd the third movie]].
* The 2008 ''Film/GetSmart'' film riffed on the famous opening sequence with Max going through a series of high-security doors with him not clearing one door in time. The theme music stops and he has to input a code, which happens to be the next couple bars of the theme.
* ''Franchise/BackToTheFuture''
** In the [[Film/BackToTheFuture first film]], when Marty and his band are auditioning to play at the school dance, everybody but Marty plays the opening riff of "The Power of Love" by Huey Lewis and the News -- the theme song for the movie.
*** And his band is promptly shot down by the judge, [[TheCameo who is played by Huey Lewis.]]
** When Marty wakes up in ''Part I'' after making it back to his own time, the radio plays the end credits theme, "Back in Time," also by Huey Lewis and the News.
** In ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartII'', Future Marty tries to play the same tune on his guitar.
** The same tune can be heard in ''Film/BackToTheFuturePartIII'', on Needles' car radio, when he and Marty are about to race.
** In ''Part III'', Music/ZZTop play "Double Back Again" on period instruments at the town dance.
* In the 2008 LiveActionAdaptation of ''Film/IronMan1'', Rhodey uses the 90s ''IronMan'' cartoon theme as the ring tone for Tony Stark on his cellphone.
** And a brass version of the 60s cartoon plays when Obidiah goes to accept Tony's award at the beginning.
* In ''Film/PoliceAcademy5AssignmentMiamiBeach'', Proctor is making a paper airplane while humming the movie's main theme.
* In the remake of ''Film/LandOfTheLost'', the theme is repeatedly referenced by lines like "This is the greatest earthquake ever known!" until [[Creator/WillFerrell Rick Marshall]] sings the show's entire theme song as something he made up. Never mind that he's referring to himself by his last name.
* In ''Film/TheStarWarsHolidaySpecial'', Princess Leia sings a song vaguely related to Life Day, and vaguely related to the ''Star Wars'' main theme tune.
** Also in ''Star Wars'', it's implied in the Expanded Universe that the Imperial March is the Empire's martial theme. One officer is seen to whistle, "dum, dum, dum, dum-te-tum, dum-te-tum" in a Boba Fett comic. This gets confirmed in ''Film/{{Solo}}'', when the Imperial March plays at a naval recruitment office.
* In ''Film/RockyIII,'' during the ceremony celebrating Rocky's statue the band is playing "Gonna Fly Now". It happens again at the beginning of ''Film/RockyV''.
* At the end of the first ''Series/TalesFromTheCrypt'' movie, ''Film/DemonKnight'', a man implied to be a demon is shown walking down a desert road whistling the series (and the movie's) main theme.
* In ''Film/{{Labyrinth}}'', the NostalgicMusicBox that plays when Sarah picks up the ballroom dancer figurine is "As The World Falls Down", which is played in its entirety later on. Not quite the theme music, but definitely a cameo.
* The Saint theme, which goes back to the 1939 film ''The Saint Strikes Back'' and featured in the 1960's TV show, appears as a car alarm in the 1997 film during an early scene.
* Gamera plays his own theme tune on Zigra's back after defeating him in 1971's Gamera Vs. Zigra.
* In ''Film/{{Help}}'', Clang and his thugs attempt to ambush Music/TheBeatles in an Indian restaurant, first nabbing the house musicians and replacing them, playing an instrumental medley of tunes from ''Film/AHardDaysNight'' (their previous movie) on Eastern instruments.
* In the live-action ''Film/{{Thunderbirds}}'' movie, Lady Penelope and Jeff Tracy's ringtones are the "Thunderbirds March".
* In the Inspector Clouseau film ''Film/AShotInTheDark'', the band at Camp Sunshine are playing the film's theme tune.
* ''WesternAnimation/ThomasAndTheMagicRailroad'' has Mr Conductor humming the TV show's theme at one point.
* All the instrumental music in ''Film/{{Inception}}'' is based on the melody to the Music/EdithPiaf song ("Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien") used to kick the team members out of various levels of dreaming.
* In the ''Music/PinkFloyd'' movie ''Music/TheWall'', the poem that Pink is writing at school is the lyrics of ''Money''.
* ''Film/TheAdventuresOfBuckarooBanzaiAcrossThe8thDimension''. New Jersey (Dr. Sidney Zweibel} plays part of the movie's main theme on the piano while the others are trying to break into the Yoyodyne computer system.
* ''Film/TheWitchesOfEastwick'' (1988) has a very catchy and distinct main theme, composed by Music/JohnWilliams. At one point Creator/JackNicholson's character is whistling the melody, as if he's able to hear the film's score (this is near the end, when he goes shopping).
