The best Academy Award winning songs: #9 "Mona Lisa" from "Captain Carey USA" (1950)

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Perhaps the biggest hit by the incomparable Nat King Cole that topped the charts five consecutive weeks. His version was a cover. “Captain Carey USA” is a routine program movie. Entertaining enough but nothing special or great. Alan Ladd stars an an OSS officer returning to Italy to find out who betrayed his unit during the war. The movie’s claim to fame is “Mona Lisa.” This is the first of two appearances by legendary Hollywood songwriting team Jay Livingston (music) and Ray Evans (lyrics) who also won Oscars for “Buttons and Bows” and “Whatever Will Be (Que Sera Sera).” They wrote the Christmas standard “Silver Bells.” “Mona Lisa” is performed on the soundtrack by bandleader Charlie Spivak. Cole’s cover had orchestration by Nelson Riddle and music performed by Les Baxter and his orchestra. Those are music heavyweights. Everyone has covered “Mona Lisa” including Elvis Presley. Country artists loved. Moon Mullican’s version was country #4 in 1950. Jim Reeves, Conway Twitty and Willie Nelson sang it. There is even a rockabilly version. “Mona Lisa” was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.