* In the pseudo-Christmas movie ''Film/{{Gremlins}}'', as the eponymous creatures carol at the door of the Scrooge-ish Mrs. Deagle, they are singing (read as: screeching off-key) the movie's theme song by composer Jerry Goldsmith.
* A kind of meta example in the case of ''Film/GalaxyQuest'', in which the in-universe theme song of the eponymous show is a constant presence within the movie's own soundtrack.
** The film features three in-universe renditions of the theme. The original 1970's show version, an electro-rock cover version played at the convention (which humorously announces Jason Nesmith's over the top entrance), and a reworked theme for the new TV show (basically the same as the original, but played by a much bigger orchestra).
* ''Film/{{Laura}}'' has the theme music playing on a phonograph in the title character's house.
* In ''[[Film/AgentCodyBanks Agent Cody Banks 2: Destination London]],'' Cody (undercover as a music student) is racing to return to his room, while his fellow students are practising their instruments in their rooms - and they happen to be playing Cody's (and the movie's) theme music.
* In ''{{Film/Mash}}'', the "Suicide Is Painless" theme is performed by one of the attendees during the "funeral" for Painless Pole. As it and ''Film/TheLongGoodbye'', above, were both directed by Creator/RobertAltman, it seems to be a director trademark.
* In ''{{Film/Veronica Mars}}'' (TheMovie follow-up to the show), Veronica and Piz pass a street busker who is playing the TV show's theme song, which continues to play under Veronica's voice-over as she talks about the case.
* In the second ''Film/TheLibrarian'' film, a set of self-playing pan pipes started playing the film's theme while Judson was scolding Flynn.
* In ''{{Film/The Longest Day}}'' the pianist in the RAF mess is playing a slow version of the film's theme song.
* In ''Film/HighlanderTheSource'', the Guardian taunts Reggie by singing "[[Music/{{Queen}} Who Wants to Live Forever?]]" from [[Film/{{Highlander}} the first movie]].
* In ''Film/BellBookAndCandle'' the theme tune is hummed by the protagonist witch as a part of the spell.
* In SpaghettiWestern ''Film/AStrangerInTown'' (1967) the female antagonist is humming the theme tune while changing in her room; this happens mere four minutes after the same tune had been played during the opening credits. Strangely enough, it is never played diegetically again.
* An odd example in ''Film/AFistfulOfDynamite''. Music/EnnioMorricone composed a musical theme for each of the two protagonists, which is played in the background when we see them, but ''never'' diegetically. Then, all of a sudden, one of the protagonists begins to whistle "his" musical theme; but what really takes the cake is the fact the other one, not even seeing his buddy, ''instantly recognizes'' him by what's being whistled. A strange case of either MagicalRealism or MediumAwareness.
* ''Film/PowerRangers2017'' brings the classic ''Go Go Power Rangers'' theme from the [[Film/MightyMorphinPowerRangersTheMovie 1995 film]] when the group rides off to the FinalBattle, effectively signaling the film's climax.
* ''Film/{{Barbarella}}'': The titular character hums the movie's theme song (obviously also hers) after having sex with Mark Hand and Pygar.
* ''Film/TwistedNerve'' features the main character repeatedly whistling the title theme, composed by Music/BernardHerrmann. In fact, the whole soundtrack is the same tune performed in different fashions. Creator/QuentinTarantino borrowed the tune for ''Film/KillBill'' Vol. 1, where an assassin disguised as a nurse... that's right, whistled it.
* In the ''Series/KamenRiderGhost'' movie ''Gekijōban Kamen Rider Ghost: 100 no Eyecon to Ghost Unmei no Toki'' (''Kamen Rider Ghost The Movie: The 100 Eyecons and Ghost's Fateful Moment''), Music/LudwigVanBeethoven, Music/JohannSebastianBach, Music/WolfgangAmadeusMozart, Music/FryderykChopin and Music/FranzSchubert perform "Warera Omou, Yue ni Warera Ari" ("We Think, Therefore We Are") by Kishidan, the opening theme to the series (the musicians are played by the band members themselves).
* In ''Film/BibiUndTina'', Bibi sings the refrain of their theme song to Tina after a falling out to remind her that they're friends. In the fourth movie, they sing it to Adae to introduce themselves.
* ''Film/{{Captain Marvel|2019}}'': In this Franchise/MarvelCinematicUniverse {{prequel}}, we see ComicBook/NickFury's EurekaMoment when he decides to start the Avenger Initiative, naming it for [[spoiler:ComicBook/CarolDanvers' Air Force callsign]]. As he types up the proposal to show his superiors, the theme from ''Film/{{The Avengers|2012}}'' plays in the background.
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